Tools for When you Get Stumped While Studying the Bible

Hello! Meredith Storrs here, author of Brave and Beloved: An In-Depth Study of Women of the Bible. I have been studying the Bible deeply for over two decades now and the number of times I come across something puzzling still amazes me. God’s word is beautiful and inspired and wonderfully profitable in our daily lives. It is also dense. It is so deep and robust that I expect to still be learning more about it when I meet with Jesus in glory.

But in the meantime here on earth, we live in an amazing age for Bible resources. Here are just a few of the places I like to turn when I hit a challenging verse or passage:

1. The Blue Letter Bible App

The Blue Letter Bible App offers access to a number of commentaries. Tap on the verse that you want to learn more about and click on “text commentaries.” You can also click “interlinear/concordance” to look up the meaning of the original Greek or Hebrew words (if that is your jam) and find out what other verses in the Bible use the same word.

2. The Bible Project

The Bible Project has both a website and app with beautifully produced videos to explain a whole range of topics. They offer overviews for each book of the Bible as well as thematic videos that trace concepts through the whole of Scripture.

3. A Regular ol’ Dictionary.

Let’s face it. For some of us, it’s been a while since high school English. A dictionary can be a useful gut check when you aren’t sure if that word really means what you think it means.

4. My Local Pastors.

Did you know that the role of a pastor is to shepherd the congregation in their relationship with God? While some pastors dedicate a majority of their time to preaching, that is just one way that they are investing in the care of the people in the church. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your pastor or church staff to ask for support as you are studying the Bible. For simpler questions, your pastor might be able to answer you in an email, or they could recommend other resources for you to read more deeply on a topic. If your church has a resource or pastoral library, they might even be able to lend you books or let you come skim the shelves for what you need.

Don’t have a Copy of Brave and Beloved of your own yet?

Check out this bible study exploring the wisdom and diversity of women in the Bible.