The main program features
SOB offers a large number of Bible translations and original texts of the Bible, dictionaries, concordances, commentaries, audio bibles with online listening option, possibility of comfortable font size settings, interface language settings, search function, comparing any of translations (and any number of translations), direct links, Strong's numbers based study and more. In the following lines I would like to presented the main functions in detail, including screenshots for better understanding.
Selection of Bible translation
Choosing a Bible translation I solved by drop-down list, located at the top left. Here you can find translations divided into several sections, according to language translation. At the beginning you can find "Comparing mode" and at the end of list you can find Bible Concordances based on the Strong's numbers. Choosing a translation is very simply - clicking it - without confirmation.
Navigation
Navigation on the site is very intuitive. Selection of book of the Bible can be done easy by using the drop-down list, which is under the name of translation (or below audio-player). In this list you can also see number of the chapter where you are. Selection shall be done without confirmation. Right next you can find a similar list, allowing you to select a specific chapter from selected book of the Bible (the number of a chapter is generated automatically - corresponds to the actual number of chapters in the book). Even here you do not confirm the chapter selection. This drop-down list at the same time provides you with the information about chapter you are in. In addition, you have the buttons for a comfortable navigation to the next or previous chapter, and also to the next or previous book of the Bible. The last (and fastest) navigation option are the "direct links".
Searching
The search function is one of the most important functions of any Bible program. In the SOB you can currently easy use the full text search of strings (part of words), whole words and phrases. All occurrences are also active links to verses (abbreviations of Bible-books correspond to the selected SOB interface language).
Search result also contains overview of the number of occurrences your search string in the individual books of Bible. This overview is also active - by clicking You confine the search to a specific book.
Strong's numbers searching
Besides classical search function you can also use Strong's numbers search function. This feature is of course available only for translations, that are so-called Strong's numbers equipped. This function is a variant of concordances - enables you to find all the wanted places in the Bible, where is Greek (G1 ÷ G5624) or Hebrew (H1 ÷ H8674) word. This feature is particularly useful, when You are in depth studying some specific topic in the Bible.
The interface language
SOB (during the few months of its existence) has become a bit of an "international application software." For this reason I have prepared its localization into 8 languages (Czech, Slovak, English, German, Russian, Polish, Spanish and Greek). Language selection is performed very easy - by clicking on the appropriate flag. Besides, I'm programmed into SOB automatic detection of browser language. Therefore SOB automatically offer worthiest interface language setting, and also suitable translation of the Bible.
Font size
In the light of fact, that between SOB users are people with a variety of screen resolution, and in particular with respect to users with varying degrees visual disturbances, I programmed into SOB comfortable possibility of font size setting. Currently SOB offers 8 preset font sizes. Change the font size is again very simple - make the choice by clicking on one of the numbers 1 to 8. Depending on the font size setting changes also font size in the tooltip.
Dictionaries
Important part of the SOB are also dictionaries. In particular, the Greek-Czech Dictionary from prof. Tichý (where I added missing Greek words, which occur in the Textus Recceptus), Strong's Hebrew-English Dictionary, Strong's Greek-English Dictionary, Greek-English dictionary IPD (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament), Hebrew-English dictionary Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions, auxiliary German dictionaries that I have created from Luther and Elberfelder Bible, Strong's Hebrew-Spanish Dictionary and Strong's Greek-Spanish dictionary. In addition, I prepared a Hebrew-Russian and Russian-Greek dictionary. Dictionaries You can use either in the Concordance search, but especially for the translations of the Bible equipped with Strong's numbers. Dictionary language changes automatically - depending on the SOB interface language. If you are interested in Russian dictionary instead of Czech or English, just click on the Russian flag. In the picture you can see the same location King James Bible with a different SOB interface language SOB:
Concordance
From the concordances SOB currently offers English King James Concordance and English Webster Concordance, concordance to the German translation of the Elberfelder Bible (1871) and concordance to the German Luther's Bible (1912). These concordances allow comfortable depth study on the basis of the Strong's numbers. In these concordances You cann find "all" instances of the search word (corresponding with Strong's numbers), including what they mean in the available dictionaries. By move over the referenced verse, a window appears (selected Bible translation, together with a Czech Study Translation.
Because we often need to know also the importance using a similar Greek (or Hebrew) words, I programmed tool capable of detecting the content and meaning of five of neighboring Strong's numbers on each side of searched Strong's number. These numbers work also as active links - when you click on them, you will see the concordant list of referenced Strong's numbers.
Translators Notes
SOB offers an easy way to show/hide translators notes. Control I solved using the select box. In the same way, you can simply control the display/hide Strong's numbers for translations that have them.
