An article written by Rubén Gómez, Bible software translator and beta tester. Copyright © 2004-2009 by the author. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce any part of this document without obtaining permission from the author.

Introduction

This well-known lexicon, [2] intended first and foremost for translators of the New Testament, but equally useful for biblical scholars, pastors and students (cf. Preface, p. iv), was computerized as early as 1987 (cf. Preface, p. v), and according to the Introduction (p. vi), takes account of all the vocabulary found in UBS3 (both text and apparatus). The printed edition includes a whole volume containing the Greek-English, English, and Passage indices, as well as a set of maps.

Back in 2000, Jesús Peláez [3] bemoaned the fact that its use was really uncomfortable. And he put forward two examples: in order to see the different meanings of ἀνήρ one had to look up domains 9.24, 9.1, 10.53, 34.69, and 33.341, whereas the diverse meanings of the Greek preposition ἐπί were spread across 21 different places!

This, of course, is a legitimate criticism. If you want to use the lexicon to its fullest, you are bound to flip back and forth between the two printed volumes quite often. However, digital editions of Louw-Nida have been a tremendous help, and they clearly show some of the advantages of computer-based research over more traditional methods of study.

But before we turn our attention to some of these advantages, one word of caution is in order. Louw-Nida is currently available in a number of high-end Bible software packages. While working on this article I looked at five different incarnations.[4] It came as no surprise that all of them differed from one another regarding the extent of the tagging, search capabilities and scope, general integration with the program, and even the contents (more on that later). What this means is that the fact that different products include the same electronic module/book/database, does not necessarily entail that all are the same and perform in exactly the same way. In fact, quite the opposite is true. There are subtle ― and not so subtle! ― differences that should be carefully considered, some of which I will mention in passing.

Sample entry (Domain 9.24) from Louw-Nida. Text in green (gender abbreviations and footnote 6) is hypertexted. Scripture references (in blue) are also hyperlinks that allow us to jump to that particular verse in the Bible of our choice. This screenshot is taken from the Libronix electronic edition of the lexicon.

Contents [5]

None of the software packages include the full printed version. Volume 1 (the lexicon proper) is a must, but volume 2 is not really necessary in a digital environment, since indexes are automatically generated by the software itself. No wonder, then, that the Passage index is conspicuously absent. However, Bibloi, Libronix and PC Study Bible have kept the Greek-English and English indices. BibleWorks includes just the Greek-English index, whereas Accordance has no indices at all, but it's the only one of the lot that carries the maps.

As an enhancement, PC Study Bible has included the equivalent Strong's number for each applicable term. This way, users with little or no knowledge of Greek can still benefit from using the lexicon.

As can be seen here, PC Study Bible inserts a Strong's number right after Louw-Nida's domain number. These hyperlinks allows for Strong's-based searches and for a tighter interaction with other lexicons that follow the same numbering scheme.

Hyperlinks

One of the most obvious advantages of the digital edition of a text is the fact that it is possible to "jump" from one place to another (or even to a different resource) by simply clicking on certain key areas of the text. These areas are generally displayed in a different color, and the cursor changes its normal appearance when hovering over them. This cross-linking saves a lot of time, opens up new avenues of study, and enhances the general usefulness of the tool.

As expected, all the packages make use of hyperlinks to one degree or another. Accordance, Libronix, and PC Study Bible are particularly full of them. As for BibleWorks and Bibloi, they have only hyperlinked the domains, but have decided not to do the same with Scripture references.

All hyperlinks work automatically. But apart from the explicit hyperlinks, both from and to the lexicon (when available in other books, as is the case in certain Libronix-compatible titles), it is possible to link to Louw-Nida from any Greek word in the Bible.

BibleWorks includes an option to look up the Greek lemma in the lexicon or, alternatively, send a whole verse to the lexicon browser for easy review of the different words that comprise it. This option is available from the context menu (i.e., right-clicking with the mouse).

