SwordSearcher Bible Software

SwordSearcher Bible Software 5.3 Released

Thu, 15 May 2008 16:40:10 -0500

Here are some highlights for this release:

New library modules: Gaebelein's Annotated Bible commentary, Mackintosh's Notes on the Pentateuch, and the Writings of C.H. Mackintosh.

The new Scan Text for Verse References tool allows you to paste in text from any source, such as a web page, and have all of the verse references automatically hyperlinked, so that holding your mouse over the reference shows the text of the verses. With this tool, you can easily check out Scripture references from any document or web page without having to type them in!

Bible search verse lists show match count as well as the verse count.

Complete User Editor overhaul. Improvements to the SwordSearcher internal editor for personal commentaries and book are too numerous to list here. Additions include a Bible-word aware spell check, automatic verse reference linking, new linking options, and more.

Improvements to clipboard copy functions.

SwordSearcher now understands well over 2,000 different variations of book names and abbreviations for identifying Bible passages. It's easier than ever before to tell SwordSearcher what you're looking for!

Much, much more. View the complete revision history for the complete list.
As always, customers who already have SwordSearcher Deluxe can get the latest CD-ROM at a significant discount. For complete upgrade details, including a program file update by download, see the upgrade page.

Not a SwordSearcher user yet? Now is a great time to try it out and see what you've been missing! Visit the SwordSearcher website to download your free trial copy now.

Forge for SwordSearcher 2.0.1.2 Released

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:16:52 -0500

Version 2.0.1.2 of Forge is now available.

Forge is a free external module build tool for SwordSearcher. It is designed for advanced users and publishers who need to be able to import a large amount of text into a SwordSearcher module without using SwordSearcher's internal user editor. It can be used to build Bible, Commentary, and Book modules for SwordSearcher 5.

Version 2.0 adds automatic verse linking to Forge. It is no longer necessary to tag verse references in Forge source files. The "Automatically link verse references" option, when checked, will find verse links in the source text and automatically link and index them for SwordSearcher. (If you do not wish to use Forge's automatic verse linking feature, you can un-check this option and use scripref tags in the source as described in the Forge user manual.)

How-to: Easy steps to free up study space in SwordSearcher

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:19:44 -0500

SwordSearcher is designed to make accessing a wide variety of resources simple and straightforward, but using SwordSearcher can be made even more pleasant by taking a few easy steps to hide tabs and links that are rarely used. This is especially helpful if you have a smaller monitor or do not run SwordSearcher maximized.

Module details: Lexicons from Strong's Concordance

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 17:05:22 -0500

For 100 years, when someone wanted to find a verse in the Bible, the fastest way to do it was with a Strong's Concordance. Since 1890, when it was published by James Strong after being compiled by over 100 workers who diligently listed every occurrence of every word in the KJV, it has been The Concordance. No printed Bible study library was ever complete without a Strong's...

Module details: Spurgeon Sermons

Sun, 6 Jan 2008 20:13:45 -0500

Charles Spurgeon is one of the most well-known and inspiring preachers in history. The SwordSearcher Spurgeon Sermons book module puts over 700 of Spurgeon's most powerful messages just a click away.

Module details: Geneva Bible Commentary

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:20:25 -0500

The Geneva Bible Footnotes SwordSearcher commentary module includes the Bible study notes from the 1599 edition of the Geneva Bible.

Module details: John Calvin's Commentaries

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:54:00 -0500

John Calvin is indisputably one of the most influential figures of the Christian Reformation. Few have had as much lasting impact on Christian study, theology, and thought as Calvin.

The SwordSearcher Calvin commentary module contains the verse-specific commentary from Calvin's 22 volume exposition on the Bible, from the Calvin Translation Society edition. Calvin's commentary is quite complete, with detailed exposition on almost every verse in each book covered in Commentaries.

(Added in version 5.2.)

Module details: Romans Verse by Verse (Newell)

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:53:29 -0500

Romans: Verse by Verse, by William R. Newell, is a detailed commentary on the book of Romans that is both practical and devotional.

