You can search for Bible verses in various ways. To make it easier to find the verse you want to quote, first study the order of the Scriptures in the scriptures. Bible verses can still be found even if you don't know which verse it is in. You can find it if you know a few words from the verse you're looking for. This article explains how.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Book Name, Chapter Number, and Verse Number
Step 1. Determine the name of the Book of the searched verse
When searching for a verse, start by looking for the name of the Book that contains the verse. Use the table of contents so you know the page numbers of the Book. The table of contents is at the front of the Bible. Look for the name of the book in the table of contents and then look for the first page of the book according to the page number listed in the table of contents. Book names may be written in abbreviated form or in full, for example:
- Exodus (Ex)
- Genesis (Gen)
- Number (Num)
Step 2. Find the chapter number in the Book
As the "address" of the scripture verse, the name of the Book will be followed by two numbers. The first number is the chapter number. For example: the number 3 in "John 3:16" is the chapter number. Read again the verse you want to search for and then specify the chapter number that contains the verse.
- Bible verse addresses may be written using abbreviations and Roman numerals. For example: Im. XX:13 means the Book of Leviticus chapter 20 verse 13.
- Find the chapter you are looking for in the Bible. The chapter you are looking for can be found with the help of the table of contents. Otherwise, browse through the Book until you find the chapter you're looking for.
- All Bibles include the title "Chapter _" at the beginning of each chapter.
- In addition, various versions of the Bible clearly include: at the top of each page to inform the first verse written on each page.
Step 3. Determine the verse number
The number separated by a "colon" (:) after the chapter number is the verse number. For example: the number 16 in "John 3:16" is a verse number.
If you are looking for a long paragraph, there are usually two numbers separated by a "less" sign (-). For example: "John 3:16-18" means you want to look up verses 16, 17, and 18
Step 4. Look for the verse in the chapter
Once you've found the chapter you're looking for, keep scrolling until you find the verse. Just like chapters, verses are written sequentially using numbers. At the beginning of each verse, you will see a small number which is the verse number. If you search for several verses, for example: "John 3:16-18", verses 17 and 18 are under verse 16.
Method 2 of 3: Using Concordance
Step 1. Prepare a Concordance book
The correspondence book contains a list of words found in the Bible. This book is very useful if you remember a verse or phrase in the verse you are looking for, but don't know which Book it is written in.
Concordance books can be purchased at bookstores or online or borrowed from the church library
Step 2. Specify one of the words in the verse that you want to search for as a keyword
Remember the important words in the verse. Looking up words in Corcondance is like using a dictionary because words are written in alphabetical order.
Choose a particular word that is rarely mentioned, such as "flood", "mountain", or "ruby." If you choose the words "love" or "devil," you'll find tons of verses that contain those words
Step 3. Search using other words if needed
If the selected word is found in many verses or is not found, select another word to continue the search. For example: You want to search for the phrase "love others sincerely". If a verse search using the word "love" returns a lot of results, use the word "sincere".
Step 4. Look for the verse according to the information in the Concordance
You will get information on the name of the book, chapter number, and verse number in which there is a word/phrase you want to search for. A complete concordance provides information to help you find the most appropriate verse.
Use the clues you get from the Concordance to look for a verse and its context in the Bible, for example: "Romans 12:9."
Step 5. Use a different Bible translation
The concordance is published according to the translated version. If you can't find the verse you're looking for, use Concordance for another translation. For example: you can't find the verse you're looking for if the translation of the Bible you're reading uses the word "praise," but you search the Concordance for other translations that use the word "glorify."
Method 3 of 3: Searching for Verses on Websites
Step 1. Look up the verse on the internet
Opt for a tellurus machine or use a Bible study website. Type the book name, chapter number, and verse number in the bar of the browser.
Type the information you get in a common format. For example: the displayed verse will be more accurate if you type "John 3:16" instead of "Chapter 3 16 John"
Step 2. Try to remember the verse you want to find
Do you still remember the phrase in the verse or some of the words and the name of the Book? Even if you only remember a few, chances are you can find them.
Step 3. Type what you know into the search engine bar of your browser
Type in whatever you can remember, including the words "bible" and "bible verse" to get the results you need.
Examples of appropriate words to search for a verse: "the scripture verse about wives in the Psalms" or "the desert verse chapter 7 of the scriptures"
Step 4. Use the Bible website to search for scripture verses
Many websites provide catalogs of scriptures by subject or by name. Use the website to search for verses by typing in the relevant word/phrase or subject. You can also perform a more detailed search by book name or chapter number.
Websites are very useful for finding other verses you need, for study, or for prayer
Step 5. Look up the verse using the related word
If you don't remember the exact verse or your search doesn't return any results, search it using related words. For example: if you searched for a verse using the word "stars", but there were none, use the words "night", "sky", or "heaven". Maybe you are using a different translated version or you don't remember the verse in detail.
Tips
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Sometimes, the author wants to direct your attention to a particular part of a scripture verse. For that, each verse is lettered so you can find the right verse:
- The part of the verse that is given the letter "a" (in "John 3:16a") wants to emphasize the first part: "For God so loved the world…"
- The part of the verse given the letter "b" (in "John 3:16b") wants to emphasize the ending or another part: "…so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life".
- If you remember the phrase in the verse you're looking for, but forget the book name, chapter number, or verse number, type the phrase you remember into the Google search engine, which will return verses that match that phrase. The words of Jesus can be found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Certain verses in different Bibles say the same thing. For example: "the parable of the sower" can be found in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:1-15. In addition, several New Testament Scriptures quote verses from the Old Testament. For example: Romans 9:27 is quoted from Isaiah 10:22-23.