On-line listening Audio Bibles SOB offers the possibility of online listening the Audio Bibles (currently about 40 translations).
Biblical commentary
Biblical commentaries can be used either in Comparing mode, or directly - clicking on selected link just above the footer SOB. Currently SOB offers 7 biblical commentaries. In the following picture you can see the use of comments in comparing mode - JFB together with the VW-Edition Bible. On the next picture you can see the line with links to comments.
Direct links
Another interesting feature is the possibility of entering direct links, including the using of abbreviations, and even not only in English but also in Slovak, German, Czech, Russian and Polish. As separator can be used space, dash, comma, semicolon and colon - even in any combination. Required are the first two parameters - the book and chapter. So for example if you want to find a verse of the Gospel of John, 3rd chapter, 16 verse, enter in the box for the direct text links "John 3 16", "J 3 16", "j 3.16", etc. An other option is that, you can highlight range of verses, such as "J 3,12-16". This option can be used for example when You referring to SOB on other websites (You need to copy the address appearing after You press the "Show" button). Instructions for use direct links including books abbreviations will be displayed after moving over the word "Direct link".
Here you can see a direct link to the verse John 3:16-17 and the result:
Deuterocanonical books
Into SOB I programmed the support to view deuterocanonical and apocryphal books. The search function can also be used for searching in these books. The only restriction is, that these books can not be used in Comparing mode. If some of the deuterocanonical (or apocryphal) books are in the selected translation available, the names of specific books you will find at the end of the drop-down list selected book. These books are also colored differently from standard books of the Bible.
SOB offers the possibility of comparing any of translations, even any number of translations simultaneously. This feature can be found at the top of the main selection list (top left). Press the CTRL key and hold it. By selecting the translation you want to compare. Then release the CTRL key and click on the button "compare"! Besides translations here, you can choose as well as Czech or English pronunciation of the Hebrew original transcript or for example commentaries Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary [JFB].
Study of the Hebrew texts
SOB offers the option of easy studying the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament. In SOB You can find texts Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Westminster Leningrad Codex and Aleppo Codex. The first two mentioned texts are provided with Strong's numbers, with links to the dictionary. Westminster Leningrad Codex is also equipped vowels. With all texts, you can view the transliteration (transcript of pronunciation) - in Czech or English (or in both languages). There is also narrated version with online listening possibility. Newly I reprogrammed texts Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and Westminster Leningrad Codex, so that the dictionary linked to Strong's numbers change automatically - depending on the selected interface language.
Study of the original Greek texts
SOB offers comfortable study all major Greek texts of the New Testament, and in addition the Septuagint (the Old Testament in Greek). You can find here the Textus Receptus, the Byzantine/Majority text, Tischendorf NT - 8 editions, Westcott-Hort text NT. All these texts are provided with Strong's numbers and morphology. You have several variants of narrated NT, with online listening possibility. SOB also offers the Septuagint - in several versions: original, with accents and Analytical Septuagint, with Strong's numbers and morphology. Language of the dictionary and morphology changes automatically - according to the interface language. With these utilities you can easy find out what is truly in the original texts of the Bible.
Another useful tool for in-depth study of the Bible is the Greek New Testament with variants, in which you can transparently see the differences between the main sources of the Greek New Testament.
Support for "exotic" Bible translations
SOB and Bible translations are in UTF-8. It offers the ability to view and work with "exotic" translations, respectively with "exotic" fonts. SOB offers also for these translations search function and their use in comparing mode.
Morphology of the Greek texts
As I have mentioned, SOB offers Greek texts not only with Strong's numbers and dictionaries, but also with morphology. This means that you have (even without knowledge Koine Greek) the possibility of knowing not only the words used in the original Greek text, but also their grammatical type - gender, tense, number, person, etc. Currently SOB offers not only corrected morphology in English, but also in Czech, Slovak, German, Polish and Spanish. Language selection of morphology is also automatic - by language interface SOB. On the following pictures you can see a practical example - view for English and Czech interface.
Advanced search
Newly (12.30.2012) I added into
SOB the advanced search function, which significantly extends the capabilities and comfort basic search function. This function is always available, except in the case of simple search results listing, the comparing mode and concordances mode. Access to this function is solved using the "
Advanced Search"button at the bottom
SOB.
The advanced search feature offers 6 types of search - Simple search (word or part of a word), Search exact phrase, Match all words (including parts of words), Match all words (whole words), Match any word (including parts of words) and Match any word (whole words). Another functionality is the possibility display another Bible translation for comparison. If you are interested on comparing only two translations, then you'll find this option useful. Latest advanced search functionality is the possibility limit your searching to only the part of the Bible. This option both reduces the search time and also allows you limit the scope, if you know where the search text is.
Libor Diviš (author SOB)
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