Module details: The Fundamentals - A Testimony to the Truth

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:19:41 -0500

The Fundamentals was compiled to answer the critics of Christianity and proponents of so-called "Higher Criticism," and is a defense of Biblical doctrine against modernism and doctrinal liberalism.

Module details: Scofield Study Bible

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:52:26 -0500

The Scofield Reference Bible contains very brief commentary, often consisting of no more than a few sentences and several cross-references. The brevity of the notes allowed Scofield's commentary to be included in the margins and footnotes in study Bibles, which countless Christians use as their primary study Bible.

Author Biography and Module Details: Alfred Edersheim

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 11:53:41 -0500

SwordSearcher version 5.2 adds the Edersheim Book module, with the following books:

The Temple: Its Ministry and Services
Sketches of Jewish Social Life

EDERSHEIM, ALFRED - Born March 7, 1825 (Vienna), died March 16, 1889 (Menton, France). As an author, Edersheim has helped many Christians understand the times of Christ's life. [Complete Article]

Module details: Morrish Bible Dictionary

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:14:53 -0500

The Morrish Bible Dictionary was added to the SwordSearcher study library in version 5.2.

Originally published with the title A New and Concise Bible Dictionary by George Morrish (London), the Morrish Bible Dictionary is more than a dictionary of Bible words.

George Morrish (1814-1911) was contemporary with John N. Darby, and his Dictionary is a compilation of articles and doctrinal positions from those known as Brethren at that time.

New version of SwordSearcher Bible Software released: 5.2

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:25:37 -0500

A new version of SwordSearcher is now available.

Current users of SwordSearcher can upgrade here. For upgrade details please see the Upgrade FAQ.

Here's what's new in this version:

Added John Calvin's Verse Commentary (Calvin) commentary module. Contains the verse-specific commentary text from the Calvin Translation Society edition of Calvin's Commentaries. (CD-ROM only)

Added Morrish Bible Dictionary (Morrish) book module. (CD-ROM only)

Added Sketches of Jewish Social Life and The Temple: Its Ministry and Services (Edersheim) book module. (CD-ROM only)

Added Words of Christ in Red support for KJV module.
- The KJV and KJVSL Bible modules show words of Christ in red letter text.
- Red-lettering can be disabled in File > Preferences > Text Display Options > KJV Words of Christ.
- Color is configurable as well.

Added Search KJV Words of Christ search function (Search menu). Restricts search to "red letter" text of the New Testament.

Updated Harmonies module.

Added additional synchronization options (File > Preferences > Sync Options).

Improved behavior of commentary entry up/down toolbar buttons and up/down key press in entry selection box.

Added Show Margin Area toggle toolbar button and shortcut (Alt+F10) to Bible panel and improved toggle handling of margin items and paragraph mode.

Added new keyboard shortcuts: Alt+Up and Alt+Down. Decrements or increments verse in the Go To Verse toolbar and performs synchronization actions.

Added Maximize Search Results shortcut (Shift+F9).

Added single row tabs display option in Library Tabs appearance preferences.

Fixed rare focus bugs that could cause prompt windows to appear behind active windows causing the program to appear to be frozen.

Fixed bug that could cause Table of Contents Tool to be opened but disabled.

Fixed crash that could occur after changing commentaries and then using the commentary entry up/down toolbar buttons.

Fixed font size preference issues with the View > Increase/Decrease font commands.

Other minor bug fixes and performance enhancements.

Module details: Rightly Dividing the Word

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:09:33 -0500

Rightly Dividing the Word, by Clarence Larkin, is a concise overview of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible according to a premillennial, dispensational perspective.

Module details: Great Preaching of the Faith

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:25:03 -0500

Great Preaching of the Faith is a treasury of over 450 sermons, organized by author and by topic or theme.

Module details: Webster's 1828 Dictionary

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:30:57 -0500

Noah Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1828, has enjoyed a renewed interest in American homeschooling and Bible study. The first edition of Webster's dictionary is perhaps the only general dictionary that can also be called a Christian one.

