Verse Mapping is a Bible study method that examines the context, cross-references, translations, and word meaning of a particular verse in God’s Word.

In my previous posts on Verse Mapping, you learned Step One: Context–discovering the context of your chosen verse. Step Two: Other Translations–looking up your verse in different versions and translations of the Bible. Step Three: Cross-References–finding other Scriptures that relate to your verse. And Step Four: Word Meanings–looking up definitions of keywords in your verse.

Step Five: Paraphrase

You’ve taken the verse apart and examined all the pieces. Now it’s time to put the verse back together using your new knowledge. In Step Five you will write the verse out in your own words. You might expand the verse using the definitions of the words you found in Step Four. You might use wording from other translations from Step Two. You might incorporate the knowledge you found by looking at cross-references in Step Three.

As always, begin with prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through this process. Then ask yourself questions like:

• How does the context of the verse influence the meaning of the verse?
• What words or phrases from other translations helped me understand it better?
• What did I learn from the cross-references?
• What definitions of keywords opened my eyes to deeper meanings?
• What does this verse really mean?
• What is the key lesson for my life?

Write Your Paraphrase

Finally, write your own paraphrase of the verse in your Verse Map template:

As a result of my study, my paraphrase of John 15:5 is:

Jesus is the Vine, I am just a sprout, a branch. He imparts strength and life to me. He holds me to Him, keeps me close. If I continue to be present and don’t try to depart, I will produce fruit like love, joy, and peace. This producing is an automatic effect of staying connected to the Vine and not a result of any hard work on my part because if I am separated or aloof from Christ nothing will happen.

I love digging into Scripture. As I spend time in the Word, the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart. He helps me understand the mysteries of the Bible. I learn about God’s love and grace. In John 15:5 I learned that apart from Jesus, I can’t accomplish a thing and that even abiding in Christ is something that I can’t do on my own. Jesus holds me to Him.

I hope that this process of Verse Mapping will also help you to search for treasure in the Bible. I pray that through this process, the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to more of God’s love for you and His purpose for your life!

Next step: Take all that you learned from Steps 1-4 of Verse Mapping and write your chosen verse in your own words. This step will help you process the meaning of the Word. Download a copy of the Verse Map template here.

Verse Mapping is a Bible study method that examines the context, cross-references, translations, and word meaning of a particular verse in God’s Word.

In my previous posts on Verse Mapping, you learned Step One: Context–discovering the context of your chosen verse. Step Two: Other Translations–looking up your verse in different versions and translations of the Bible. And Step Three: Cross-References–finding other Scriptures that relate to your verse.

Step Four: Word Meanings

The next step is to delve into the meanings of some of the keywords in your verse. Start by highlighting some of the words in your verse that you would like to explore a little more.

Look up these words in an English dictionary to gain more understanding. For instance, when I look up “branch” at Dictionary.com, I discover that it can mean a division or subdivision of the stem of a tree, shrub, or other plant. Or it can mean a member of a body or system. Christ tells us that we are members of His body, so this second meaning makes sense.

Next, you may want to look up the words in their original language. You probably know that the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek but may think, “I’m not a Bible scholar. I don’t know those languages. There’s no way I can look up the words in Hebrew or Greek.”

I have not had any classes in Hebrew or Greek either, but I love to explore the meanings of Bible words in the original languages using word study tools–books or online.

The books I most often use are Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. To use these tools, you first look up your verse in the King James Version and find the word that it uses. Look up that word in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Find your verse reference and on the right-hand side you will see a number. That number is the Strong’s number for the Hebrew or Greek word. You then look up your word in Vine’s Dictionary and find the definition with that number.

Using Blue Letter Bible

Thankfully, online tools make the process so much easier! The tool I most often use to find the meanings of Greek or Hebrew words is Blue Letter Bible. Here the first step is to type your Bible reference in the search bar. The whole chapter will appear. Click on the “Tools” button next to your verse and an expanded view of the verse will appear (note the green arrow pointing out the “Tools” button).

For each word or phrase, you will see the Strong’s number and the Greek or Hebrew word corresponding to the English word. Click on the Strong’s number and a page about the Greek or Hebrew word will appear. Here is the page for the English word “abide” which is the Greek word meno (Strong’s number 3306).

Scroll down and you will find an extended definition of Bible usage of the word.

