I am truly excited to share some things that are revolutionary for people who want a deeper, richer understanding of the Bible. Ask yourself:

• What if you could study the Bible as a Hebrew and Greek scholar? Without knowing Hebrew or Greek!
• What if you had a concordance, lexicon and a host of biblical interpretation tools at your disposal? Without owning all those things!
• What if all of this was available to you without a library of books? All in your personal Bible!

Did you know that the Hebrew and Greek languages, both, use emphasis placed on words that is determined by word order? That emphasis does not translate well into English and other languages because the word order in other languages is used not to stress emphasis, but for other grammatical purposes. People who read the Bible in English do not see the words that are stressed in the original Hebrew and Greek texts and have been missing some of the meaning that the original Hebrew and Greek texts convey.

Did you know that Hebrew and Greek verbs convey more than simply the timing of the action that verbs express? Verb tenses in English are limited to an expression of timing, but Hebrew and Greek words convey more meaning than simply the timing of the action. Some Greek verbs can mean ongoing, habitual or continual action (or inaction) that we do not pick up in English. Some Greek verbs express both present and future fulfillment of an action that our English verbs do not express. Greek perfect tense expresses past actions that have current, ongoing affect, but English has no equivalent verb tense. People who read the Bible in English miss the nuances and extra meaning that is conveyed in the original Greek verbs.

I have recently met and gotten to know Gary Hill, Joan Hill and Simil Simon who have made the development of a Bible that has all of these features woven into it their life’s work. Gary’s work began in association with Dr. Gleason Archer, famously known for his unparalleled intellect and devotion to biblical scholarship and faith. Dr. Archer was a linguist who learned 30 languages. He had a PH.D from Harvard in comparative linguistics. Using those skills and devotion, he was a chief translator of the New American Standard Bible, a full-term translator of the New International Version, and contributor of Old Testament sections to The Berkeley Version.

Together Gary Hill and Dr. Archer produced The Discovery Bible New Testament (1987, Moody Publishers, Chicago), and Gary Hill continued the effort after Dr. Archer’s passing to produce The Discovery Bible Old Testament that is within months of being ready for release online in digital form.  The Discovery Bible New Testament is already available online at TheDiscoveryBible.com. By overlaying an NASB translation with emphasis and Greek verb tense markers, The Discovery Bible New Testament enables people with no Greek background to come to a greater understanding of the Scriptures, and The Discovery Bible Old Testament will do the same for people with no Hebrew background.

It is truly a remarkable resource that allows the average reader to obtain the benefits of Greek and Hebrew scholarship at home! If you are serious about reading and understanding the Bible, if you want a deeper and richer understanding of the Bible, The Discovery Bible gives you the experience of a Greek and Hebrew scholar, together with all the tools of a library of concordances, lexicons and other tools built in. The New Testament is available online now, and the entire Bible will be available within months. I am excited to share these things with anyone who is interested. Check back for updates.