Word studies are excellent tools to help us get to know our Bibles, and thus the Writer of the Bible, better. They can be used independently or along with a topical or exegetical (verse-by-verse) study of the Word. They are not difficult, and you don’t need any special skills, such as a command of Greek or Hebrew. Simply put, the study of a specific word in Scripture allows us to get a feel for the nuances and deeper meanings of a word, which in turn allows us to better understand what God is communicating to us in His written Word. The more we learn the Word, the better we know God.

To do a word study, you will need a Hebrew and/or Greek dictionary. Thankfully, the Strong’s Concordance that I recommended in this article also includes these tools. As you read the Bible, look for words that you may want to study. It may be an unfamiliar term, a repeated or often- used phrase, a word that seems important in context, or one that simply piques your curiosity.

Look that word up in the Strong’s Concordance, and you will find it has an assigned number. That number will have a corresponding entry in the Hebrew (for Old Testament words) or Greek (for New Testament) dictionary. There you will find the definition of the word.

Back in the concordance section, you will find other uses of that same root word, which may be translated into the same English word or perhaps a different English word. Those translated words will also give you a better understanding of the original word, and the uses of that word will broaden your understanding of it as well. The more we understand God’s Word, the better we can apply, obey, and teach it to others.

Hopefully that is a somewhat clear explanation of word studies. The steps are:

Choose a word.

Find its root.

Learn its definition.

Compare it with other uses in Scripture.

Apply it to the original text and your broader understanding of Scripture and God.

Apply it to your life.

Happy studying!