Scroll down even further and you will find a list of other Scriptures where the same word is used. And just like looking up cross-references can help you understand the verse (Step 3), seeing how the word is used in other places in the Bible can help you understand the word.

From the tools on Blue Letter Bible, I discovered that to abide means to remain and not depart. It means to continue to be present. When I am abiding in Christ, I am remaining close to Him. I am being present with Him. I especially loved the meaning, “to be held, kept, continually.” Abiding is something I don’t have to do on my own–Jesus constantly holds me to Him.

Follow this process for the words you highlighted in the verse. Write down the meanings on page 2 of the Verse Map Template.

Taking the time to look some of the keywords in your verse can help you dig deep into the meaning. Sometimes looking at the original languages will give new insight that you have never thought of before. Most importantly, the Holy Spirit continues to teach us as we spend time thinking about the Word.

Next step: Highlight keywords in your chosen verse. Look up these words in an English dictionary and in a tool that helps you discover the meaning of the word in the original language of Hebrew or Greek. Write your findings in a journal or your Verse Map template. You can download one here.

Verse Mapping is a Bible study method that examines the context, cross-references, translations, and word meaning of a particular verse in God’s Word.

In my previous posts on Verse Mapping, you learned Step One: Context–discovering the context of your chosen verse and Step Two: Other Translations–looking up your verse in different versions and translations of the Bible.

Step Three: Cross-References

Now you’re ready for the third step in the Verse Mapping process–finding cross-references. A cross-reference is a verse that relates to your verse. It may use similar words or be on the same topic. The cross-references shed additional light on the topic as other authors teach on it.

Martin Luther wrote that “Scripture is its own expositor.” When we have questions about a verse, the best place to go for answers is the Bible. Other passages in the Bible can explain places that are difficult for us to understand. The more we read the clearer Scripture will become. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word and illumines our comprehension.

One way to find cross-references is to use a study Bible. Often a study Bible will list the cross-references in the middle of the page between the two columns. To find a cross-reference, look for your verse number. The letters indicate cross-references for different parts of the verse, different concepts.

Using Bible Gateway for Cross-References

Or you can use online Bibles for finding cross-references. On Bible Gateway, once you have found your chosen verse, you click on the gear symbol for “Settings,” and then on “Cross-references.” You will have to make sure that the version you are looking at has cross-references. For instance, the English Standard Version, the New American Standard Version, the New International Version have cross-references available. The New Living Translation and the Amplified Bible do not.

In the screenshot below, note the gear symbol (green arrow). Once you click the gear, the drop-down menu is visible. You can see that the cross-reference box is checked.

To find the cross-references, I look at my verse–John 15:5–and look for the letters in parenthesis. I can click on one of the letters and a little box with the cross-references will appear:

Or I can remember the letters in my verse–in this case, J and K–and then scroll down where all the cross-references are listed. You can click on the references and the verses will be displayed.

Some verses will have many cross-references. Others only a few. Write your chosen cross-references into your Verse Map Template.

From the cross-references for John 15:5, I notice that abiding in Christ is possible because we are united with Christ through His death and His resurrection. John 15:16 tells me that Jesus chose me so that I could bear fruit–lasting fruit. This is amazing to me! First of all, I’m astounded at being chosen and second, that part of my calling is to produce something lasting for God’s kingdom.

Through His Word, God continually teaches me more about being His child. Verse Mapping helps me see things that I might not otherwise notice.

Next Step: If you haven’t done so already, give Verse Mapping a try. Download a Verse Mapping template here. Look up cross-references for your chosen verse.

Verse Mapping is a Bible study method that examines the context, cross-references, translations, and word meaning of a particular verse in God’s Word.

In my previous post, we discussed choosing a verse to study, assembling supplies, and Step One of examining the context of the verse.

Verse Mapping Step Two: Other Translations

Now you’re ready for step two–looking at your chosen verse in other translations or versions of the Bible. This simple step can shed new light on the verse because a different version may translate the original Hebrew or Greek words with different English words that allow you to look at the verse in a new way. You gain new insight, a fresh perspective.

You can do this step with additional Bibles you own. Bible nerd that I am, I own English Standard Version (ESV), New International Version NIV), New Living Translation (NLT), Amplified Bible (AMP), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and The Living Bible (TLB).