Module details: Miller's Church History

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:19:42 -0500

Short Papers on Church History, by Andrew Miller, commonly known as "Miller's Church History," is the best concise examination of the history of Christ's church available.

Module details: Darby's Chapter Synopses

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:00:20 -0500

John Darby's Chapter Synopses present commentary chapter-by-chapter instead of verse-by-verse. Published in English as Synopsis of the Books of the Bible in seven print volumes.

Module details: Treasury of David

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:33:58 -0500

The Treasury of David is the most exhaustive commentary on the book of Psalms available, written by C. H. Spurgeon and commonly regarded as his magnum opus.

Module details: Harmonies and Chronologies

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 13:49:51 -0500

The SwordSearcher Harmonies and Chronologies book contains complete tables of parallel Bible passages in the Gospels (known as a Gospel Harmony), as well as other helpful reference tables.

Module details: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:47:22 -0500

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is a tool for interpreting Scripture with Scripture. Each verse of the Bible is cross-referenced to several others to enable the reader to gain a true sense of each word and phrase as it is used in the Bible.

SwordSearcher Bible Software: Deluxe Library Contents Listed By Author

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:45:57 -0500

A complete list of the study library contents, indexed by author, has been posted.

New how-to posted: Copy Bible verses to the clipboard with just two clicks.

Sat, 8 Sep 2007 12:00:20 -0500

Here is a fast and easy way to copy Bible verses from SwordSearcher to the Windows clipboard that avoids having to "click and drag" text in the screen to mark it. Copying verses this way makes putting together sermons, Bible studies, emails, and other documents a breeze.

New how-to posted: How to search for all word forms in SwordSearcher with stemming.

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:23:09 -0500

Often, when you need to find verses in the Bible, you need to look for more than just a single form of the word. For example, you may want to search for "love," but also want to find verses with other forms of the word, such a "loveth" and "loving." You could easily type in each form of the word, but that is not convenient and you may forget one.

SwordSearcher provides a powerful searching function called English Stemming. When you use this, SwordSearcher will reduce words down to their base form (or stem), such as "love" for "loving" when doing comparisons for matches. This way, the software sees "love, loveth, loved, loving," etc., as all the same word and will include them in the search.

SwordSearcher Bible Software wins SIAF People's Choice Awards 2007

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:40:29 -0500

The Shareware Industry Awards Foundation (SIAF) announced on July 14, 2007 at the Software Industry Conference in Denver, CO, that SwordSearcher Bible Software won the People's Choice Award for the Hobby and Personal Interest category.

The SAIF People's Choice Awards are held annually at the Software Industry Conference and are voted on by thousands of people in the general public in over 80 different countries.

"We are quite excited about this award," said Brandon Staggs, developer of SwordSearcher and owner of StudyLamp Software. "The People's Choice Awards are voted on by computer users across the entire globe, and because of this, it is an exceptional honor to receive this award. It's great to see Bible study software represented among the winners, especially as a winner in such a broad category. We're pleased to be counted with companies like Adobe and Microsoft, who have also won People's Choice Awards."

Author Biographies - John Gill

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:15:12 -0500

A short biography of John Gill has been posted. Gill's Exposition of the Bible is part of the SwordSearcher Deluxe study library.

Forge for SwordSearcher 1.0.2.5 Released

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:59:14 -0500

Version 1.0.2.5 of Forge is now available.

Forge is a free external module build tool for SwordSearcher. It is designed for advanced users and publishers who need to be able to import a large amount of text into a SwordSearcher module without using SwordSearcher's internal user editor.

Version 1.0.2.5 is a minor maintenance release.

Daily Bible and Prayer 2.1 Released

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:57:22 -0500

Version 2.1 of Daily Bible and Prayer is now available. This is a free update for registered users of Daily Bible and Prayer 2.0.

Daily Bible and Prayer is a Windows application designed specifically for personal devotion, prayer, and Bible reading.

