I wanted to review this Bible app (briefly) for anyone who is looking for help to go deeper into God's Word. Since you can choose the setting among several versions, one being KJV, and since it uses the Strongs Concordance for translations/word definitions in Greek and Hebrew, it is a very helpful study tool (I am sure there are others. Maybe someone will review those).
Pastor has often mentioned several ways of studying and said we should use more than one of them at the same time. One is memorizing. One is reading a wide area of the Scriptures for breadth; one is deep diving into a chapter or even a verse for depth. I think word studies might be a subset of the latter.
With the Blue Letter Bible app (which is free--they ask for donations), you can toggle and bring up a complete verse in Greek or Hebrew. You can see how the words and phrases are related in the original language. You can then go to pronunciation keys and definitions of single words with a couple more keystrokes. There is even a button to have a word be pronounced for you!!!
I just started a deep dive of I John 1 after once memorizing the entire chapter. I am finding that is two completely different studies, both valuable.
Will we make mistakes? Yes, we are human. We all will. There was a reason the Catholic faith fought for centuries to keep the Word out of the languages the people commonly spoke. The leaders believed the common man would get it wrong. To me, knowing God's Word is perfect but my study of it will not always hit the mark is not a discouragement from studying. God knows our hearts and will reward our diligent seeking.
Note: there are toolbars at the top and bottom of the app, but the best features come when you tap on a verse number. It is like falling into a black hole of word study that way.
For example, here is I John 1:5 in Koine Greek (TR):
1:5 Καὶ αὕτη ἔστιν ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ θεὸςφῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία
Another recent discovery about the Blue Letter Bible is that it includes the Septuagint (Greek translation, from Hebrew, of the Old Testament). It does not expand everything out like it does for the Hebrew, but the Greek is there. The Septuagint existed in Jesus’ time and most commentators say some of His quotes came from the Septuagint.
Knowing this, I use the Septuagint. I opened to it as Pastor preached from Isaiah 6 yesterday morning.
I always intended to learn Hebrew but I learned Greek instead.
I downloaded the app this morning 🤳📱
To our Spanish speakers, there is also a Reina-Valera Bible available. I just read I John 1 in it and it is beautiful and (to this non-native speaker) very well aligned with what the KJV says.
I am, however, uneducated on the history of Spanish translations so you probably know whether R-V is a translation you wish to use for study.
👍
Going to check this out. Thanks