In determining the best Bible software for you, two factors are critically important: for what will you use the software, and what kind of computer do you have.

For Windows users, the most complete option available is Bibleworks 7 (http://www.bibleworks.com). This is an extremely complex program designed for scholars doing work in the original languages of the Bible (Greek and Hebrew). With advanced search features, complex sentence diagramming, included maps, full morphology, and plug-ins that range from the world's best lexicons to the Peshitta, Bibleworks can do pretty much everything you could possibly want. Need to find every verse in the Bible where the Greek words theos' and kratos' occur within three words of one another? Bibleworks can tell you in seconds.

The Mac equivalent of the Bibleworks is called Accordance (http://www.accordancebible.co m). Like Bibleworks it has tons of translations, search capabilities, plug-ins, add-on components, maps, etc. Either of these tools is suitable for the sort of work a world-renowned scholar would undertake in writing a Biblical commentary.

But all that power comes at a price, both literally and figuratively. Bibleworks and Accordance each cost several hundred dollars, and are so jam-packed with features that sometimes even simple tasks can seem complex and challenging. So while these are the best' programs in terms of functionality, maybe the best for you would be something somewhat smaller, less daunting, and (most importantly) cheaper.

E-Sword (http://www.e-sword.net) provides a good set of Bible study tools along with many translations available as add-ons. At this point, the program looks and feels a little bit dated, but it still has an impressive breadth of featuressearching, parallel versions, Strong's definitions, and commentaries. For a user working primarily in the English language, E-Sword provides a great set of features at a wonderful price: it's free. Of all the downloadable Bible software out there, this is the program to try (as long as you're running Windows, there is no Mac version).

Many times, however, I find a simple online Bible is best able to quickly fulfill my needs. My personal favorite is the Oremus Bible Browser (http://bible.oremus.org), which provides several English-language Bible versions, a quick and basic search feature, and the ability to display several passages at once. The interface is clean and simple, the site is fact and responsive, and since it's web based, it works on Macs, PCs, and anything else with a web browser. If I just need to look up a verse or check a passage, this is the Bible software I turn to first.

Learn more about this author, Demetrius Kirk.
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