Commercial and Ideal Bible Study Software

Commercial Bible Search Software

This is not a complete list. It just includes the software I have actually tried. Don't let my honest reviews deter you from spending your hard-earned money on any of these. I'm looking for the "ideal" Bible search program, but haven't found it, yet. I use NavPress Software's WordSearch and Parsons Technology's Quickverse and like them both for their strengths. If you sell commercial Bible search software and want me to review it, please send me a copy. (Email me for my street address.)

• The American Bible Society reference Bible on CD-ROM has lots of good Bible text on it, but the search program is a DOS-based database interface is very clunky, and seems to be written for mainframe database programmers, not most Bible students. The program insists on reading only from a local CD-ROM and has other fascist tendencies. Greek and Hebrew text is displayed in a rather unique mapping to 7-bit ASCII. I found it easier to export the English, German, and Spanish text I wanted to read to an ASCII text file and read it with another program than to deal with their "Find-it" software. The Greek and Hebrew texts need serious help before they are really usable (i.e. conversion to the proper alphabets).
• Logos Research - look for the $9.95 KJV + search software special. NOT STEP COMPATIBLE, so books you buy with this software can only be read with this software. This is very complex software that obviously took a long time to develop, but is still pretty easy to use. Lots of features, Bible texts, and books to choose from. The basic software with the KJV text is practically given away, but they charge rather steep prices for unlocking other texts, including those in the Public Domain.
• NavPress Software (800-888-9898 or email [email protected] or [email protected]) just started shipping STEP compatible software. Their CD software used to be COPY PROTECTED, and frequently stopped working on my computer because of that, but they claim to have fixed that with WordSearch 4 for Windows (3.1, 95 or NT). They offer a good selection of Bible texts and helps. Formats text nicely. The only really irritating nit about this software is that when running under Windows NT 4.0, the "copy to clipboard" function flat out doesn't work, contrary to all of the documentation. The work around is to use their "copy to word processor" function, then copy from the word processor to the clipboard to paste into another application.
• Parsons Technology has low cost, quality Bible search software and a STEP compatible library viewer. QuickVerse has a very basic verse list type display, but access is fast and scrolling smooth. My only complaints so far are (1) poetry line formatting is not preserved, (2) Psalm titles are missing, and (3) that the Bible text selection doesn't yet include any Bibles that include deuterocanonical/apocryphal books. You and your church may differ in your views of the authority of these texts, but I personally think that you would do very well to read these good history books, even if you aren't Catholic. On the bright side, this is solid, well-written software that has never displayed any bugs in my use of it, and which delivers on its promises. I highly recommend that you try out their free download with the KJV, and if you like it, get one or more of their reasonably priced modern English translations.
• Zondervan has an NIV Bible search program, calle BibleSource for Windows, that can be purchased on line. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with it, but it is capable of displaying Bible text and doing searches. Some of the user interface is a bit different to get used to, but at least its clipboard function works. The text reformats in a confusing way when you page up. Not very feature rich, and the price is kind of high for what you get. They also have some other software that I haven't tried. In all fairness to Zondervan, I must admit that they do publish the best Bible on cassette tape that I have listened to. I highly recommend audio Bible, but I recommend that you get your Bible software elsewhere for now.
• Bible Research Systems - I haven't tried their latest stuff, but I used to use a DOS version that worked pretty well.
• BibleSoft - I haven't tried this.

The Ideal Bible Search Software

OK, I admit that it doesn't exist, yet. If it did, it would have the following features, in my humble opinion:

• Wide selection of Bible texts in many languages, including:
  • Many translations in Spanish, English, and other Latin Alphabet languages.
  • Translations in languages with other alphabets and/or pictograms.
  • Support for audio Bibles
  • Other living languages (all of them - over 6,000)
  • Original language texts (Greek, Hebrew)
• Good helps, including maps, dictionaries, etc.
• Ease of use.
• Export capability in many formats
• Easy, configurable copy & paste
• Printing/typesetting capability
• Support for open standards like those on the STEP technical information page.
• Support for many languages.
• Preserves poetry & prose formatting (not just a list of verses)
• Simple, intuitive, and powerful searches
• Note-taking, highlighting, and journaling features
• Reasonably efficient use of computer resources
• Configurable side-by-side translations for comparison
• Interlinear translation support
• Support for multiple computing platforms (Win32, Linux, Mac, SunOS, etc.)
• Freely available

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