Bibloi's version of Louw-Nida can be accessed by right-clicking on a Greek word, but it is also possible to jump to any Logos/Libronix lexicon (including Louw-Nida) if we have it installed on our system. If available, it is advisable to do the latter, given the clear advantages of the Logos/Libronix electronic edition.

In Accordance you are not bound by the explicit links (domain numbers, subdomain outlines, Scripture and note references). By means of the "amplify" feature it is possible to "jump" to any other available module and look up the field we have selected (Bible reference, English word, Greek word, and so on). The Resource palette includes all the different kinds of tools one can choose from (General, English, Greek, Hebrew, Reference, etc.). Therefore, Louw-Nida can be easily accessed and searched from any Scripture reference, English word, Greek lemma, or inflected form.

Libronix, which also tags gender abbreviations (feminine, masculine, and neuter) as hyperlinks, makes use of "keylinking" in order to access Louw-Nida's Lexicon from any Greek or English word found in a Bible, dictionary, commentary, or general work. It is equally possible to go from the lexicon to any other book via the KeyLink option included in the context menu. The behavior of these keylinks can be easily customized to better suit users' interests or needs.

Finally, PC Study Bible, apart from the unique Strong's number feature mentioned above, has an AutoTopic option. When this is turned on, each one of the tagged words (English only!) in the lexicon is displayed in blue (the default color), and can be looked up by simply double-clicking on it and choosing the preferred resource in the dialog that pops up. Apart from that, Louw-Nida can be accessed from the Greek New Testament. [6]

Searching [7]

Accordance searches can be done on any of the search fields into which Louw-Nida has been broken down. The available fields are: Greek entry, English titles, Greek content, English gloss, [8] English content (includes the 'definitions' [9] and everything else, except the 'glosses'. The footnotes, aimed at linguists and lexicographers ― cf. Preface, p. iv ― are also part of this field), Scripture, and Domains. Up to five of these can be searched simultaneously, connected with the AND, OR, and NOT boolean operators.

With BibleWorks it is possible to search the Greek-English index or the lexicon itself. Scripture references are not searchable, but other types of searches can be performed (string, wildcard, AND, OR) in English and Greek.

Libronix also tags different search fields, like Lemma (equivalent to searching entries or headwords), Gloss (Greek or English words appearing under headwords in volume 2), Part of Speech (only feminine, masculine or neuter in vol. 2), and Footnote. If none of these "field markers" are used in a query, the program will find hits anywhere they happen to be. Besides, this program allows us to look up Scripture references and Domain numbers with the Reference Browser, and Greek and English terms can also be searched via the helpful Topic Browser. Last, but not least, there's the option of using a Fuzzy search (designed for finding similar strings, rather than exact matches).

PC Study Bible allows users to search Louw-Nida by Strong's number or English word. Footnotes and Headings can be toggled on and off.

There is one particular kind of search that can only be run by Accordance and Libronix, which allows one to search for primary meanings, secondary meanings, etc. of each Greek term. It is based on the superscript letters appended to the end of most words. As Louw-Nida put it: "One of the very noteworthy advantages of this lexicon is the fact that each distinct meaning of a term is clearly marked by a superscript letter of the alphabet (…) For the most part, the most common or 'unmarked' meaning is listed first, that is to say, with the superscript 'a,' and other less common or peripheral meanings follow, somewhat in order of specificity." (Introduction, p. vii).

All software packages, except BibleWorks, keep the superscript numbers, but their search engine is unable to take advantage of this most interesting feature built into the lexicon.

Interaction with other program features

Louw-Nida works seamlessly with Accordance's numerous and powerful features, just like any other Greek tool. As has been already mentioned, the flexibility of amplifying our study to and from the lexicon is extremely useful. Similarly, Libronix lets us include this lexicon in some of its fine automated reports, like the Word Study Guide, the Exegetical Guide, and the Lemma Report.

