How to Do a Thorough Word Study

  1. I. Look up the word in the Englishman's Concordance to get an overview of the word. Note the relative frequency of its use in the OT. Survey the range of meanings; look for the most common meaning--if any.

    1. A. Note the word's range of meanings. Does have one particular meaning in the great majority of occurances? Or does it have several meanings, each one occuring an equal number of times?

    2. B. Scan the passages in which the word occurs.

      1. Look for important occurances--ones that are especially clear, picturesque, well known; etc. Does this word occur in a theologically significant passage (such as Isaiah 53 or Psalm 51)?
      2. Does this word occur primarily in only certain books of the Bible (i.e., the Pentateuch, Psalms, Ezra, etc.)?
      3. Does this word occur primarily in a certain period of Israel's history (i.e., the patriarchal period, the kingdom period, later prophetic period, etc.)?
      4. Note the genre of Biblical literature in which the word occurs--does it occur primarily in poetry, narrative, wisdom literature, etc.?
      5. If studying a word in a certain passage, check for the near context. See how the word is used in the closest proximity to the passage you are studying.

    1. A. What is the primary idea behind the root? This basic meaning of the root may affect or color every word derived from it.
    2. B. Are there any synonyms? If so, are they completely interchangeable? Or are there subtle differences of meaning that may be significant?
    3. C. Can you find any antonyms (opposites)? How do the antonyms shed light on the word you are studying? (Antonyms can sometimes afford invaluable insight.)
    4. D. What etymology(ies) are proposed for this word? Gesenius' Lexicon can be quite useful for looking up etymologies (TWBOT is sometimes helpful as well). However, it is important to realize that etymological discussions are often speculative in nature (especially in Gesenius), and word meanings can evolve far from the original derivation.
    5. Does the etymology provide any word–pictures or illustrations?
    6. Are there any related words (words with similar spellings, sometimes referred to as cognates)? Be sure to check nouns, verbs, and other parts of speech thatare derived (or related to) the word you are looking up.
    7. What are the implications, if any, behind this word (subtle nuances of meaning)?
    8. Are there any passages that shed special light into the meanings(s)?

    1. Re–examine the distribution of meanings.
    2. Re–appraise the meanings(s) of the word as you look at the contexts. Does TWBOT (or any other lexicon you may have used) seem to be on target? Can it/they account for all of the various ways in which word is used?
    3. Look for any unusual uses of the word--sometimes the more unusual the better. Take note of the out-of-the-ordinary uses of the word and look up these passages in good commentaries.
    4. Make any pertinent observations that you can. To be thorough, look up all or most of the occurrences and write down your observations. Look for subtle shades of meaning. For instance, when studying one of the several Hebrew words for 'wisdom', ask questions like: 'Does this word primarily speak of about the practical side of wisdom?' 'Does this word speak more about skill, behavior, or knowledge?)
    5. Write down the most significant verses where the word appears. Look them up in good commentaries.

For the More Advanced Student: Greek Sources for Investigating Hebrew Words:

  1. The ten volume Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (abbreviated TDNT or "Kittle"--the name of one of the editors).

    1. The ten volume edition is a very thorough and technical set.

    2. Greek and Hebrew letters are used without transliteration.

    3. When you look up a Greek word, you will frequently find a substantial discussion of the Hebrew words of the Old Testament that refer to the same concept(s).

    4. This work is somewhat liberal (but still helpful if you can weed out the occasional bias).

  2. The one volume, abridged Theological Dictionary of the New Testament ("Little Kittle").

    1. This abridgment contains the essential material of the ten volume set distilled into a single volume.

    2. All Greek and Hebrew words are transliterated. While this may be helpful for those who do not read Greek or Hebrew letters, for those who do it can be frustrating to look up words.

    3. The main weakness of this book is its index.

  3. The Septuagint (LXX).

    1. This is the Jewish translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek at about the second century B.C. This Bible was commonly used by the Jews of first century Palestine, and by our Lord and the Apostles.

    2. 2. When examining a Hebrew word/phrase in the Old Testament, make judicious use of this Bible. How did the Jews who translated this Bible understand this word/passage? (Example: they translated the Hebrew word 'virgin' in Isaiah 7:14 as parthenos "virgin"--cf. the 'Parthenon'.)

Other Sources:

  1. Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old Testament.

    1. While a bit wordy, it is still helpful for determining all the Hebrew words pertaining to key theological topics, and for discovering subtle shades of differences between synonyms. This book is one of the best for finding all the Hebrew words behind a single topic (for generating synonyms for further study).

  1. Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible.

    1. This set can also be helpful for generating Hebrew synonyms.

    2. Because a variety of different authors were used, not all entries are equally helpful.
    3. Although occasionally tainted by a bit of liberalism, this set usually has insightful material pertaining to Hebrew words.