BibleWorks 8.0

I received BibleWorks 8.0 in the mail yesterday. I have installed it already and I am learning to get around in the search window, analysis window, and Bible window. The learning curve is slower than with Logos 4 because Bible Works is more technical and there are more selections and menus to get you where you want to go.


However, I am impressed with the overall functionality of the program and the extensive resources provided. For a complete listing of bibles, lexicons, grammars and other books available with the base package see the resource list.

I found that sizing the fonts for readability is less convenient in BibleWorks than Logos because you have to go to the Tools/Options/Fonts menu and then reset all your fonts to a more readable size. This is important for me because I am in my fifties now and need bifocals. Larger print size makes for less eye strain. In Logos you would simply hold down the control key and then use the scroll wheel on your mouse to resize the text in any window. The other difficulty I found was in the modules library window there does not seem to be a way to reset the font to a larger size for easier reading. I will contact support and find out if there is something I have missed.


The links to grammars and lexicons appear in the analysis window, which operates like the information window in Logos 4. To keep the information stable in BibleWorks when you move the mouse pointer you simply hold down the shift key.

I am still learning how to use the search window in Bible Works. It is a bit more tricky to learn because all of the features are not obvious. For example, the search results for the modules and grammars popup in the analysis window. But if you open a library module in another browser window, that is not searchable. All searches must be done from the command line in the search window.

Also, the links which open up in the analysis window for reading appropriate sections in the grammars or lexicons or other resources do not always go to precisely the right area. This means that you must read more of the material to find exactly the right definition and context. But this is a problem with the older databases in Logos as well. The guy at Logos swears that the newer databases are better in Logos 4 but who knows unless you try it?

For Bible Works you really need to have a good working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew and at least some knowledge of Latin to fully appreciate what this software has to offer. But one feature that I really liked was the fact that in the Hebrew verb charts there is a sound button where you can hear each of the forms pronounced. That is a huge help for understanding and learning the correct accents, open and closed syllables, etc.


In addition I was please to find that the morphology of the Hebrew Old Testament, which is the Leningrad and not the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, got the parsing for niqra' correct in Genesis 24:57. The verb is supposed to be parsed as a qal imperfect first common plural. Niqra' is a homonym with no unique form but the context shows that it is cohortative and not the niphal perfect.

The three Bible dictionaries that come with BibleWorks are available for free in the E-Sword software which is freeware. However, Logos has similar books that are free elsewhere on the internet so that should not be held against Bible Works. E-Sword is a good alternative for the non-professional who does not want to spend much money. However, even in E-Sword to fully use the Greek and Hebrew tools there is a need for at least a basic understanding of root words and how to use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and Lexicon numbers. E-Sword takes at least some computer savvy to be able to correctly download and install the free modules, so for the less computer literate person even E-Sword would be a technological hazard.


Honestly, Bible Works is not as user friendly as Logos 4 and its look and feel is much more hands on and technical. You really have to know what you are doing to use it. To fully utilize Logos you likewise need to have some technical ability. However, Logos is a bit more visual and intuitive despite my earlier complaints about some of its menus being hard to find and not obvious.


Another point I noticed with Bible Works 8.0 is the Tischendorf NT Critical Apparatus. This is not the most modern and up-to-date apparatus but it is extremely useful if you compare it with what you have in your United Bible Societies 4th Edition or Nestle Aland 26th/27th edition critical apparatus. I have the hard copies of both of those works along with a hard copy of Bruce Metzger's, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. I can easily compare that with the Tischendorf apparatus in BibleWorks 8.0. The only difficulty I had with the Tischendorf critical apparatus is that there are extensive notes and discussion in Latin. Unless you have at least a rudimentary reading ability for Latin you will not be able to fully apprehend and appreciate the Tischendorf discussion. I do not have a full understanding of Latin but I do know enough to follow the general discussion.


As I said, the greatest hindrance in Bible Works 8.0 is the way the modules are incorporated into the program. There is no search capability of the lexicons and bible dictionaries except as they are related to Bible verse searches which come up in the analysis window. If you simply open a lexicon with the Resources menu you basically are opening the book in a help file format with little of the functionality you get in the main software windows, which are the search window, bible window and the analysis window.


The learning curve is longer with BibleWorks but from I can tell the program is a worthy alternative to Logos 4. Bible Works is especially useful for doing exegesis, particularly because the help file contains a step by step format for doing exegesis papers and for exegesis for sermons. Seminary students and busy pastors will find that BibleWorks gives many more resources for less money than Logos 4. However, if you have a big budget and you are willing to spend Logos 4 has a much larger library and almost an endless supply of add ons and books. Logos 4, I must admit, is more user friendly than Bible Works. I can use Bible Works but it will take longer for me to figure out all the features. As I make more discoveries I will be writing more posts about the capabilities of BibleWorks. I have yet to try out the original language diagramming or the graphical search feature. The biggest selling point for Bible Works, however, is you get more "bang for your buck," as another reviewer put it.