Bibloi offers a rather rudimentary integration of Louw-Nida, but probably adequate for non-intensive tasks. The best approach, no doubt, is to set up the program so that it links to Logos/Libronix library of lexicons and commentaries, if available. PC Study Bible's electronic incarnation of the lexicon interacts slightly better with the other Bibles and books, but only on a elementary level, with the help of Strong's numbers.

The Advanced Search Engine of BibleWorks (roughly equivalent to the Construct searches in Accordance, or the Graphical Query Editor in Libronix) offers one of the most interesting examples of interaction. When searching a morphologically tagged Greek version, Louw-Nida's domains and subdomains can be fed into the ASE as an Inclusion/exclusion list. Potentially, this means that a single search will perform a "topical" query on the Greek New Testament. There is one drawback though; since BibleWorks has stripped all superscript letters, searches will return hits even when they do not belong to the cluster of meaning we are trying to isolate (i.e., will not distinguish between ὄνομα followed by a superscript 'a', and the same word followed by another superscript letter). Nevertheless, if you don't mind weeding out false matches manually, it can be a very powerful feature. I should add that the lexicon integrates very well into the Word List Manager and Report Generator, and can be set as the default Greek lexicon for the Auto-info window.

	Front Matter (vol. 1)	Gk.-En. and English indices	Hyperlinks	Search Fields
Accordance	Yes (except Preface)	No	Domains, Subdomains, Scripture ref., Note ref.	Greek Entry, English Titles, Greek Content, English Gloss, English Content, Scripture, Domains
BibleWorks	No	Gk.-En.	Domains	Greek-English index, Lexicon
Bibloi	No	Yes	Domains	―
Libronix	Yes	Yes	Domains, Subdomains, Scripture ref., Note ref., Gender abbreviations	Lemma, Gloss, Part of Speech, Footnote
PC Study Bible	Yes	Yes	Domains, Subdomains, Scripture ref., Note ref., Strong's numbers	―
General overview of the main differences between the five electronic editions of Louw-Nida tested in this article.

Case Study

Let us take up again Jesús Peláez' example of the Greek term ἀνήρ. If we were to use the printed version of the lexicon, we would turn to page 19 of volume 2 and find there the domain numbers where this word is mentioned (9.24, 9.1, 10.53, 34.69, and 33.341). We would then have to open volume 1 and check out those references (pages 107, 104, 119, 456, 427-8). Now, with the computer we can find ALL the occurrences of ἀνήρ, anywhere in the lexicon (not just those appearing as Greek entries), and see them conveniently highlighted. [10] And that is only the beginning!

Since Louw-Nida is not morphologically tagged, we may want to use the lemma (ἀνήρ) and all possible lexical forms (e.g., using the stem ανδρ followed by a wildcard, with or without further constraints, or listing all possible inflected forms). But we could also decide that we are only interested in those instances where the word is found in the same paragraph or article with a Bible reference from the Johannine writings. You'll be glad to know that this is not only possible, but instantaneous! I invite you to try to do this with your printed lexicon...[11]

According to the authors, "there are three principal approaches to the use of this lexicon: (1) beginning with the Greek word, (2) beginning with an English word, and (3) beginning with a passage of Scripture." (Introduction, p. xi). Whichever you may wish to follow, it'll be a piece of cake if you do it with a digital version of the lexicon.

Conclusion

Using an electronic edition of Louw-Nida is clearly more convenient, exhaustive and faster than having to work with the two-volume printed version. However, from this assertion it does not necessarily follow that all digital versions are equally useful. The good news is that there might be an incarnation of this lexicon that will suit our personal needs better than others.

If you want a good balance of search power and seamless integration, your best bet is Accordance and Libronix. If what you are after is some specialized graphical searches and word lists, as well as a fair integration consider BibleWorks. If you wish to work with Strong's numbers, get PC Study Bible. If you are quite happy with some simple and straightforward operations, then Bibloi is just for you.

In this, like in any other module or program, there is no single package that will be all things to all people. But there will definitely be something for everyone. And in case you wonder, I keep my printed volumes of Louw-Nida handy, although I end up using an electronic version instead every nine times out of ten.