What is a word study and How to do a Biblical Word Study?

A word study is focusing on one word and seeing how it is used throughout scripture. Have the Word of God come alive! These 10 easy-to-follow steps give you a short, but in depth study.

Biblical word study with floral ring and blue background

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What is a word study in the Bible?

A word study in the Bible is a way to dig deeper into the Bible by studying a specific word, its origin, and how it is used throughout scripture. This gives you a deeper understanding of the meaning of it being used in relation to the context that it is being used.

How to do a biblical word study (step-by-step)

1. Select the word

Selecting which word to study on can be the easiest part! Not every Bible study requires a word study, but this can be a word that the Lord keeps laying on your heart or bringing to your mind over again. Maybe God is trying to show you something.

Or this can be as simple as being in your daily studies and wanting to dig a little deeper on a specific verse by dissecting one or all of the words!

In studying the desirable characteristics of Rebekah in the Bible, you can see how out of her entire study, I only did an in depth word study on one single word. That went on to change my perspective of the entire study and my view of Rebekah!

2. Personal definition before the study

Before you begin learning, without any outside knowledge or influence, how would you define this word? This is the best way to start your word study, because you can later see how it changes after the study.

Notice how the Lord begins to transform your view on the Bible, the scriptures you’re reading, and the people in the scriptures you’re learning about.

3. Secular dictionary definition

I love to look at the difference between a secular definition and a biblical definition. The world was founded on Biblical principles, but in these definition comparisons, it is plain to see where Christian ideals have been omitted.

4. Bible dictionary definition

Use an actual Bible dictionary to get this definition. No worries! You do not need to have a physical copy. There are great Bible word study tools and resources available online to make this process fast, easy, and painless.

5. Hebrew/Greek definition

The original Bible writings were in Hebrew (old testament) and Greek (new testament). So when conducting an in depth Biblical word study, use a lexicon to look at the original writings. Not every single language has an equivalent translation for every single word.

For example, I speak fluent spanish and we may use “te amo” to express love to a spouse, while we may use “te quiero mucho” to express love to a family member, child, cherished friend etc.

In English, the word “love” would be used to translate both equally, though the true meaning behind both forms of love is drastically different.

The same can be applied to Hebrew and Greek writings. Look at original texts to get the appropriate context/meaning behind the word being used. This is how to get a deeper understanding of the scriptures and their intent.

6.Time mentioned in the Bible

After you use a lexicon to find the original intent of the word being used. The next step is to find how many times that specific word was used in scripture. This will provide you with great insight on the scripture you are reading.

Take a look at the Bible study on characteristics of Rebekah in the Bible to see how this can significantly impact a study.

7. Other scripture references using concordance

Use a concordance to find other places in the scriptures where the same word, with the same original intent was used. Read through those other verses, being sure to get some context too.

This is going to round out your perspective on when such a word is used. It will narrow down and solidify the intent for the word, giving you a great picture of the true meaning/definition of that specific word.

8. Summary of observations

What did you find in your word study? When studying through other places in scripture that the word was used, what did you find?

Summarize your observations of the patterns you noticed while reading. Write what stood out to you while studying the word.

9. Personal definition after the study

Now you have used all of your resources and gotten a well rounded picture of what the word means and in which context it is typically used.

Re-write a definition in your own words of what that word means. Compare this to what you thought it meant prior to your in-depth word study. Sometimes, you were pretty close, but sometimes the difference is shocking!

Realizing how intentional God is with every single word and its usage makes us fall in love with Him and His word even more!

10. Reflection questions

Reflection questions for a biblical word study may seem to be somewhat strange. When I set out to dive into the Word of God, I don’t want to miss anything that the Lord may be trying to show me.

So by answering just a few reflection questions, I can see how the shift in perspective over one single word has the ability to shift my perspective on much greater things.

It can give me an encouraging perspective in a dark season of life! All by doing an in depth biblical word study on one single word.

FREE Biblical Word Study Printable!

Use this word study worksheet where each step is laid out for you to just fill in the spaces and focus on the study itself.

Click here for a free printable Biblical word study worksheet that makes following these steps easy!

free Biblical word study printable worksheet

Example of how to do a word study in the bible?

A perfect example of how a word study can change your perspective and bring a Bible study to life is in this Bible study of the 5 characteristics of Rebekah in the Bible.

When you read through, you’ll notice the study would’ve been lacking a major component without briefly pausing to do a word study on the word “wondering”.

When looking at Bible verses about going to church, we found Acts 11:26. This example shows how a short biblical word study transforms your view of a certain passage and concept in scriptures.