While BibleWorks is not for the fainthearted, it is a great resource when used in conjunction with hard copy commentaries, the internet, and other bible software you might have. I highly recommend BibleWorks for college and seminary students in particular.

Logos Bible 4 Upgrade: Is It Worth It?

I have the old Logos Bible Scholar's Edition. To upgrade it would cost me $472.46. To the credit of Logos I was able to download the free engine for Logos 4 and utilize the purchased modules I already have. Personally, I do not feel that I should have to keep buying the same software over and over again every time there is a new release of Windows or the base Bible software.


Microsoft's new Windows 7 will not run Windows XP, XP Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2 software. But Windows 7 does work with Windows XP Service Pack 3. So I lost my old XP copy of Zondervan's 1995 version of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. My old laptop burned out the video card so I had to buy a new laptop. So now I am out the $100.00 I spent a few years ago for The Expositor's Bible Commentary software from Zondervan. While the commentary is basically a pulpit commentary, the introductory notes were especially helpful and the commentary is from a basically reformed perspective, although some of it is weak reformed theology.

Microsoft wants to make you spend more money so their new operating system does not include the virtual mode for running XP software. That's going to cost you $89.95 to upgrade from the Home Premium Edition--which comes with most new computers--to Windows 7 Professional Edition.


So the other option I have is to buy The Expositor's Bible Commentary for Logos 4. How much will that cost me to upgrade? Not much. It's only $129.99 if you pre-order. But how much will it cost if you wait until it is released? God only knows but the suggested retail price Logos has on the website is $456.68. See the pricing at The Expositor's Bible Commentary. The Logos pre-order prices are not excessive but the problem is new releases often have numerous bugs and typos. Logos does include a way to report typos which they promise to report to the publishers for correction at the next release.

O.K., I have admit that I love being able to do exegesis on the computer. Logos has been a useful tool. But as I said in an earlier post it does not deliver everything it promises, particularly in the parsing modules. I found several niphal Hebrew forms which were listed as qal in the parsing. I do not know if that was because of errors made by the publisher or if it is an error made by the Logos programmers. The morphological tags were obviously in error on those points.

I have not tried Bible Works 8.0 yet but I am eagerly awaiting the delivery so I can compare it with Logos 4. Stay tuned!

A Short Review of Logos Bible Version 4

One would expect that a professional scholar's version of a Bible software program like Logos Bible would perform as advertised. Don't get me wrong. The resources in Logos are exceptional, including the Enhanced Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon of Hebrew and Aramaic, etc. The morphological parsing for the LXX and the Nestle-Aland New Testament and the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia is also useful.

However, the promised precision is lacking. There are numerous errors in the morphological parsing information windows and one has to be an expert to know how to highlight the root word and then get a correct definition of the right word form or lemma. Sometimes the information window pops up a noun definition when the parsing shows the word is actually a verb. These sorts of problems are so numerous as to make the parsing useless in many cases.

Another problem I noticed is that the exegetical guide is out of sync. When I tried to do an exegetical study with the guide template I found that when I wanted to do the Hebrew passage in Genesis 24 the exegetical guide did the exegesis on the Septuagint and not the Hebrew! Arrrgh! One would think that a program that costs upwards of $600 would actually DO what the software company promises! I'm sure there are many pastors out there who don't know they're not getting their money's worth from this software.


I've owned Logos for about ten years now and I'm still finding typos and errors in the morphology of the original languages. I don't own all the addins but the ones I do have do not do what is promised. I'm generally happy with the resources provided with the package but the sloppiness regarding typos and the performance of the guide templates and other study aids is terrible. I give this software an overall C grade. Don't waste your money if you're looking for exegetical precision. If you're looking for a program that has good resources, this is a keeper. The trouble is if you don't know Greek or Hebrew that well your search results can be confusing. Knowing how to get the correct results in your lexicons, etc. can be frustrating.

What I find particularly irritating is the high cost of the packages with more resources. If the contents of the lower packages are any indication the likelihood of there being numerous typographical errors and other problems is high. I realize that this software is for a highly specialized market, namely pastors and amateur scholars. However, you would have to be a high paid pastor or scholar to afford these upgrade packages. If you happen to be a genuine scholar who is concerned with exegetical precision, then Logos is a miserable failure. However, if you want lots of resources so you don't need a large hardcopy library then Logos proves to be a useful tool. As I said, however, you have to be an expert to be able search the lexicons, commentaries, and morphology for exact results.