Study the Bible with eSword (Guest Post by Tim Lenahan)

Im very happy to introduce to you blogger and MakeUseOf.com staff writer, Tim Lenahan. Tim is a personal friend of mine, and today he has a great Bible studying tool to share with us. Also, don’t forget to check out Tim’s personal blog, Timmyjohnboy.com, and follow him on twitter @timmyjohnboy.

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If you like to study the Bible, and you are anything like me, then you enjoy the benefits computers afford studying the Bible. Everything from doing a word search (usually done in a concordance with many, many pages) to looking into the meaning and definition of words (usually done in a dictionary, whether a Bible dictionary or any English dictionary) becomes a lot easier with free Bible programs.

If you know anything about Bible programs, you’ll know that many of them cost money. I like programs that are not only useful but also free! In this article, I would like to introduce you to a totally free Bible program that not only offers the Bible, but also offers the ability to download dictionaries, concordances, study guides, devotionals, and more, all for free! Check out e-Sword!

E-Sword has been around a while but I am not sure why it is not as well-known as it should be. Many people I speak to have never even heard of it! Well, in my opinion it is not only a great program but the price cannot be beat (free)! In this article, you will learn how easy it is to download, navigate, and search. In the future, I would like to write more articles about many more of its features such as the ability to take study notes, make a reading and memorization schedule, and make and manage a prayer list and schedule (so stay tuned!). For now, let’s stick with the basics!

How easy is it really to download and install e-Sword?

I’d say very easy! Go to the home page e-Sword.net and click on the downloads link. Scroll down until you find the link to the application installation file and click to download it.

Run the installation file just like you would for any other app. You’ll notice that I’m running Windows Vista but it should work on systems with these requirements: Pentium-based PC (or equivalent); Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Vista or Windows 7; and is best viewed in 800 x 600 resolution or greater.

Just follow the “normal” installation prompts and accepting the terms of use. If you’ve installed programs before, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Warning, it will ask you to restart your computer when it’s complete (which is pretty annoying!).

How easy is it to navigate and use e-Sword?

When it comes to extended reading and meditation, an actual physical Bible would probably be better, in my opinion. However, I’d say that the tools and viewing options the e-Sword affords actually make it easier to “study” and “research” than a physical Bible does. Again, this is my opinion. Let’s take a quick look at the layout and some of the tools!

As you can see, navigating to books, chapters and verses is very easy. Off to the side, you can see sections for commentaries and dictionaries. You can change the layout by clicking on the bars and dragging them in the directions you want them to go. The screenshot is showing the default layout.

One of my favorite and most used tools is the search tool (pointed out in the above screenshot). Click the binoculars and a search window pops up giving you the search options making it very simple to find a verse you are looking for. If you know a word (or a few words) in the verse, and perhaps a general location, the search tool will undoubtedly help you locate it!

As you can see, e-Sword is a very easy program to install and use. Above all, it’s free! What do you think? Do you know of a better free Bible program? Let us know!

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