Best Free Bible Study Software
Well designed and truly beneficial bible study software is hard to find, so it's unusual, and an outstanding value, to find such software for free. e-Sword is just that. A fast and effective way to study the Bible, e-Sword is feature rich and user friendly, with more capabilities than you would expect in a free software package:
- All available Bibles, commentaries and dictionaries are readily viewed without having to "tile windows".
- Integrated editor for creating your own commentaries or study notes, complete with Spell Checking and a Thesaurus!
- Comprehensive print capabilities, including print preview, allow you to create impressive Bible study handouts from the Study Notes Editor.
- Strong's definitions and scripture references in the Commentary and Dictionary views are displayed as ToolTips! Just place the mouse pointer over the reference and the passage will then be displayed. To go to the passage, just click it!
And much more.
e-Sword
Website: www.e-sword.net
Author: Rick Meyers
Date: Last update Feb. 25, 2008
Version Number: 7.9.8
Download file size: 17,789kb
License: Free
Operating Systems Supported: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, or Vista
64 Bit Capable: ?
Other languages supported: None
Additional Software Required: None
Portable: No
Other Relevant Information: Many additional tools, dictionaries, bible translations, commentaries and maps are availible for download if you would like them. Most of them are also free.
Delicious
Digg
Technorati
Any Linux users ? e-sword can be installed via wine .
I use it in Linux Mint as well as windows
I have used eSword for so long I can't remember when I started with it. Rick has, over the years, added and expanded it to a point that if you have all the things he is offering you may have trouble getting into your study. Not a poor reflection on eSword but a compliment. If you want it, it's probably there, including a good word processing tool.
Give it a try big or small or anyway in between Rick has provided a Bible study tool for your tastes. Some Bible versions and version extras cost a small fee, not Ricks choice I'm sure, but worth the small price if you need those tools.
I agree, Bible Explorer 4 is the best free bible software out there. Plus you get 192 bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, etc. for free.
I have used, e-sword, swordsearcher, online bible and logos and these are all good applications, however, my favorite is by far BE4.
I was using Bible Explorer since long and I was extrely satisfied. Now, I have changed my desktop PC. While I have downloaded the new BE4 and started using. I am experiencing hardship in downloading the free books which I was using. I have spent lot of time but in vain. The software is now un-friendly. Down loading free books is extremly difficult and one has to go through "help" route and which lands in Cross word. The site is not faithfully responding. Why the procedure has been made cumbersome. My request is to revert to the older methods which was very user friendly.
V.S. Bowaj
I need the New International Version but it seems it's not for free at e-sword's. Does anyone know where i can download a freeware version of it? Thanks.
the NIV is copyrighted by Zondervan publishing and is not available for free anywhere legally. Buy it from the e-sword NIV link it's only $15 bucks.
There is no freeware version of the NIV, or NRSV, or any other version that is copyrighted, and not freely available on the e-Sword or any other Bible reading software site. The reality is that the copyright owners are protecting their interests, with what they invested time and money into by not allowing the text to be made available at no charge. Be honest now - are you willing to work for free? No, I am not referring to volunteer hours, or even ministry if you are involved in any at all. I am referring to the eight hours a day we traditionally spend working to earn a living. I'll bet you are not willing to work for free, and in the same way, Zondervan as the copyright holder of NIV, Thomas Nelson with New King James, and The Lockman Foundation with the NASB and others are also not willing to put all their research, translation time, publishing and marketing etc. costs up for free either.
Yes, you can probably find some place on the internet where you can download it freely without paying. Freely available does not equal free, it means copyright violation. That seems like a REAL oxymoron to me if you are a Christian. An authentic Christian. The last time I looked, and in fact every other time I looked, the eighth commandment is Exodus 20:15 and Leviticus 19:11, "You shall not steal", or if you prefer it in King James which is free, "Thou shalt not steal". When you take a copy of something that is copyrighted, something that has not been submitted to the public domain without paying for it, that is stealing.
As my final rant before I climb down off my soap-box, e-Sword is the best Bible software I have ever used, by far. Rick Meyers develops and gives it away free, as a ministry. He does accept donations to support the ministry from users of e-Sword. You might consider a donation if you're going to use it regularly, though of course none is required, since it is free software. And to spare you the effort of asking, yes, I did.
