Translations, Paraphrases, Lexicons and Commentaries
The following is a complete list of the textual resources used in the Scripture Study Bible app. We've included some comments and opinions specific to our use of these resources. Scroll to the end for a note about how to recommend new resources.
Translations & Paraphrases of the Bible
Authorised King James Version (KJV)
First published in 1611. Translated from the Masoretic Text and Stephanus' Greek contributions to the Textus Receptus, and heavily influenced by the Geneva Bible of 1560. We use a version published in 1769 that contains a number of corrections to the original 1611 version. You can read more about the KJV on Wikipedia here.
The King James Version is the main translation used in the Scripture Study Bible app and can't be “turned off”. Although the language is dated in a number of places, the grammar especially is incredibly close to the sense of the original Hebrew and Greek. When translated from those original languages, the Bible has already lost a lot of amazing detail. The KJV, in our opinion, is a version that minimises this loss. Studying the original Hebrew and Greek words often help paint pictures in our minds that are subtly different from those gained from any English translation. Hebrew words describe pictures often. For example: the word for East paints a picture of the direction of the sun's rising; it refers to the earliest or foremost time, the start of the day. It reminds us heavily of the dawn of the age to come when Jesus will return to teach (light) the whole Earth. Whilst we cannot preserve these single-word pictures in other languages, we can try to minimise differences in grammar and sentence structure, such as the order of ideas in any sentence. This, in our opinion, keeps the Bible that we read in English a little closer to the original inspired work of the Creator of Heaven and Earth who has revealed His plan, his character, his purpose in His Word.
The KJV is not without its faults. However the more modern and recent a translation is, then (speaking very generally) the further the language, the grammar, the sense has moved away from that used originally thousands of years ago as men were inspired and permitted to capture the thoughts of the Creator onto a page.
American Standard Version
New Testament first published in 1900, Old Testament added to it in 1901. You can read more about the ASV on Wikipedia here.
Originally developed in conjunction with the Revised Version that was published in England. The ASV included more suggestions from the American scholars.
Bible in Basic English
The New Testament was published first in 1941 and the Old Testament in 1949. You can read more about the BBE on Wikipedia here.
This translation of the Bible was performed using only 850 Basic English words, 100 poetical words and 50 words important for an accurate Bible translation. This results in a translation using only 1,000 English words in total. Every translation of the Bible should be treated with caution and passages researched, but the BBE is often surprisingly helpful in clarifying the sense of grammatically difficult verses.
Coverdale's Translation
First published in 1535. The spelling in the version we use is the older English. You can read more about Coverdale's translation on Wikipedia here.
This was the first printed English translation of the whole Bible and was based on Tyndale's slightly earlier work.
Jewish Publication Society Tanakh
Published in 1917. As a Jewish publication used in synagogues, this is the Old Testament only. Heavily based on the Revised Version and American Standard Version, but modified to more closely follow the original Hebrew. You can read more about the JPS Tanakh on Wikipedia here.
This translation is very useful for understanding the Jewish viewpoint on certain Old Testament passages.
Masoretic Text
Copied and shared between 700 and 1000 BC. Original Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible the Tanakh used in Rabbinic Judaism. You can read more about the Masoretic Text on Wikipedia here.
The Masoretic Text formed the basis for the translation into English of the KJV, ESV, NASV and NIV.
Restored Name King James Version
Published in 1934. King James Version but with the names of God restored - Yahweh Elohim, He Who Will Be [Manifest in] Mighty Ones.
Revised Standard Version
New Testament published in 1946. Old Testament published in 1952. A revision of the American Standard Version. You can read more about the RSV on Wikipedia here.
This appears to be a paraphrasing, intended to be easy to read.
Revised Version
Sometimes called the English Revised Version. New Testament published in 1881, the Old Testament in 1885. You can read more about the RV on Wikipedia here.
This seems to be a generally very good revision of the KJV.
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible
Finally published in entirety in 1902. A translation that attempts to carry into English the emphasis of the original text. You can read more about the Emphasized Bible on Wikipedia here.
The most useful copies of this Bible are in printed form, although a very good PDF copy exists here which is one of the copies/formats available on the Telios Ministries website. We currently use an electronic form that is missing a lot of Rotherham's original markings and all of the notes. All other online Bibles and Bible software we've seen does the same. Please contact us through the Feedback section of the app if you're aware of an XML or otherwise parseable digital copy of the text that retains Rotherham's original emphatic marking (with an open license to redistribute it).
Scrivener's Greek
Greek New Testament published in 1894. Based on the Stephanus, Beza and Elzevier Greek manuscripts that form part of the collection known as the Textus Receptus. You can read a little more about Scrivener's Greek New Testament here.
Scrivener researched and combined several Greek manuscripts to capture the corrections and interpretations of the translators of the KJV as they studied the Textus Receptus. In some cases Scrivener's changes may have corrected errors made when copying the Greek manuscripts manually over the centuries. In other places, perhaps Scrivener introduced his own accidental errors.