Author Biographies - Andrew Miller

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:10:01 -0500

A short biography of Andrew Miller has been posted.

Author Biographies - Sir Robert Anderson

Fri, 25 May 2007 15:17:19 -0500

A short biographical sketch of Sir Robert Anderson has been posted. Several books by Sir Robert have been added to the SwordSearcher Deluxe study library in version 5.1.

SwordSearcher 5.1 Released

Tue, 8 May 2007 17:25:15 -0500

Version 5.1 of SwordSearcher is now available. Current customer upgrade information available at http://www.swordsearcher.com/upgrade-faq.html

New in 5.1 (Since 5.0):

Added Andrew Miller’s Church History (AMHistory) book module. (CD-ROM Only)

Added Great Preaching of the Faith (GPreaching) book module. (CD-ROM Only)

Added Torrey’s The Fundamentals (TFund) book module. (CD-ROM Only)

Added Seven Books by Sir Robert Anderson (RAnderson) book module. (CD-ROM Only)

Bug fixes in KJV16 module. (CD-ROM Only)

Added several synchronization features and preference options to the Sync Options page of the Preferences dialog:

Added options for action taken when double-clicking on a word in a Bible panel. Options are:

Open closest entry in active Book (default),

Open closest entry in Webster's 1828 Dictionary,

Open closest entry in user-specified book module,

Open Topic Guide,

Do nothing.

Double-clicking a word in the Book or Commentary panel opens the Topic Guide. (This can be disabled in Sync preferences.)

Double-clicking a verse reference tag in the Bible panel performs the same actions as using the Go To Verse box. (Can be disabled in Sync preferences.)

Added specific commentary option for Go To Verse Sync preferences.

Added "set individual panel properties" option in font and color preferences. Using this option it is possible to set different fonts and colors for each panel type (Bible, Book, Commentary, Verse List).

Expanded right-click menus for Bible, Books, and Commentary library tabs to provide lists of tabs with complete names as an alternative means of accessing modules.

Added Library Table of Contents Tool (on Search menu, or Shift+Alt+T)

Added +/- key press function for focused panels displaying highlighted search results. Pressing + or - keys “cycle” each highlighted search result into view.

Added "Find in focused panel text" search option -- like a word processor "find next" function. (Ctrl+F shortcut for focused text panel.) Searches the text displayed in the active panel (rather than the entire module).

Significant overall performance improvements, especially when changing panel configuration and switching between books and commentaries.

Other minor improvements and enhancements.

Various improvements and bug fixes for panel layout configuration, toggling, etc.

Fixed some dialog boxes not responding to Esc keypress.

Fixed crash error when trying to do certain invalid phrase or Boolean expression searches.

Fixed incorrect enabling of "Export User Book/Cmt" options on User menu (they are now shown as disabled when there are none to export).

Fixed user module build progress dialog sometimes staying visible even after build is complete.

Improved internal "closest matching entry" selection method for book panel when double-clicking a word in Bible text.

Fixed bug with Book menu where selecting a book from the menu could under some circumstances not load the proper entry in the panel.

Fixed resource tabs not appearing according to user preferences in some cases.

Other minor bug fixes.

How to: Using the Verse Guide to find all references to a Bible verse

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 14:15:22 -0500

SwordSearcher makes it easy to see all of the relevant library material related to a Bible verse or passage with the Verse Guide. Essentially, the Verse Guide is the ultimate Bible verse index, giving you quick access to any commentary, dictionary, topical guide, or book entry that references a particular verse or passage.

[...]

A Brief History of SwordSearcher

Mon, 4 Dec 2006 18:44:34 -0500

Posted: A a short narrative by the author about the history of SwordSearcher.

How to: Using Word Suggestion Features for Bible Searching

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:53:32 -0500

Problem: Sometimes it is necessary to search for a word when the spelling is not known.

Solution: Use one of SwordSearcher's word suggestion features to find the word or words you're looking for.