You can also look up your verse in different translations with a parallel Bible which contains several versions side by side.

But the easiest way to do this is to use an online Bible site. My favorite site for this is Bible Gateway.com. Here is a screenshot of John 15:5 in ESV, NIV, NLT, and AMP.

My go-to version is English Standard Version because it is one that stays very close to the original languages. NIV is a little more readable. New Living Translation often makes verses easier to understand. And I love the Amplified Bible because it expands certain words, giving additional meaning derived from the original languages.

With my chosen verse of John 15:5, I started out with ESV. But from the other versions, I can see that abide can mean remain. Abiding in Christ is remaining connected to Him. Perhaps remaining is more passive than abiding, reminding me that Christ is holding me. My role is simply not to wriggle away. From NLT I can see that bearing fruit is the same as producing fruit. And the Amplified Bible gives a little more meaning to “apart from Me”–“cut off from vital union with Me.” All of this helps me understand the verse a little better.

Using Bible Gateway

To look up your verse in multiple versions, go to BibleGateway.com and enter your verse in the search bar.

Then click on the “Add parallel” icon (note green arrow below):

You can look at up to five versions at a time. To change the version, click on the little gray arrow next to one of the versions and a menu of over 100 versions will pop up (note yellow arrow in picture below.) Click on the version you want to look at.

Now write your favorite versions into your verse map. I chose the Amplified Version and also The Message because they both added new insights. The Message is a paraphrase of the Bible, not a direct translation. Sometimes I think it is way off from the true meaning of the verse, but for John 15:5 I thought it did a good job of catching the meaning and expressing it in a new way.

These versions remind me that apart from Christ, I can do nothing. But joined with Him, I can have an abundant fruit. Even in this process of Verse Mapping, rely on the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you. We cannot do it on our own. But, God loves to reveal Himself in His Word.

Next step: Look up your chosen verse in different translations or versions of the Bible. Choose your favorites and write them in your Verse Map. You can download my Verse Map template here.

You love Scripture. You read it. You listen to it. You meditate on it.

Through it the voice of God speaks to your heart.

But sometimes you wish you could get more out of it.

Enter Verse Mapping.

What exactly is Verse Mapping?

Verse Mapping is a Bible study method that examines the context, cross-references, translations, and word meaning of a particular verse in God’s Word.

In Verse Mapping, you look at the individual parts of a Bible verse and then put it back together with the new understanding you have gained. It incorporates all the things I usually do to dig into God’s Word in a systematic way. Through this method, you will grasp the meaning of the verse in a new way that will help you apply it to your life.

Getting Started

To start the Verse Mapping process, you will need to:

A. Grab your supplies for your Bible journey.

• Bible: a study Bible with notes and cross-references is helpful
• Concordance: like Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
• Hebrew and Greek dictionaries: I recommend Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
• A journal or place to record your findings: you can also download my Verse Mapping Template below.
• Markers or pens: a highlighter will be helpful. Different color pens or pencils can make your verse map more meaningful.
• Time: this in-depth Bible study method will require about thirty minutes to complete all five steps.

Don’t worry if you don’t have all these tools. With each step, I will show you how to use online Bible tools.

B. Select a verse to diagram

• Begin with prayer: ask God to lead you to the verse you need right now.
• Consider a verse from your daily Bible reading plan.
• Or pick a favorite verse that you have questions about or want to understand better.
• Copy your verse from your favorite translation of the Bible to the top of your verse map.

To illustrate the process, I will be mapping John 15:5 on my Verse Mapping template:

Verse Mapping Step 1: Context

Now you’re ready for Step 1 of Verse Mapping–discovering the context of the verse. Look in your Bible and find out what was happening before and after the verse. If the verse is part of a story or narrative give a summary. Note who said or wrote the words in your chosen verse.

Context is very important to understanding the big picture. It will help you avoid making applications of the verse that were never meant by the original author.

Now grab your supplies and start your own verse map. Whenever we open God’s Word, the Holy Spirit speaks to us and teaches us the mind of Christ. Verse Mapping can help us pay attention to His voice.

Download a copy of the Verse Mapping template here.

Next week we will explore Step 2.

Next step: Ask God to help you choose the verse that He wants you to study–the verse you need for spiritual growth. Ask Him to guide you through this in-depth study process.