If you have a computer, a good way to use it for study is to get one
of the Bible software packages. There a number of good ones but we
haven't tried them all. There are two packages described below that we
have tried and we like really well.
The advantages to a software package are that it's cheaper than
buying all the hardcover books separately, if you put the package on a
laptop it is even more portable than hauling around your library with
you, and once the package is installed you can search whatever books
were included in your package all at once. The downside is if there is
no electricity there is no study. Unless you have a squirrel on a wheel
that runs a generator. But after a while he would probably get tired and
then where would you be. Bruce has an ASUS laptop in addition to his
desktop and he uses the laptop as his Bible at studies and
congregational meetings. Anytime someone is making a point from a
commentary or the original languages he can check it out right away.
Some software packages are expensive depending on what you get, but
most of them you can buy in pieces as you can afford them. Even if you
just get the basic search program and a couple of books with three or
four bibles it is phenomenal what you can do and how much it enriches
your study time. If you can afford it, having the two packages
below on a laptop gives new meaning to the Scripture that we should be
"instant in season and out of season" or "be always ready to give a
defense for the hope that is in you."
E-Sword (www.e-sword.net)

e-Sword is a software package
for your computer that you can get for free if you can't afford it. But
if you can afford to send Rick Meyers (or his successor) some coin it is well worth
whatever you can spare. If you make a donation you will get the CD. We
got a package in about the first year it came out (2000). Over the years
Rick has really expanded and improved e-Sword to the point that you
really don't need to buy one of the expensive software packages below
unless you want the extra features used mostly for leaders.
Though it is (somewhat) free, it is very good and is easy to use.
BibleTime
BibleTime is a free and open-source desktop program for Bible study.
BibleTime may be used to study over 200 free Bible texts, commentaries,
dictionaries and books, provided by
Crosswire Bible Society via the
SWORD library. BibleTime is
written in C++ and uses the Qt GUI
toolkit. Bible Time is one of the free bible software packages that can
be used on Linux platforms. Though it is free, donations are perfectly
acceptable. It has a whole bunch of free resources you can also add. The
only downside we've found so far (2026) is that they don't have the
English Standard Version. But there are plenty of other resources
available. BibleTime is not distributed with any Bible translations or
other works pre-installed. Please use the Bookshelf Manager in
BibleTime to install and update works.

This software company changed their name to Faithlife and makes a number of different products
to which they're adding all the time. At the time of this writing (2026) they are for
Windows based computers, not Macintosh (see below for the Mac product we
recommend) or Linux. Search the web for reviews.
One of the drawbacks of this company's packages is that they have
mostly a standard Protestant slant. If you want to use the original
languages or consult some references that are other than Protestant (the
Talmud for instance), these are not the packages to go with. However,
for the English and for the standard Protestant stuff they are hard to
beat. They have improved the ease of use since they first came out, and
usually offer free upgrades (at least so far for Bruce).
Bruce has the Level 4 package, which was (and is) pretty expensive
(see the Logos website for current pricing). But they have different
levels for less money and of course fewer reference book selections.
They also sell individual books, and they have a good selection of other
packages, such as a package for helping a person put together a Bible
study lesson.
Their website is
www.logos.com and they are always easy to deal with. All Bruce's
upgrades have come off of the web, so we're not sure if they do it any
other way. When Bruce purchased it he got CD's with all the books but
they were locked. Logos gave him unlock codes for the books he purchased
and he just unlocked what he bought. Customer Service has been first
rate, and they have helped him several times when he got a new computer or
had to re-format a hard drive.
Bruce has had this package now for more than 25 years. Logos (or Faithlife) has upgraded the basic program six or seven times
during that period without charge. This is more than sufficient for our
needs, and we think more than sufficient for most other people too.
However, like many Windows programs, they insist on refusing to update
for older versions of Windows (such as Windows 7) and so we have
switched to BibleTime because we've also switched away from Windows and
use Linux instead. Microsoft in recent years has been getting more and
more arrogant and invasive so we recommend assigning it to the waste
basket as soon as you are able. Linux works very well, is free, and has
around 30,000 free apps.

The people who make Accordance call their company
Oaktree Software. Their web site is
www.accordancebible.com.
Their web site has a description of everything, with pricing, plus all
kinds of other products. Tech Support is very friendly and
knowledgeable. Accordance originally was for Macintosh computers only.
Now they have a Windows and an Android version too. We no longer need to use an
emulator if we have Windows.
Bruce bought the Scholar's 4 package and the Jewish 2 Advanced
package, along with the Septuagint, the Septuagint database, and the
NASB package about 15 years ago but hasn't used it much since then. One
of the disappointing downsides to this package is that they wanted us to
buy another expensive package when they updated and included a Windows
version, so we just quit using the silly thing. You can get just about any combination you
want, or you can buy a whole lot more and spend more too.
Free Online Resources
Crosswalk and
Bible Gateway are two of the
online Bible search tools you can use for free. Each site has more
services if you'd like to use those too. The drawback to these search
tools is you can only use them online. Each site has stuff they sell
which you may want to look at. You can search different versions, and
sometimes even other books.