What is Blue Letter Bible?

featured article image

TL;DR:

Blue Letter Bible is a free online tool that makes studying the Bible easy, offering multiple study tools all linked directly to Scripture. It helps users explore the original languages, cross-references, and study resources to deepen their understanding of God’s Word.

from the old testament

  • God consistently reveals His heart and instructions to His people, showing that He desires humanity to know Him and live according to His ways. He gave the Law to Israel (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 6), instructed them to meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8), and used the Psalms and prophets to teach, guide, and bless all nations (Psalm 19:7–11; Isaiah 55:8–11).

from the new testament

  • God desires that we know Him personally, understand His salvation, and live in the power of the Spirit through His Word. Jesus taught His disciples and the crowds, explaining God’s truth plainly (John 1:14; Luke 24:44–45), while the apostles encouraged believers to study, remember, and obey God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Colossians 3:16).

implications for today

Blue Letter Bible is a free, searchable, online Bible program designed to make reading, searching, and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. At BlueLetterBible.org, users have access to many different Bible translations and study tools like commentaries, dictionaries, maps, and other resources. All the available tools are intrinsically linked to the Bible verses themselves.

For instance, when the user types a verse reference into the search box on the Blue Letter Bible site, a web page loads showing that verse along with the entire chapter of the Bible where it's found. Clicking on the "tools" button next to the verse allows the user to see the interlinear text with the original Greek or Hebrew attached to its English translation via a Strong's Concordance number. Clicking on the Strong's number takes the reader to the lexicon entry for that Greek or Hebrew word, showing its grammatical information, definition, how it's translated across different versions, and where else in the Bible that word is found.

The "tools" button next to the verses can also show the user that same verse in different versions of the Bible. Available translations include: The King James Version, New King James Version, New Living Translation, Darby Translation, New International Version, Christian Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Hebrew Names Version, the Spanish Reina-Valera 1960, and others.

Besides showing the verse in different translations, the "tools" button on the Blue Letter Bible site can also lead the user to corresponding passages throughout Scripture via its "Cross-References" option. Another option in the "tools" menu includes "Commentaries" which leads to audio/visual commentaries, sermon audio, text commentaries, and other study tools. Clicking on "Dictionaries" takes the reader to reference works including the Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia, Easton's Bible Dictionary, Vine's Expository Dictionary, and others. The final option under "tools" is "Miscellaneous Aids" which leads to maps, images, charts, and other study tools.

Besides searching specific verses, the Blue Letter Bible site allows visitors to search words or combinations of words. The site then shows all the verses where that word or phrase is used throughout the Bible in a particular version.

Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and produces a devotional, writes the BLB blog, and runs the BLB Institute as well as maintaining its original website. Their "vision has always been to provide free Bible study software in which the Bible is the center of the experience with study resources that link off every word in the Bible." With hundreds of thousands of links to helpful information, they have certainly achieved their goal. Because of its dedication to keeping Scripture central and its offering of study materials from a broad array of authors within the evangelical tradition, Blue Letter Bible is a valuable resource to anyone wanting to delve more deeply into studying the Bible.

understand

  • Blue Letter Bible is a free online Bible study tool with translations, commentaries, and dictionaries.
  • Blue Letter Bible provides original language tools, cross-references, and word studies.
  • Blue Letter Bible is a nonprofit focused on keeping the Bible central for deeper understanding.

reflect

  • How often do you take time to study God’s Word deeply, and how could tools like Blue Letter Bible help you grow in understanding?
  • Which tools—translations, commentaries, or original language resources—would help you better connect the Bible to your daily life?
  • How can using Blue Letter Bible strengthen your personal relationship with God and your ability to share His Word with others?

engage

  • How can we use Blue Letter Bible and other tools to explore and understand Scripture more fully?
  • Which features of Blue Letter Bible—like cross-references or commentaries—can help us understand difficult passages?
  • How does having access to original language tools and multiple translations enhance our study and discussion of God’s Word?