Septuagint
Old Testament translated into Greek by 72 Jewish translators around 300-250 BC. You can read more about the Septuagint on Wikipedia here.
The Septuagint helps understand how the Hebrew language of the Old Testament was understood by the Jews around 300BC, because the Septuagint contains the Greek words that they chose as being most suitable to convery the meaning.
Stephanus Greek
Greek New Testament published in 1550. Forms part of the Textus Receptus collection of manuscripts. Robert Estienne became known as Robert Stephanus and collated many Greek manuscripts around in his time to form a complete New Testament. You can read more about this on Wikipedia here
Tyndale's Translation
A partial translation of the Bible. The whole New Testament was published in 1526 and some books from the Old Testament in 1530. You can read more about Tyndale's work on Wikipedia here.
This was the first English translation to be produced directly from Greek and Hebrew texts. It was the first English translation to use the printing press although Coverdale produced the first complete (whole Bible) translation to be printed.
Westcott and Hort Greek
Published in 1881. A Greek New Testament compiled from the earliest fragments of Greek New Testaments found at the time. You can read more about the Wescott and Hort Greek New Testament here on Wikipedia.
World English Bible
Published in 2020, based on the American Standard Version with modernized language. YOu can read more about the World English Bible here on Wikipedia.
Wycliffe's Translation
Published between 1382 and 1395. A group of translations made into Middle English collated by John Wycliffe. You can read more about Wycliffe's translation here on Wikipedia.
This English translation is mainly based on the Latin Vulgate, intended to allow every man and woman in England to understand the Bible without the message being hidden behind Latin.
Young's Literal Translation
Published in 1862. A literal translation of the Bible into English. You can read more about Young's Literal Translation here on Wikipedia.
Most translations are not literal. Most translators aim to understand the sense and meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek, then form an English sentence that conveys the same meaning. However a literal translation translates the original words literally. This sometimes means that the overall sense is hard to understand in a different language, such as if metaphors or grammatical constructs or tenses don't carry across well from one language or culture to another. However sometimes the sense of individual words is conveyed more accurately in a literal translation and this makes a comparison with another translation very powerful.
Lexicons & Commentaries
Brown-Driver-Briggs' Concordance
A Hebrew-to-English lexicon for the Old Testament. Published in 1906. You can read more about BDB here on Wikipedia.
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
A reference tool offering an opinion on a variety of topics. First published in 1869. Contains extensive Bible references. We treat some topics with caution and compare them with what the Bible teaches.
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
Published in 1869. The title explains it all.
Nave's Topical Bible
A list of topics found in the Bible with references for each topic. Originally published in 1896. You can read more about Nave's Topical Bible here on Wikipedia.
As with many works, we treat this with a lot of caution. Generally topics contain interesting references, but there are some erroneous views taught and mentioned in Nave's topics which the Bible does not teach.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Short, concise entries on many Bible words and topics. First published in 1863 and re-published 1893. We treat some topics with caution and compare them with what the Bible teaches.
You can read more about Smith's Bible Dictionary here on Wikipedia.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
First published in 1890. Very good lexicon for both Old and New Testaments. You can read more about Strong's Concordance here on Wikiepedia.
The original Strong's concordance is the best Bible concordance in existence - it generally sticks to observed fact. Some online software uses Strong's numbers but non-original Strong's definitions against those numbers.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
A Greek-to-English lexicon for the New Testament. Published in 1889. You can read a little about Thayer's Lexicon here on wikipedia.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A large database of cross-references between passages of the Bible. Originally published by Samuel Bagster around 1830. You can read a little more about the TSK here.
We use the digital Enhanced edition, published by e-sword.
Vine's Expository Dictionary
A dictionary of English words used in the New Testament of the King James Version. Published in 1940. Explains the Greek words behind the translated English. You can read more about Vine's Expository Dictionary here on Wikipedia.
World English Bible Footnotes
Occasional footnotes from the World English Bible (see World English Bible above).
Something missing? Request an Addition
We're very open to suggestions and requests to add other translations or study materials to the app. Please use the Feedback feature built into the app to send us as much information as possible about the resource that you would like us to add. Any work of humans in this area should be received with caution and checked against the Bible's true teaching as, and so we only add material that we are generally fairly comfortable with. However, we recognise that no human work will be anywhere near perfect and that includes translations and commentaries but also our own assessment of those.
Words of Jesus in red?
We haven't added a software feature to display words of Jesus or spoken words of God in a different colour in any translation. This is because we believe the whole Bible to be written by men under direct inspiration of God. Every word of the original Hebrew or Greek is intended by God to be read. This is excepting the occasional errors of transcription or translation that have arisen over the years as men copied the Bible without inspiration. We don't believe that a sentence spoken by God is more or less important than the sentence He caused to be written before it that provides the context. Or that words spoken by Jesus are more or less important than the original Old Testament passage He is quoting.