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Tip 1.2: Using Lexicons in BibleWorks
The BibleWorks integration of Greek and Hebrew lexicons allows students to find the information they need very quickly, so that they can spend more time interpreting the Biblical text and less time turning pages. Below you will find some of the useful ways you can use lexicons in BibleWorks. For our example we will show the add-on module BDAG Greek lexicon, though the instructions work with any of the BibleWorks Greek or Hebrew lexicons. Also included are instructions for searching on semantic domains using the Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains.
Standard Features of Lexicons in BibleWorks
Display Lexicons in the Word Analysis Window:
When you place your cursor over a Greek or Hebrew word in the Browse Window, BibleWorks displays the lexicon entry for that word in the Word Analysis Window. This is the fastest way possible to use your lexicons.
- You can change the Greek and Hebrew lexicon that appears in the Word Analysis Window. Right-click inside the Word Analysis Window, then select Default Analysis Window Greek Lexicon or Default Analysis Window Hebrew Lexicon.
- Placing your cursor over a Scripture reference in the lexicon displays the reference in Greek, English, and Hebrew (for Hebrew Bible references). Clicking a Scripture reference in the lexicon displays that verse in the Browse Window.
- Right-click inside the Word Analysis Window and select Copy Analysis Window Text to Clipboard in order to copy the lexicon entry. Then you can paste the entry into a word processor document.
Accessing a Lexicon from the Browse Window:
- With your cursor over the word in the Browse Window that you wish to investigate, click your right-hand mouse button, then select Lookup Lemma in Lexicon Browser. The lexicon browser will open, and display the lemma in your most-recently used lexicon.
- Alternately, you can select Send Verse to Lexicon Browser, and every word in that verse will appear as a list of words in the left side of the Lexicon Browser Window, ready for you to select and view each entry in turn.
Accessing a Lexicon from the Resource Summary Window:
- Clicking on the lexical entry in the Resource Summary Window opens the lexicon to that entry.
- The Resource Summary Window also lists every place in the lexicon where that Scripture reference is found. Clicking on the reference opens the lexicon to that entry.
Using the Lexicon Browser Window:
- Open the Lexicon Browser from the Resources | Greek/Hebrew Lexicons entry on the main BibleWorks menu.
- You can change the lexicon displayed in the browser by selecting Lexicons on the Lexicon Browser menu. The name of the currently-displayed lexicon appears in the Lexicon Browser title bar.
- Select lexical entries from the list to the left of the display window. You can also select an entry by typing the word in the upper right-hand box.
- The upper left-hand box contains a list of previously-displayed entries. Save an entry to the list by clicking the down arrow button to the left side of the box. This list enables you to go back to previously-displayed entries easily.
- You can copy the lexicon entries by selecting the desired entry, then copying the text to the clipboard. Select the entry, then place your cursor over the selected text and right-click to display the context menu. Select Copy Text to Clipboard or Copy Text to Editor.
- Search within the lexicon by opening a search box from the Lexicon Browser menu. From the search box you can search in English, Greek, and Hebrew.
- To view the lexicon front and back matter, click on the drop-down box immediately above the lexical entry list to the left of the display window.
Exporting Lexicon Entries:
- The Report Generator enables you to export to a report all the lexical entries for each word in a verse or range of verses. Open the Report Generator by selecting Tools | Report Generator from the main BibleWorks menu.
- In the Report Generator enter the version, verse range, one or more lexicons, and your Greek text to include and analyze. Check the box to Include Lexicon Entries. Click Build Report to create the report.
Special Functions of the Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon
The Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains has additional uses in BibleWorks not found with the other lexicons. Each semantic domain in Louw-Nida represents a list of words that can be used as search words in the Graphical Search Engine or the Word List Manager.
Searching on Semantic Domains Using the Graphic Search Engine
The steps for searching on semantic domains using the Graphic Search Engine (GSE) are as follows:
- Choose your search version. It must be a Greek morphology version (BGM, BNM, BYM, GNM, etc.) to search on semantic domains. Set your search limits, if desired.
- Open the GSE. Double-click on the word box to open the Word Box Options window.
- Select the radio button Inclusion/exclusion list (IEL).
- Select the More>> button, then select Add Louw-Nida domain from the menu. This will open the Select Words Using Semantic Domains window.
- You can choose the domains to search in two ways. If you already know the domain on which you wish to search, you can select it from the list. You can also search on a word to find the domains in which it is included. For the example above, we have searched on the word EKLEKTOS. Notice that the domain list now only includes the specific domains in which the word appears.
- In the Words to export list, select the words on which you wish to search. If you wish to search on all the words, you can click the Select list button. (Since the search is limited to only words, the phrases included in the semantic domain cannot be searched using this tool. The phrases are grayed-out in the in the list.) After selecting the words, click OK.
- Close the Word Box Options window, then run the GSE search by pressing the green go button on the GSE toolbar. The search results in the Search Window include all the hits for every word in the semantic domain found within the search range you specified.
- If you have limited your search, your search results may not include every word included in the semantic domain. You may want to use the Word List Manager to import the words found in the search in order to see what words in the domain are present in your search range.
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