In this example we will explore searching for a word in the KJV when we are not sure of the spelling of the word. This is fairly common as the KJV uses British spellings rather than American spellings. For example, "savior" is spelled "saviour" in the KJV. [Read full article.]

SwordSearcher 5.0 Released

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 16:18:04 -0500

SwordSearcher 5.0 is a major new version. Significant improvements to the program, user interface, and the library have been made in this release.

What's new in 5.0:

Added John Gill's Exposition of the Bible commentary.
Added Chronologies and Harmonies book module.
Added Clarence Larkin's commentary on Daniel and Revelation.

Search system improvements:

Improved support for wildcard searching; added support for single wild character.
Added "English Stemming" search option to find all forms of a word.
Added "Fuzzy Matching" search option to find words that are close matches, such as colour = color.
Added complete support for boolean expression searches and modifier tokens to apply specific search options, such as case sensitivity or fuzzy matching, to specific words in a search.
Bible search "word list" dialog has been improved to include a list of close matches while seeking a word in the list.
The "Go To Verse" toolbar, in addition to setting the displayed verse in the Bible panel, also loads a Verse Guide panel in the search results area. (Setting can be changed in user preferences.)

Library improvements:

Commentary and book modules support all new search functions described above.
Entire library is now pre-indexed to support fast searching of any or all commentary and book modules. The "Full Reference Search" function from 4.8 has been replaced with a "Full Library Search" function. Library search results are loaded in a results panel similarly to Verse Lists.
Library modules now have a "module information" screen. Right-click a module tab to view.
Several library modules have been reformatted to improve text presentation and navigability.

User interface improvements:

New docking system allows user to completely customize configuration of the display panels. Three pre-set layouts are defined, and the user may enable layout customization to move panels in any desired configuration, including floating a panel off of the main display window.
Improved pop-up text formatting. Added ability to change pop-up and tooltip font and color in user preferences.
Added page selector to Verse List panel toolbar.
Now supports multiple Verse Lists and Library Search Result panels. By default, new searches open new panels, allowing simultaneous view of different searches. (Setting can be changed in user Preferences.)
Added Quick Bible Search box to main toolbar. Also, when using the Quick Bible Search toolbar, if one word is entered and not found in the active Bible, SwordSearcher will present alternatives. For example, typing "savior" into the Quick Bible Search toolbar with the KJV active will offer to search for "saviour" instead (the correct spelling of the word in the KJV).

General improvements and changes:

Various updates and changes to support Windows Vista.
Completely revised help file and manual.
Added "Rename entry title" for user books on Books menu.
Added various keyboard shortcuts.
There have been numerous performance enhancements and minor bug fixes not listed here.

Forge for SwordSearcher is now available. Forge is a free module-build tool for creating SwordSearcher modules without using SwordSearcher's internal user editor.

Current users of SwordSearcher 4 can upgrade here.

Author Biographies - R. A. Torrey

Sat, 8 Jul 2006 13:30:21 -0500

A biographical sketch of Reuben Archer Torrey has been posted. Torrey's New Topical Textbook is part of the SwordSearcher study library.

Author Biographies - Barton W. Johnson

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 09:27:53 -0500

A biographical sketch of B. W. Johnson has been posted. Johnson's People's New Testament Commentary is part of the SwordSearcher Deluxe Edition study library.

Author Biographies - John William McGarvey

Mon, 5 Jun 2006 20:06:45 -0500

A biographical sketch of John W. McGarvey has been posted. McGarvey's Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts are part of the SwordSearcher Deluxe Bible study library.

Author Biographies - John Darby

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 13:45:51 -0500

A short biography of John Nelson Darby has been posted. Darby's English translation of the Bible and his Chapter Synopses are part of the SwordSearcher Deluxe Study Library.

Author Biographies - Andrew R. Fausset

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 10:43:35 -0500

A short biography of Andrew R. Fausset has been posted. A. R. Fausset authored the Fausset Bible Dictionary and co-authored the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible commentary, both available in the SwordSearcher Deluxe study library.

