The Bible panel is where you will do most of your Bible reading. This is where SwordSearcher displays Bible text, as well as (optionally) links to related material.
Sample Bible panel
The tabs in the Bible panel allow you to switch between Bible texts. The tabs have abbreviations for Bible texts (e.g. 'KJV' for the King James Version), and holding your mouse pointer over a tab for a moment will display the full title of the Bible text. (Another way to access Bible texts is from the Bible main menu.)
The Bible panel's margin area includes footnotes for the Bible text and links to material related to the verse. In addition to controlling what type of links are shown with the toggles described below, you can use the Margin Links section in Preferences to specify which library items should be included in the margin area.
The Bible panel has its own toolbar which allows quick access to various features specific to the Bible panel.
Sample Bible panel toolbar
Back/Forward: Allows you to go back to a previous passage you were viewing as well as return.
Book and Chapter Selection: This is one way to select a book and chapter to view. You can also use the Go To Verse toolbar to type in a verse reference.
Previous/Next Chapter: You can quickly move back or forward by one chapter with these buttons.
Margin Area Display Toggle: When selected, the margin area will be displayed in the Bible text area, depending on which items you have selected (commentary links, book links, footnotes, and edit links; see following).
Footnotes Display Toggle: When selected, footnotes for Bible text (if available) will be included in the margin area.
Commentary Links Toggle: When selected, links to commentary text on the verse (if available) will be displayed in the margin area.
Book Links Toggle: When selected, links to Book and Dictionary entries that reference the verse will be displayed in the margin area.
Edit User Commentary Links Toggle: When selected, and a user commentary has been created, links to edit the commentary on that verse will be displayed in the margin area.
Paragraph Mode Toggle: When selected, Bible text will be formatted in paragraph style. Note: When paragraph mode is selected, the margin area is not displayed.
Quick Dictionary Lookup:
Double-clicking a word in the Bible panel will attempt to look up that word in the active Book in the Book & Dictionary panel. You can customize this behavior to your liking in the Sync Options.
You can also use the Webster's 1828 Dictionary lookup feature on the pop-up menu, shown below. (Requires Deluxe version.)
Right-click a verse in the Bible panel to activate the Bible panel pop-up menu.
Sample Bible panel pop-up menu
Most of these functions are self-explanatory. Notice also that several of these functions have short-cut keys associated with them. Several pop-up menu features simply duplicate functions found on the toolbars or main menu. A few details will be beneficial:
Whenever a function refers to Selected Text, it is referring to any text you might have marked with your mouse in the Bible panel before right-clicking. If you have not selected any text with your mouse, these functions will not apply.
Copy 2Ti 3:16: When you right-click on a verse, this option will reflect the verse you click on. This function quickly copies the verse to the clipboard according to your Export Formatting options. Using this function alleviates the need for manually selecting the text of the verse to copy and allows you to decide how you want the text copied via the Export Formatting options.
Copy 2Ti 3:16 through verse >: Like the above function, this reflects the verse you clicked on. This function differs from the previous in that it allows you to select a verse to copy through (a range of verses in the chapter rather than just one verse).
Open English-Strong's Indexer for... Whenever you right-click a word in the Bible display that exists in the KJV, you can use this function to open the English-Strong's Indexer for that word automatically. For more information, see Using the English-Strong's Indexer.
Webster's Definition for... If you have the Webster's 1828 Dictionary module installed, and the word you right-clicked on appears in it, this item will allow you to quickly load that definition in the Book and Dictionary panel.
You can compare two Bible versions by setting a compare version. Do this with the pop-up menu Compare Version item, or by right-clicking one of the Bible tabs and setting it to be the compare version.
The compare version will be displayed to the right of your primary version. (The tab you have selected for the Bible text is your primary version.) Note that you may select the same version for compare and primary, but when you do so, you will only see a single Bible column. The reason for this is that when you change your primary version, the compare version stays the same. For example, if you select KJV as your compare version, then whenever you select a different primary version, the KJV text will display to the right of it.
Below is an example of a Bible panel with the primary version set to the Textus Receptus (the Greek New Testament) and the compare version set to the King James Version.
Sample Bible panel showing compare mode
New Testament-only Bible texts
Some Bible texts in SwordSearcher are only New Testament texts (namely the TR and WH modules, and the Tyndale translation only has some Old Testament books). If you are reading or comparing an Old Testament passage and have one of these modules selected, no text for the verses will be shown because none is available.
King James Version with Strong's Links
A special Bible text in SwordSearcher is the KJVSL, or King James Version with Strong's Links. For an explanation of what the KJVSL is and the features it adds to the Bible panel, please see Using the King James Version with Strong's Links.