If you want to read just about any available translation without paying for it - go to http://www.biblegateway.com/
DAVAR3 in my estimation is the best free bible software suite allowing advanced students the ability to search and cross reference Hebrew and Greek among not just dictionaries, lexicons, and other references, but also searches all other plugins for the same, such as Jewish commentaries, the Didache, Early Church Fathers writings as well as other tools and commentaries. In case you may be wondering, DAVAR is Hebrew for Word and this program certainly lives up to its name as I have found it easier to search and more featured than E-Sword (and less resource heavy too!). The coolest option is to download the optional free Hebrew audio files and just let DAVAR3 read to you the entire Hebrew scriptures line by line in automatic mode, or whenever you pull up a verse - which is great for students desiring to learn how to read Hebrew as they study scripture. There is a project also in the works to provide the same thing for students of the Greek scriptures too. Currently after downloading and installing most Hebrew, Greek, and English add-ons, the DAVAR3 folder can easily climb to over 1GB worth of audio and text data. DAVAR3 also automatically checks for updates, which is good, since DAVAR3 is a Beta 2. Don't let the Beta version fool you though, since DAVAR3 Beta 2 is such an improvement over the officially stable DAVAR2, the maintainers of the project have made DAVAR3 Beta 2 their primary download option. There is also a mobile version of DAVAR called mDAVAR, but I haven't evaluated it yet. For screenshots of DAVAR3, check out: http://www.faithofgod.net/davar/index.htm
Better check your link..........the site has been suspended. Not a very good choice for a Bible Program?
Just a note, Davar 3 is moving to a new site for better hosting:
http://www.davar3.net/
The site is not suspended anymore. It was so popular that it was overwhelmed with download requests. The developers have since corrected it. http://www.faithofgod.net/davar/index.htm
Here is the link you can use to download Davar3
http://www.stahuj.centrum.cz/podnikani_a_domacnost/ostatni/davar3/downlo...
Hi here is a link to a small program I use called popup wisdom it contains a complete kjv as well as proverbs and is easy to add your own favourite scriptures to . (Create a book )
You can set it to any time frame when it will randomly pop up a scripture to read .
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/PopUpWisdom/index.html
http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
i want you to send me a bible and cds
micheal gyadu
amazing truth church
p.o.box 2066
koforidua E/R
GHANA
NSRV is not available for E-Sword due to copyright problems. But if you look around the web, you can find it (NRS.bbl plus NRS.cmt). Same with RSV, which is easier to find, even a version with Apocrypha. There are also programs available for making custom E-Sword components from local and online sources. You can find them if you look around.
Unfortunately, NSRV is not available for eSword. NSRV edition of Bible Explorer costs $9.95.
Hi Guys it is good to see e-sword gets a mention as it is one of my favorites also , tho I use bible pro and after reading the comments here I have downloaded Bible explorer 4 which has some good features and addons
So keep up the good work .
I have been using Theopilos3 for years and have not found a better package for navigating the Bible text.
It is simple to use, free, small, and fast.
ISA Scripture for All
http://www.scripture4all.org/
I really enjoy this freeware for my in-depth Bible study. Blurb from authors: "designed for examination of the original... Hebrew and Greek text has been transferred to consistent etymological and idiomatic English equivalents. It is not necessary to learn Hebrew or Greek or turn up words in a Hebrew or Greek lexicon or look up the grammar, for nearly all this is given in English just under the text itself. The reader receives the same impression as if he were reading the original. In this way the facts of Scripture will be readily accessible to all who understand the English language."
I have been using BIBLEPRO for years now. It's a pro-quality Bible program. It has all the bells and whistles...too many features to list here.
Downloadable version, online version, FREE CD, 43 Bibles, 250,000 Commentaries, and 1,750,000 References. Nothing missing here!
http://www.bibleocean.com/
Recently came across this one. It's called BerBible and seems geared toward basic users. For my purpose I've got it installed on my USB drive - it's portable (2 MB). Now I've always got my bible with me and still have the ability to run quick searches when needed. It's lite on bells and whistles but so far working great. URL Below...
http://www.berbible.org/index.html
-JF
I agree with you about e-sword. It is an excellent free Bible study program. Bible Explorer (also free) is an excellent program as well, with a ton of free resources to go with it. A third "program" (it actually operates through your browser) worth mentioning is Blue Letter Bible. It is an online Bible study resource (blueletterbible.org), but you can also get a CD from them for free. The CD is missing most of the multimedia things you get at the website. But it still does an outstanding job.
I'm a pastor who prepares at least two studies each week. And I constantly use all three. Each has its own strengths and limitations. I've also tried Libronix, Pradis, and BibleQuote, but the three free offerings are superior.
After submitting my post on BIBLEPRO I decided to check out your suggestion of BIBLE EXPLORER. I must say that after only 10 minutes with this program...I am sold! Very easy to use and the online tutorials are great. I am going to spend some time exploring this software. Thanks!
http://www.bible-explorer.com/
I use "bible explorer 4" which I find to be the best free software after having installed most bible study programs. It has a huge library of free books to aid your study and a great interface.
Post new comment