BibleWorks 10 Review — the best gets even better!

by Dan Phillips

The best serious Bible Study software in the world keeps getting better and better.

The way to approach this is to begin with the oft-asked question, "Which is better: Logos or BibleWorks?" Rather than say that it's like comparing apples and oranges, I'd say it's like comparing apples and artichokes, or baked potatoes. They aren't two of the same thing, they're two different things. There is some overlap, obviously,  but the two different softwares have two different foci.

Logos 6 (which I plan to review later) is like having an incredibly powerful, fast, extensive library crammed into your device. It is the best I know of, at what it does, and I need what it does. BibleWorks 10 is like having the world's best infinitely-expandable polyglot study Bible, with margins that indefinitely extend to allow endless note-taking and note-making. It's the  best I know of at what it does, and I need what it does! I wouldn't want to do without either.

Most serious Bible students get a Bible with margin room enough to make notes, or (in my case) even insert Hebrew and Greek. But then when one wears out, you get another and start all over again. And there's never enough room; no one can write small enough to include everything.

BibleWorks solves that problem. Its fully-formatted Notes feature allows instant recording of thoughts, links, documentation, graphics, tables — anything. (See more, on an earlier version, here.) This has been a steady feature since its (as I recall) wobbly introduction in version 6. Now it is long-since robust and stable — and in version 10, expanded.

The first expansion is an additional frame, so that now the Search and Browse frames work with (not one, but) two analysis frames:

Click to enlarge

If you prefer, you can collapse the third analysis frame so as only to have one; but I always use the two, even on my 15" laptop. Depending on what modules you've gotten, you can use the two frames for notes and textual commentaries, cross-references, E-Pub books, other translations, editor, or a dozen other features. You can drag and drop the tabs to customize as needed.

On the subject of customization — though this is not a new feature — BibleWorks allows you to make and name your own configurations.

For instance, I have a Daily Bible Reading configuration that keeps track of where I am each day. It's like being able to leave as many ribbons as you need as place-keepers:

Click to embiggen

You can rename, add or delete the tabs. In my labeling, the OT tab has the Hebrew text for my OT read-through, the NT my Greek tab, and the EV my English Bible read-through tab. ("Bobby" is a random name for a tab I use for side-searches.)

Then I have a general configuration that I employ for all other uses.

Another new addition in version 10 is the User Lexicon. It is exactly what you might think it is from the name: a fully-formatted lexicon feature that the user can create. Note, for instance here, in Proverbs 4:8, when I mouse-over the word  סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ, this appears in the user lexicon:

Too small? Click!

That is the note I created, obviously culled from different sources. Now note: that will display any time I mouse over that lemma in any verse. It is not tied to the verse, it is tied to the word. The value of this is obvious. It works on any language, whether Hebrew, Greek or English. So you can make use of it whatever your level is.

I always translate what I expound, and I try to come up with consistent renderings. It can be hard to remember how I've translated a word last year, or three years ago. But with this tool, I can keep a record that pops up on every occurrence of the word in every book. And as with all the user-created notes, you can fill it as full as you like, from lexicons, journal articles, commentaries, sermons or personal studies.

Now from the heavy to the to the light relief, you can also customize the colors. If you like, you can even do this:

Click for great pinkness

But then, why would you? One of the other beta-testers made that little honey up and called it JapaneseKitten.

Yep. There's a back-story there, I'll bet... and I don't want to know it.

Here are some of the other new features:

• Danker’s Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the NT. This is actually a very cool new independent lexicon from F. W. Danker, which provides "extended definitions or explanations in idiomatic English for all Greek terms." 
• EPUB reader & library manager. You can add electronic books to your BW10 using this tool.
• High-resolution tagged images of the Leningrad Codex
• Two new NT manuscript transcriptions
• Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, 28th Edition
• New English Translation of the Septuagint
• Over 1,200 high resolution photos of the Holy Land
• Complete audio Greek NT, which will read the Greek aloud either from the Byzantine or the Nestle-Aland, 27th edition.
• Dynamically adjustable program text size, which is useful if you are projecting or using a large screen to demonstrate.
• Now in both Mac and PC versions.

BibleWorks itself has a fuller and illustrated listing of new features in BibleWorks 10. (A full list of features, old and new, can be found here.) Also, you can watch BW's own videos demonstrating the new features.

In addition, I guested on a Theotek podcast, battling some bad sound quality and enthusing about the features I like best (starting at about 6:50.

As I've said, I say now: every Bible-teaching, Bible-preaching pastor should have BibleWorks. The same applies to professors and teachers of all levels, seminary students, and serious Bible teachers or students of the Word would benefit greatly from it. Practicing what I preach, I have personally given (or gotten a church to give) copies to pastors. If you are a pastor, get it. If your pastor doesn't have it, get the church to budget it and give it to him. It will reward both him and your church.

Upgrades are discounted, of course. But even if you are purchasing it for the first time, the full price of $389 purchases a stunning array of resources for serious interaction with the text. It is tremendous "bang" for your buck. Plus support is great, and a community of brainiac users is always ready to help.

I enthusiastically recommend it.

[BibleWorks let me be a beta tester and has provided a review copy, with no pressure to produce a positive review. My enthusiasm is all genuine, and all mine. Regular readers already knew that!]