Author Biographies - John Lightfoot

Wed, 5 Apr 2006 11:32:17 -0500

A short biography of John Lightfoot has been posted. Lightfoot's commentaries on the Gospels were added to the SwordSearcher Deluxe Study Library for version 4.8.

Author Biographies - Charles G. Finney

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 14:35:22 -0500

A short biography of Charles Finney has been posted. Finney's Systematic Theology was added to the SwordSearcher Deluxe Study Library for version 4.8.

Author Biographies - Edward M. Bounds

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:25:50 -0500

A short biography of Edward M. Bounds has been posted. E. M. Bounds on Prayer was added to SwordSearcher Deluxe Edition study library for version 4.8.

Author Biographies - Karl Keil and Franz Delitzsch

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:27:11 -0500

Mini-bios of Karl Keil and Franz Delitzsch have been posted. The Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary was added to the SwordSearcher Deluxe Edition study library for version 4.8.

SwordSearcher Bible Software 4.8 Released

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 12:35:49 -0500

SwordSearcher 4.8 is now available.

New Deluxe Edition library resources:

Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
Lightfoot's commentary on the Gospels
Finney's Systematic Theology
Bounds on Prayer

For a complete details on what is new and changed in this version, see the revision history. Existing customers can get a significant discount on the new CD-ROM by visiting the upgrade page.

Daily Bible and Prayer 2.0 released

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 12:19:15 -0500

Daily Bible and Prayer is a Windows application designed specifically for personal devotion, prayer, and Bible reading, designed by the author of SwordSearcher Bible Software.

New in version 2.0:
Support for an unlimited number of Bible reading plans added.
Additional "Bible-in-a-year" method added.
Support for custom Bible reading plans added.
Significant enhancements to the Prayer Tracker.

Customers who bought Daily Bible and Prayer after Feb 1, 2005 can get a free upgrade to 2.0. See the Daily Bible and Prayer upgrade page for details.

User Forums Launched

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 19:04:42 -0500

The SwordSearcher User Forums are now online and ready to be used.

Author Biographies - John Wesley

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 16:31:44 -0500

A biography of John Wesley has been posted.

Author Biographies - William Tyndale

Tue, 4 Oct 2005 19:29:43 -0500

A biographical sketch of William Tyndale has been posted.

Author Biographies - William Burkitt

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 16:33:26 -0500

A biographical sketch of William Burkitt has been posted.

Author Biographies - Adam Clarke

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 17:46:00 -0500

A biography of Adam Clarke has been posted.

Author Biographies - Matthew Henry

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 17:57:24 -0500

A biography of Matthew Henry has been posted.

Author Biographies - Clarence Larkin

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:52:15 -0500

A biographical sketch of Clarence Larkin has been posted.

Author Biographies - Albert Barnes

Tue, 9 Aug 2005 19:07:03 -0500

A biographical sketch of Albert Barnes has been posted.

Author Biographies - Matthew Poole

Fri, 5 Aug 2005 17:38:59 -0500

Version 4.7 of SwordSearcher added Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Bible (English Annotations on the Holy Bible). Today, a biographical sketch of Poole has been posted.

Author biographies - C. H. Spurgeon

Thu, 4 Aug 2005 15:00:12 -0500

We are working on compiling biographical sketches of the authors of various study material available in SwordSearcher. Today, the first one is being posted, on C. H. Spurgeon.

SwordSearcher Press Kit updated

Sat, 30 Jul 2005 18:15:15 -0500

The press kit for SwordSearcher has been updated. It contains several hi-resolution images for use in articles regarding SwordSearcher.

Akamai Software Releases Version 4.7 of SwordSearcher Bible Software, adding 1611 edition of the KJV to list of study resources

Fri, 22 Jul 2005 13:17:35 -0500

New for SwordSearcher Bible Software version 4.7 are additional library resources, including the original 1611 edition of the King James (Authorized) Bible, Matthew Poole's complete Bible commentary, and more.

Current users of SwordSearcher should visit the upgrade page.