Words. We hear them, we speak them, we read them. From the time we are tiny babies just starting to talk, words are part of who we are. From a very young age, we seek to know and understand the world around us through our developing language. Knowing the meanings of the words we speak and read is necessary in order to understand the world around us and interact with it.
It’s no different with the Bible. Word meanings are very important!
Word Meanings and the Bible
The Bible was first written in Hebrew and Greek. Translations are not perfect because languages are so different. The meanings of words can vary and change over time. The English words that we read in our modern translations can represent two or more different words in the original languages, so sometimes the meaning of one English word doesn’t quite do justice to the complexity of the concept implied in the original languages. This is why it’s a great idea to do a Biblical word study!
Word study can seem very intimidating, but fortunately, we have so many resources for solid Biblical research and understanding right at our fingertips. There are places online that you can go to find concordances and lexicons in order to do a deeper study of God’s word. You do not have to be an expert at languages to gain some deep insight into what God is speaking through His word!
I’m new at word studies, and I’m sure I’m not perfect, but God doesn’t ask us for perfection. He asks us instead for willing hearts and time spent with Him. Discovering places online where I can easily access the meanings of words from the original languages has been so insightful and fascinating for me that I wanted to find a way to share with you!
God does not ask for perfection. Instead, He asks for willing hearts and time spent with Him. Click To TweetA Gift for You!
I’ve created a printable that walks you through a simple way to do a word study. It’s my gift to you to celebrate Thanksgiving.
A free word study for you! Happy Thanksgiving! 5 Days to a Thankful Heart! Click To TweetI’m so thankful for each person that comes here to read. I’m thankful for God’s Word and how it speaks to each of us so individually and uniquely. I’m thankful for the experts that create study resources so we can come to a deeper knowledge of word meanings from the original languages behind our English words.
The concept is simple. The printable contains five verses about being thankful, each with clickable links for several key words in the verse. Each day just write the verse down, pray over it, read it out loud, click through the links to be taken to an online interlinear Bible (thank you Bible Hub!) and spend some time reading about the meanings of these words in the original Greek language. I particularly like the definitions you’ll find under the section labeled “HELPS Word-studies.” These have been particularly helpful to me in understanding word meanings more fully.
Since the word studies are over only one verse a day, perhaps you can complete this during your Thanksgiving week! And since giving thanks is something we should do daily, this printable can be used any time of the year. With this printable and the clickable links found inside, you can gain valuable insights into God’s word in just a few minutes each day (or even spend more time if you like). Click HERE to pick up your free word study!
After you read and study the Greek meanings, think about your verse and let God speak to you through any new insights you may find. Then consider rewriting the verse in your own words with the new meanings you discover. I promise you will not be disappointed. I believe you will hear God speaking to you in new and profound ways!
Important Points to Remember
One very important thing to remember, however, is a fact that we’ve already mentioned – words in any language can have varying meanings. This means that when you do a word study, you need to be sure to read the verses and paragraphs around the verse you are studying so that you can understand the concepts and ideas in that verse within its context. Word meanings are determined by their context, and this is very important!
We also need to ask God for discernment, wisdom, and insight as we read and study His word. He’ll be with us and send His Holy Spirit to help us with our understanding of the passages we read. He sends Jesus to walk alongside us, too. In all ways, God loves spending time with us. He’ll help us as beginners with the new things we try as we dive deeper into His word!
How to Get Your Free Word Study (My gift to you! Happy Thanksgiving!)
To download the printable click HERE. You will also find this printable in the Resource Library which is full of other similar resources and helps for prayer life and Scripture study! Click HERE to learn more about what you can find inside the Resource Library!
A Place to Learn More about Word Studies
I’ve learned so much about how to do a Greek and Hebrew word study from Katie Orr. There is much, much more to know and learn about word studies than what I have touched in this blog post. Katie goes deeper into the topic of word study and has so much information to share! You might enjoy learning more about her devotionals, podcasts and other Bible study resources HERE.
I’m thankful for you and am wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving! Blessings to you!
Focus Verses
This week’s focus verses are found in this printable. Click HERE to download it!
Let’s Talk
If you decide to use the word study, I would love to hear back from you. (Click HERE to download the printable. It’s free!) Did this method of word study help you? Was it easy or too hard? Were there things you did not understand or questions you’d like to ask? Did you find new insights into the verses you read and studied? You can comment below or email me at leslie@journeytoimperfect.com.
Let’s Pray
Lord, we thank you for your Word. It speaks to us so richly, and then we discover even more. Thank you for Jesus, Your Son, who is the Living Word to us. Speak into our hearts. Lead and guide us and send your Holy Spirit to us to help us as we study and learn and live your precious Word. In Jesus name, Amen!
* This post may be shared in other places! Click through the links below to find more hope and encouragement for your day! Moments of Hope / Tuesday Talk / Tell His Story / Cheerleaders of Faith / Coffee for Your Heart / Sitting Among Friends / Live Free Thursday / Chasing Community / Salt and Light / Heart Encouragement Thursday / Counting My Blessings / Grace and Truth
The post 5 Days to a Thankful Heart first appeared at www.journeytoimperfect.com.
What a fabulous resource and I also value your encouragement that God isn’t after perfection but time and a willing heart from us. Great job Leslie👍 Thanks for the practicality of this exhortation. You provide us the means to the end so well done my friend!
Gretchen, thank you so much for that encouragement! It means a lot to me. I’m still going through that printable myself and pulling new things from God’s word. I love that His word is living and speaks to us in many ways and I’m very happy to share in this way. I love creating practical and useful things. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I have not begun the word study, but I am looking forward to it. I have used Bible Hub often to see different versions of a verse and to look up the meaning of words. Whenever a preacher says, “the Greek word for this means…” I take my iPad and look it up. Sometimes, the two interpretations don’t match. It’s so important to read God’s Word and study it for ourselves, so that we can be sure we know the truth as God reveals it to us. I love that you encourage people to pray for wisdom and discernment. This is my daily prayer for each member of my family. I began praying it daily for my granddaughter when she was just days old!
Hi Teri,
Thank you for visiting and reading! Yes, sometimes our English words do not translate well enough to give us all of the meaning that went with the Greek word. There’s so much to be found when we dig into the meanings from the original language! Your granddaughter is blessed to have those prayers from just days old! We do always need to pray for discernment. We won’t be perfect in our understanding of His word, but we know the One who is, and He will lead and guide us if we ask!
This is beautiful. Knowing the right meaning of the words in scripture can make all the difference in understanding the meaning. Thank you for this great resource!!
Hi and yes! The word meanings and context are so important to understand the meaning of a verse. I’ve been amazed at the things I’ve found since I really started digging into all that. Thank you so much for stopping by!