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Proverbs book now available for pre-order on Logos

by Dan Phillips

A number of you have been interested in getting God's Wisdom in Proverbs in Logos format... well, including me! The good news is that now it's available for pre-order at Logos for under $16. Moneywise, this is the best time to order a book from Logos.

Since publication, folks have asked about getting the book on Kindle. As I've always said, I don't think this would be the best book for Kindle (of which I know no plans), given all the FOOTnotes. But (I've always said) I think it'd be perfect for Logos.

And now... here y'go!

It didn't ruin my day much to get this congrats from someone who bought both my books:

It's cool @BibChr that ur great book on Proverbs is featured on the @logos homepage. Buy here http://t.co/zQ3M4nqJzq pic.twitter.com/ELpRzRdKvY
— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) December 17, 2013

Let me ask you a favor, if I may. Many of you have used the book and encouraged me with the ways in which it's been helpful to you. Would you mind going over to Logos and rating it, and reviewing it so that folks will know why they should pre-order the book? I'd appreciate it.

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Logos 5 has launched

by Dan Phillips

I was provided a sneak-review copy of Logos 5 last week, and I've been test-driving it. Logos has been an acquired taste for me and especially now, as a fulltime pastor, I have really come to appreciate it. Reading and studying in Logos is a terrific experience; they have really designed a smart, extremely-powerful, streamlined piece of software.

I plan to share my own impressions later, but for now, here are some of the innovations in Logos 5. (I think their servers are groaning a bit right now.)

Here is a link that starts you through a series of vids on specific features of Logos 5. Let's single out a few.

Here's an overview of new features:

It comes with a nifty memorization tool:

The exegetical guide has been enhanced:

One of the pretty amazing new tools is the Timeline. Check it:

Major omissions, however, include birth of Phil Johnson and Frank Turk, and the start of Pyromaniacs. But that's what upgrades are for.

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Software news: new version of BibleWorks; new direction for Logos?

by Dan Phillips

Last October, in Why I love BibleWorks 8, I said: "To be much faster, [BibleWorks] would have to do the searches before I knew I wanted them."

Unbeknownst to me (but just now betoldst to me by Glenn Weaver, Content Developer with BibleWorks), just the day before I posted, the merry tech-elves at BW had implemented a new "Use Tab" in BibleWorks 9, then a work-in-progress. The way it works, I'm told, is that a mouse-over of a word in the Browse Window does an automatic search for every lemma or every form, in either the current book studied or in the entire Bible version. The Use Tab can be linked to the Stats Tab in a new fourth column, so that the Stats Tab updates automatically to show graphically where these search results occur.

So, in other words, BW added a search feature that does the searches before I know what I want, and they did it before I even mentioned I wanted it! Is that cool, or what?

The new BW9 can be ordered now. Read about the new features, and check out some demo videos. The full content is listed here, and upgrade information is here.

When I receive a copy, I plan to learn it, use it, and tell you about it.

In other Bible software news, Logos Bible Software has brought in a Roman Catholic Product Manager, whose "ambition...is to work in what Pope John Paul II called the New Evangelization." This announcement prompted Tim Challies — in what for him is an out-of-control, wild-eyed, virtually chair-throwing rant — to say "I was sorry to read this." Those six mild words brought down a shower of disapprobation and scolding from some of his commenters.

Bob Pritchett, President and CEO for Logos Bible Software, put up... an interesting post, in which he orders    forum posters, "Stop posting about errors in other people's doctrine." Further,

Please stop posting your own doctrine. Please stop responding to correct misperceptions or misunderstandings or to counter attacks. ...Logos Bible Software is here to serve everyone who studies the Bible. That is intentionally "big tent" and we intentionally do not have a statement of faith or a doctrinal position.

Then, having trumpeted Logos' lack of a doctrinal statement, Pritchett addressed the Roman Catholic customers they are courting:

[Roman] Catholics: Logos welcomes you, and we're working hard to provide more tools, resources, and support. We've hired a Catholic product manager and are working hard to serve you. But our customer base is still 95% protestant, and you know that there are some passionate and even out-of-control people in protestant churches, and that the protestants don't do a good job getting along on a single doctrinal statement. That's why the Catholic church is basically one large church, and the average protestant church splits after reaching 100-200 people. I know the attacks are painful and unkind, but please understand that you're "surrounded" by people who traditionally are more likely to split a church than seek unity. In the protestant mindset there isn't a single authority figure who will be respected, let alone able to quell debate and dissension.

Interesting on so many levels, no?

UPDATE: figuring that some of you would want to know where BW stands, I've been in some dialogue with them offline, and received this from BibleWorks president Mike Bushell: "The doctrinal position of BibleWorks  is that  expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. We attempt to run the company in a manner that is consistent with those doctrinal standards. That does not mean, nor does it need to mean, that all the content included in BibleWorks is consistent with those documents. Because of this confessional commitment, our priorities will necessarily move in a certain direction. It would be dishonest for us to pretend or claim otherwise. But we also believe that our focus on the Biblical text enables us to serve the needs of all students of Scripture, whatever their confessional or creedal position. The one thing that all professing believers have in common is a desire to understand what the Word of God teaches. We try to provide the tools that are necessary for any student of Scripture to study the Word of God in depth." I would also point out THIS and THIS FAQ article.

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