A reader writes:
Hello Jimmy, I use the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance alot when studying, as well as the vines Expository dictionary, I know that the strongs has some faults since it is based on the faulty King James Version. My question is, is there a Catholic Exhaustive concordance, similair to the strongs? While the strongs does have it’s faults I really like the way it is set up, but would like a more faithful translation. Thanks you for all your time and efforts, you have help pave the road home for this convert.
Regarding your conversion, all I can say is that it is my honor to serve.
Regarding a Catholic exhaustive concordance, I regret to report that I do not know of any–certainly not any that I could recommend. Years ago I did see an exhaustive concordance of the New American Bible, but my impression looking through it was not favorable. I was struck how markedly inferior the technical aparatus in it was compared to Protestant concordances.
Also, since the recent Catholic Bible translations have all used the dynamic equivalence philosophy of translation, it kind of takes the edge off of the purpose of a concordance. If you’re using a concordance to do more than try to find a particular Bible verse that you’ve forgotten then you’re probably using it to do Bible study, and dynamic equivalence tranlsations are not suited for serious Bible study (though they may be fine for devotional Bible reading). In other words, if you’re wanting to use a concordance, you probably don’t want one based on recent Catholic Bible translations.
The Bible version I normally recommend for Bible study is the Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition. I don’t know of any concordances specifically based on this one, but it’s only a few words different from the plain ol’ Revised Standard Version, so a concordance based on that (not the NRSV) would do.
The fundamental thing is, though, that today you don’t need an exhaustive concordance. Bible study software completely eliminates the need for concordances. That’s one reason they’re getting harder to find. Publishers aren’t making them as often because the market for them is drying up. Bible study software will do the job better. With a concordance you can only look up one word at a time, but with Bible study software you can do all kinds of fancy searches that will dramatically increase the chance of your finding the material you want while dramatically cutting the time it takes you to do so.
I remember the old days when, if you wanted to find a passage with two words in it, you had to look up both words in an exhaustive concordance and then manually compare the two lists item by item. Ugh! That took forever! Now Bible software will do it for you in a couple of seconds.
In fact, most of the higher-end Bible study software products will do searches far more sophisticated and the Boolean searches you’re probably used to doing on Google.
Basic Bible search web pages are also available. Most of the time when I’m looking for a verse, I don’t even bother booting up my Bible study program. I simply open a new window for my browser (which I always have up) and go to Bible Gateway to do my searching.
These days the only time I use concordances is if I’m looking up something in the original languages, in which case I’ll use an exhaustive concordance of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Greek New Testament, or the Septuagint. And the only reason I do that is because I haven’t yet practiced enough to type speedily in the Greek and Hebrew fonts that my Bible study software uses. (I’ll eventually get around to making that transition.)
So my basic advice is to not worry about getting a Catholic exhaustive concordance because, you don’t need one. Get used to doing electronic Bible searches–via Bible Gateway or your Biblt study software that you download or purchase–and you’ll soon find yourself saying, “Man! This blows concordances away! How did I ever get along without this?”
Jimmy,
Speaking of translations, Robert Sungenis has recently posted an article on his website that is extremely critical of the NAB, especially the information contained in the notes (www.catholicintl.com, it’s the first article under a banner entitled “What’s New — Catholic Issues. The article itself is entitled “The New American Bible: Is it good for Catholics?”) Is this a fair criticism of the NAB in your opinion?
Thanks,
Robert
I use “The Eerdmans Analytical Concordance to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible” by Whitaker, Published 1988, ISBN 0-8028-2403-X.
Bought it used for $5 on ebay. Perfect! Even with computers it is still useful. I often use it for looking up the Greek words (comparing two passages in the RSVCE with the same English word and making sure the Greek is the same as well).
Best of luck.
Oh, one more thing – computers won’t help you at a bible study (especially a Protestant one where they are constantly playing fast & loose with the Greek).
One real life example was a bible study discussing James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life…” where the leader and our guide book claimed the ‘crown of life’ was merely an earthly reward for our suffering.
I just opened the concordance to ‘crown’ and asked everyone to look at Rev 2:10 “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”. Same Greek, yet here it seems to be after death. Time: 15 seconds.
Everyone was nodding and taken aback, wondering about this, and the guide book we were using was taken down a notch (which had many anti-Catholic errors). Point: a good concordance is a must if you want to be an Evangelical Catholic.
M. David, I’ve noticed people of all denominations, not just ‘Protestants’ playing fast and loose with the Greek.
Could a laptop with AcCordance or Gramcord be an answer for you? Or on a home system, or use Louw& Nida, preparing ahead (as you are most likely supposed to do) and have the results of your lexical work ready for class?
I would also say that I don’t think that most lay Bible study leaders and participants intentionally are playing ‘fast and loose’ with the Greek. They’d have to -know- the Greek to do that.
Circuit Rider:
You write: “I’ve noticed people of all denominations, not just ‘Protestants’ playing fast and loose with the Greek.”
True. I meant no offense; I was referring to that particular case.
You write: “Could a laptop..be an answer for you? Or on a home system, or…preparing ahead…?”
I just can’t see myself with a laptop in a group like that – I’m egghead enough already, and don’t want to make it worse 🙂 . And you can’t prepare for all the strange doctrines that people can come up with these days. It’s an American tradition to believe whatever you want, regardless of the facts; when challenged, just say: God said it, I believe it, that settles it!
You write: “I would also say that I don’t think that most lay Bible study leaders and participants intentionally are playing ‘fast and loose’ with the Greek. They’d have to -know- the Greek to do that.”
Well, let’s just say I find many bible-studying Christians a) try to force the text into their biases, and b) have no clue or care about how other Christians (past and present) understand the exact biblical texts. They think the bible dropped from the sky and they are the sole authority on how it is to be understood. Thus the ‘fast and loose’ problem, regardless of Greek knowledge.
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