THE WORD STUDY METHOD

Definition
The Word Study Method of Bible Study takes a
microscopic look at the origin, definition,
occurrences, and uses of a particular word, especially
as it relates to the context of a passage of Scripture.
It aims to learn as precisely and comprehensive as
possible what the Biblical writer meant by the word he
used.
Why Study Words in the Bible?
Irving Jensen wrote, “Just as a great door swings on small
hinges, so the important theological statements of the Bible
often depend upon even the smallest words, such as
prepositions and articles” (Quoted by R. Warren from Enjoy
Your Bible, Moody Press, p.96). Most of the great doctrines of
the Word of God revolve around a single word, such as grace,
atonement, or faith. We must study the specific words that
were used so that we can understand the deepest meaning of
Scripture.
 Correct interpretation of Biblical truths depends on the correct
understanding of the words used to convey these truths. In Psalm
12:6 King David said, “The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver
refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times”. In Prov. 30:5, a
writer stated, “Every Word of God is flawless; He is a Shield to
those who take refuge in Him.” However, those flawless words were
written in a language different from ours, and their full meanings
are not always transmitted completely through a translation. In
fact, no translation is perfect because no two languages correspond
exactly. Word equivalents do not always exist between languages,
so in studying the Bible we may have to search out the full meaning
of a word which the translators were unable to squeeze into the
chosen text.
 In addition, when the original text of the Bible was
translated into English, some 6,000 different words were
used, whereas in the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek original,
11,280 words were used, (Jensen, Enjoy Your Bible, p.96). So
how do 11,000 words fit into 6,000?By translating several
original language words into one English word. For example,
the English word servant in the NT translates seven different
Greek words, each of which had a slightly different shade of
meaning for a servant. English language is unable to
completely give the full meanings of the original biblical
languages.
Two things must be kept in our mind when
doing a word study. (1) Word studies must
be based on the original language words,
not on the English words. (2) Allow the
context to indicate the ultimate meaning
of the word being studied, no matter what
the English equivalent might be.
 Tools Needed
The necessary tools are:
 A Study Bible
 Several recent translations. (These will help you to see the words different
translators chose from the original ones. In this method, do not use translations
which paraphrased the verses.
 An exhaustive Concordance.
 A Bible dictionary and/ or encyclopedia.
 A good English Dictionary
 The Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament (Zondervan), The
Word Study Concordance with The Word Study New Testament(William Carey
Library) will be useful
Simple Steps on Doing a Word Study
 Step one – Choose Your Word
 In
your previous personal Bible Study, there may be
some words that caught your attention because you
are not certain of their meanings. Choose a word
that you wondered about, or interested in or you
may choose from the list in Appendix E of our
Textbook.
Step Two – Find its English Definition
Use the English dictionary and write
out the definition of the English word.
List with the definition any synonyms or
antonyms of the word.
Step Three – Compare Translations
Read the passages where this word is used
in different recent translations. Write down
the different renderings of the word that
you find. See if there are any renderings
that are commonly used in these
translations.
Step Four – Write Down the Definition of the
Original Word
In the exhaustive concordance or word study
book, look up what is the original word and
write down its definition. You may find it has a
number of usages.
 Sometimes several Greek words are translated by just one English word.
(Example: English word servant has seven Greek equivalents, each with a
different shade of meaning.) Be sure to check your concordance carefully if this
might be true of the word you are studying. Find out what each different original
word meant.
 Sometimes one Greek or Hebrew word is translated several ways in English. You
must do a careful study on all the different renderings of that original word,
through the use of your exhaustive concordance. (Example: Greek word Koinonia
is translated five different ways in the King James Version. How to solve this
difficulty? (a) List the different ways the word is translated; (b) List how many
times it is translated; (1) communication – once; (2) communion - 4 times; (3)
contribution – once; (4) distribution – once; and (5) fellowship - 12 times.
 Step Five – Check The Word’s Occurrences in the Bible
 Again, from the concordance, find out how and where the word is
used in the Bible. Ask these questions:
 (a) How many times does the word occur in the Bible?
 (b) In what books does it occur?
 (c) What writers used the word?
 (d) In what book does it occur most?
 (e) Where does the word occur first in the Bible?
 (f) Where does it occur first in the book you are studying?
Step Six – Find the Root Meaning and Origin
of the Word
This step will drive you into some research. You
need to read a fuller discussion of the meaning
and origin of the word you are studying, using a
Bible dictionary, a Bible encyclopedia, a word
study set, or a theological word book.
 Step 7 – Discover the Word’s Usage in the Bible
 Findout how the word is used in the Bible. The study of the
root meaning (Step Six) told you what the word meant
originally and where it came from, but some words change
their meanings with the passage of time. Also, in different
situations and contexts some words change their meanings.
In the final analysis, the usage of a word is the most
important factor in determining its true meaning. Follow
these three ways:
1. Find out how the word was used during
the time the book (of the Bible) was
written. You have to look at some extra-
biblical materials such as histories of the
time, if the word study set you are using
did not have this information
 2. Find out how the word is translated
every time it appears in the Bible,
using your concordance. The Scriptures
define words through usage and
illustrations. The following questions
may also be asked:
 How does the writer use the word in other parts of the book?
 How does the writer use the word in other books he has written?
 How is the word used throughout the whole testament?
 Does the word have more than one usage? If so, what are its other
uses?
 What is the most frequent use of the word?
 How is it used the first time in the Scriptures?
 3. Find out how the word is used in the context of the
passage. The context is you’re most reliable source for
insights into what the writer really meant. Ask these
questions:
 Does the context give any clues to the meaning of the word?
 Isthe word compared or contrasted with another word in
the context?
 Is
there any illustration in the context that clarifies the
meaning of the word?
 3. Find out how the word is used in the context of the
passage. The context is you’re most reliable source for
insights into what the writer really meant. Ask these
questions:
 Does the context give any clues to the meaning of the word?
 Isthe word compared or contrasted with another word in
the context?
 Is
there any illustration in the context that clarifies the
meaning of the word?
Step Eight – Write Out an Application
Always remember that your goal is
“application” not just interpretation. In doing
this method, ask yourself: “How can
understanding this word help strengthen my
own spiritual life?” Therefore, write out an
application, always following the 4Ps.