Hebrew Explorer logo
Hebrew Explorer
The tool for deep Hebrew research into the biblical Scriptures

Searching: verses, words, topics, Hebrew and Strong's numbers

Free7 minBeginnerTrack: Getting started

The magnifying glass at the top is more than a word search. It goes straight to a verse, searches the translation you are reading, forgives spelling slips, finds every form of a Hebrew or Greek word, and shows you the tools, discoveries, people and guides on the site that match what you typed.

Open Search in a new tab →

Tip: keep this page open beside Hebrew Explorer and follow along.

  1. Open the search box
  2. Go straight to a verse
  3. Search English words
  4. Search in your translation, and the others
  5. Search an exact phrase
  6. Find topics, discoveries and tools
  7. Search a Hebrew or Greek word
  8. Read results in Hebrew, English or both
  9. Follow a Strong's number
  10. Type in Hebrew or Greek
  11. Go back to your reading

Step 1: Open the search box

Tap the magnifying glass at the top of the reader. You can type a verse (John 3:16), an English word or phrase (lovingkindness), a topic (Erastus inscription), a Hebrew word (אלהים), a Greek word (λόγος) or a Strong's number (H7225). Press Enter to open the full search.

Step 2: Go straight to a verse

Type a reference such as Romans 16:23 and press Enter to jump right to it. Small slips are fine: roamns 15:23 still takes you to Romans 15:23. Inside the full search, a reference shows as a Go to button at the top.

Step 3: Search English words

Type a word or two, such as grey hair, and press Enter. Search is forgiving: it knows the King James spells it gray, finds hairs as well as hair, fixes small typos, and leaves out little words like what and the. A short note under the count always tells you what it changed.

Search results for grey hair, found as gray hairs, with a note explaining the King James spelling
“grey hair” finds the 5 verses that say “gray hairs”, and the note says why.

Step 4: Search in your translation, and the others

Search looks in the translation you are reading. Reading the Berean Standard Bible? You get BSB verses, and tapping one opens it in the BSB. If your translation never uses a word you typed, search checks the other translations on the site and tells you which one the verses came from. A World English Bible reader who searches lovingkindness gets the King James verses, with a note saying so. Spanish works too, in the Reina-Valera, and accents are optional. The in menu above the results shows the same verses in any other translation.

A World English Bible reader's search for lovingkindness, answered from the King James with a note
The WEB doesn't use “lovingkindness”, so search answers from the King James and says so.

Step 5: Search an exact phrase

Put the words in quotation marks, like "in the beginning", to find only verses with those words together and in that order. When no verse has every word you typed, search shows the verses with the most of them instead of nothing at all.

Step 6: Find topics, discoveries and tools

Above the verses, Also on Hebrew Explorer lists the rest of the site that matches: archaeology finds, Bible heroes, places, tribes, Torah portions, prayers, Names of God, how-to guides, blog posts and the study tools themselves. Try Erastus inscription or Passover, and tap a row to open it. Tap Show more for the rest of the list.

The Also on Hebrew Explorer list showing the Erastus Inscription above the verses
The Erastus Inscription from the archaeology catalogue, then the verses that name Erastus.

Step 7: Search a Hebrew or Greek word

Type a Hebrew word such as אלהים. Search finds every form of the word, with or without prefixes like the, and or to — over 3,400 verses for Elohim. Vowel points are optional, and modern spellings work too. If the letters could be more than one word, pick the one you mean from the buttons at the top: דבר can be davar (word) or dabar (to speak). Tap Exact spelling only to find just the letters you typed.

Search results for אלהים showing every form of the word, with word buttons and the lexicon entry
Every form of אֱלֹהִים (H430), with the lexicon entry and a button for the exact spelling.

Step 8: Read results in Hebrew, English or both

Above the verses, choose Hebrew (or Greek), English or Interlinear. Interlinear shows the original line with the English under it, and the word you searched is highlighted in both. In English and Interlinear, the in menu picks the translation. Search remembers your choice for next time.

Search results in Interlinear view, with the Hebrew line above the English
Interlinear view: the Hebrew with the English beneath, the searched word lit in both.

Step 9: Follow a Strong's number

Type a Strong's number such as H7225 (Hebrew) or G3056 (Greek). You get every verse where that original word stands, whatever English word the translators chose. This is the heart of word study.

Step 10: Type in Hebrew or Greek

Tap ⌨ Hebrew / Greek keyboard under the box to type Hebrew or Greek letters on screen. You do not need a Hebrew keyboard on your computer or phone.

The on-screen Hebrew and Greek keyboard under the search box
The on-screen keyboard. Tap letters to type Hebrew or Greek.

Step 11: Go back to your reading

Tap a verse to open it in its chapter, or tap ‹ Back to text at the top left to return to the chapter you were reading.

Try it now →

Related tutorials

← All tutorials · Something here does not match what you see? Tell us at support@hebrewexplorer.com.

Open Hebrew Explorer — 30+ free study tools →