Bible Software

The computer and the Internet are part of our everyday life;  so is the Bible. Many Christians have a computer at home and are interested in studying this"Holy Book" by themselves, not only at their church, but also at home. There are many people who are interested in the Bible from the literary and documentary point of view. All these people want to purchase a Biblical software or Bible software.

This software is a group of computer applications meant to view and study biblical texts and concepts. Bible software resemble e-book readers because they offer books in a digital format, and may be used to show a great variety of inspirational books and bibles and can be used on your personal computer. Any way, a big part of the biblical software only focuses on finding certain words, phrases,  chapters from the Bible, giving translation in different languages, comparing texts and topics,  original texts together with the tools for study: references, dictionaries, studies, comments, maps, charts that may help them understand the Bible, either from the theological, historical or philosophical point of view.

There are different kinds of Bible software, with different degrees of complexity, according to what the user wants. Their price is also different according to the number of tools and studies or material offered.Because the users belong to different social categories and have different purposes, the Bible software offers something for everybody. Some people need it for devotional reading and personal study, others belong to the Church and want to be helped to make a beautiful speech as part of a sermon, some just out of curiosity. The basic biblical software is designed for the mobile phone and focuses on searching a word or a phrase from the Bible and translating it into different languages. The more expensive and more complex software offers many tools for interpretation: Gospel narratives, syntactical searches of original texts, etc.and can be installed on your personal computer. The first use of computers for searching parts of texts from the Bible seems to have happened in the 1980s. People realized that it was much easier to search a word on the computer than to look it up a very thick book.

The earliest forms of the Bible software was only a searching engine.The offer became more and more diverse and complex and now we can even read the Bible in the original language and text, in Greek or Hebrew. Of course, this meant a great opportunity for linguists, researchers in the field of Theology, History or Linguistics. And the offers are improving from one day to another, because people are very interested in this topic. The Bible was reviewed and restructured so as to be accessible to simple people or children who do not understand a very sophisticated and bushy language. For this category of readers the Publishing Houses prepared an animated presentation of the  Bible, similar to cartoons, but containing facts from the Holy Book. In this way they approached children gently and in an appropriate manner for their age and made them love the study of the Bible. The children found it easier to make representations and understand the facts if they were presented in a pleasant way.

Here are some Bible softwares according to their compatibility with some of the most important computer operating systems for those who are interested. Windows compatible:Bible explorer, Bible works, iLumina(animated Bible), LOGOS Bible software, eBible library, Pradis, PC Study Bible, QuickVerse, SESB, SwordSearcher, WORDSearch. Free software: The Sword Project, Alkitab Bible Study, Bible Desktop, BPBible, Bible Analyzer, Bible Database, Bible explorer, Bible PRO, e-Sword, Interlinear Scripture Analyzer,Online Bible, SwordBible, Theophilos, The Word. MAC OSX compatible: Accordance, iLumina, LOGOS Bible Software, MacSword, Online Bible, QuickVerse, WORD search 8 for Mac. Linux/Unix compatible: Bible Analyzer, Bible Time, BPBible, Xiphos. Mobile platforms: PalmOS(Bible Reader for Palm), Laridian, My Bible, Olive Tree Bible Software, Bible Reader, Palm Bible Plus, QuickVerse. Windows CE compatible: Olive Tree Bible Software  Bible Reader, Laridian Pocket Bible, Pocket E-Sword,QuickVerse. Android compatible:CadreBible, Answord, Android Scriptures, VirtueBible. iPhone and iPod compatible: Olive Tree Bible Software-Bible Reader, iBibleSpace, Laridian, Kavapoint.com-Bible verses, Youversion App. Java compatible: Alkitab Bible Study, BibleDesktop, Go Bible. Online tools: BiblePro online version, Bible.LOGOS.com, The Bible Tool, Blue Letter Bible, Christian Classics Etheral library, Crosswalk Bible, e-Sword Live, Gospel Communications' Bible Gateway, Bible Forge, NEXTbible, YouVersion.

After listing the best known Bible software programs I want to plead for the advantages of the software in comparison with the printed version of the book. First of all it's the hyperlink-digital texts usually let you know when you can get more information about a certain word or phrase in the text which is indicated by the use of another color and underlined. You are one click away from supplementary explanation about that specific item. You can look up the dictionary definition, Bible explanation or reference, commentary or map or picture and then return to the previous page without missing anything, but being, on the contrary, more informed. The second important advantage of the software is speed. In a century when everything seems to be moving with the speed of light around us it is important to save time and use the best time managing ways in our research or study. I mean it takes a lot less time to look up a phrase or expression on the computer, than to spend a few hours searching it in books.

Nevertheless this is not an excuse to exclude the actual reading from the Bible; I think we should find the best combination of the two methods: read first, then try to find an interpretation with the help of the software. The third and last very important advantage is comprehensiveness. Sometimes we read parts of the Bible but do not catch all the meanings and hints either because we are not prepared enough or because we only look for the simple meaning, the apparent one. But it is known that the Bible has deep meanings that go beyond the surface of the book. At that point the Bible software comes to our help and provides all the necessary information about a certain topic we read. In conclusion use the software wise, together with the book.