NKJV, The Bible Study Bible: A Study Guide for Every Chapter of the Bible

By Sam O'Neal

The NKJV Bible Study Bible provides a study guide for every chapter of the Bible. Use this Bible to encourage discussion in a small group study or for further engagement in your personal devotions to gain a deeper understanding of any chapter in the Bible. Additional materials provide directions for leading a group through studies on specific topics such as the names of God, prayer, salvation, and suffering.

Features include:

• Double-column typesetting with guides set in boxes after each chapter
• Study guides for each of the 1,189 chapters of the Bible
• Suited for both small groups and individual study
• Topical study guides ranging from 4 to 13 weeks on key subjects
• Concordance
• Full-color maps
• Clear and readable 9.5-point NKJV Comfort Print

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jun 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9780785253372

Sam O'Neal

Sam O’Neal is Senior Writer for Write Great Stories, where he serves authors and publishers as they produce great stories and great books that help advance God’s kingdom. He has worked with numerous New York Times bestselling authors and resources in that capacity.

Book preview

New King James Version

The Bible Study Bible

With Study Questions by Sam O’Neal

www.ThomasNelsonBibles.com

The Bible Study Bible

Copyright © 2023 by Thomas Nelson.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version

Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson.

Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

ePub Edition May 2023: 978-0-785-25337-2

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022946622

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The text of the New King James Version® (NKJV®) may be quoted or reprinted without prior written permission with the following qualifications: (1) up to and including 1,000 verses may be quoted in printed form as long as the verses quoted amount to less than 50% of a complete book of the Bible and make up less than 50% of the total work in which they are quoted; (2) all NKJV quotations must conform accurately to the NKJV text.

Any use of the NKJV text must include a proper acknowledgment as follows:

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

However, when quotations from the NKJV text are used in church bulletins, orders of service, Sunday school lessons, church newsletters, and similar works in the course of religious instruction or services at a place of worship or other religious assembly, the following notice may be used at the end of each quotation: NKJV.

For quotation requests not covered by the above guidelines, write to Thomas Nelson, Attention: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

Contents

How to Use This eBible

How to Use The Bible Study Bible

How to Lead a Great Group Discussion

How to Use This Resource for Personal Study

Study Maps for The Bible Study Bible

The Story of the New King James Version

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Old Testament Table of Contents

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New Testament Table of Contents

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Bible Studies Index

Concordance

Full Color Maps

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OLD TESTAMENT

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Genesis

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50

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Exodus

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40

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Leviticus

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27

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Numbers

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36

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Deuteronomy

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34

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Joshua

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

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Judges

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

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Ruth

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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1 Samuel

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31

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2 Samuel

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

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1 Kings

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22

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2 Kings

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25

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1 Chronicles

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29

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2 Chronicles

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36

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Ezra

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

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Nehemiah

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

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Esther

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

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Job

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42

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Psalms

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150

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Proverbs

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31

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Ecclesiastes

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

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Song of Solomon

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

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Isaiah

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66

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Jeremiah

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52

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Lamentations

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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Ezekiel

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48

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Daniel

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

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Hosea

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

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Joel

1 | 2 | 3

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Amos

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

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Obadiah

1

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Jonah

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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Micah

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

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Nahum

1 | 2 | 3

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Habakkuk

1 | 2 | 3

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Zephaniah

1 | 2 | 3

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Haggai

1 | 2

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Zechariah

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

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Malachi

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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NEW TESTAMENT

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Matthew

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28

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Mark

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

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Luke

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

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John

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

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Acts

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28

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Romans

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

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1 Corinthians

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

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2 Corinthians

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

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Galatians

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

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Ephesians

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

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Philippians

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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Colossians

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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1 Thessalonians

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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2 Thessalonians

1 | 2 | 3

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1 Timothy

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

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2 Timothy

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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Titus

1 | 2 | 3

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Philemon

1

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Hebrews

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

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James

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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1 Peter

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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2 Peter

1 | 2 | 3

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1 John

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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2 John

1

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3 John

1

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Jude

1

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Revelation

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22

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How to Use This eBible

What is the difference between an eBook and a print book?

eBook versions of Bibles contain all the content and supplementary materials found in the original print versions and are optimized for navigation in the various apps and devices used for display. eReaders recognize text as one fluid string and are formatted in a single column, which differs from the multi-column layout seen in many print version Bibles. Therefore, some content may not match the exact appearance of the original print version, but instead uses hyperlinks to navigate between related content.

How do I use the eBook Table of Contents?

* Important Note: Be sure to consult your device manufacturer’s User’s Guide for device-specific navigation instructions. *

The Table of Contents is generally formatted in the same order as the original print version and hyperlinked as follows:

• Front matter – Introductory articles

• Bible books and chapters

• Back matter – Supplementary materials

To navigate to specific Bible books, chapters, or verses, please note the following:

• Book links (Ex. Genesis) go directly to the Introduction of each book, or the beginning of that Bible book if there is no introductory text.

• Chapter links go directly to the beginning of the chapter associated with a book.

• Use the device’s Next Page/Previous Page buttons or functions to scroll through the verses in each chapter.

• Every Bible book and chapter hyperlink in the Bible text returns or goes back to the Table of Contents. Or, use the device’s back button or function to go back to the last selection.

How do I navigate supplementary materials?

Articles and Features related to Bible content are accessible through the pointer links that are interspersed throughout the Bible text.

• Select the hyperlinked content title at the end of a paragraph where referenced Bible verse(s) appear to go to its location in the Annotations section at the end of each Bible book.

• Select the hyperlinked title entry to go back to the Bible verse location, or use the device’s back button or function to go back to the last selection.

Indexes are features that supplement the Bible text and are hyperlinked directly to the content-specific location following the main Bible text.

• Select the hyperlinked entry in the Table of Contents to the specific article, list, or index.

• Select the Bible reference or article hyperlink to the corresponding main Bible text or article.

• Use the device’s back button or function to go back to the last selection.

Concordance includes an alphabetic list of important words.

• Select the hyperlinked letter of the alphabet to the corresponding list of entries from the Table of Contents.

• Use the device’s Next Page/Previous Page buttons or functions to scroll through the entries.

• Select the Bible reference hyperlink to the corresponding main Bible text or use the device’s back button or function to go back to the last selection

Color Maps are included as images and optimized for eReader device display.

• Select the hyperlinked entry in the Table of Contents to a specific map.

• Use the device’s back button or function to go back to the last selection.

How to Use The Bible Study Bible

By Sam O’Neal

There’s a vision that has guided—and sometimes driven—me throughout my work on this Bible. It’s a picture I have kept in my mind, or maybe more of a video clip to match our modern world.

When I play that video, I see four or five people gathered together around a table at a coffee shop, but it could just as easily be three or six or fifteen people gathered in someone’s living room. Or in a classroom at church. Or on a beach. The location doesn’t matter; the people do.

In my vision, the people are leaning forward and huddled close. Some of their shoulders are touching, but they don’t notice because they are all engrossed in a conversation. A discussion. Their voices are low but clear. People take turns nodding and gesturing with their hands. Sometimes there is laughter, and other times people are close to tears. If an outsider were to glance over and notice that group at the table, it would be obvious they were talking about something important—something much deeper than the weather or that funny thing that happened at work.

Because it’s my vision, I know those people are talking about the Bible. They are working together to wrestle through a passage of God’s Word—what that passage says, what it means, and how it applies to their lives.

That’s the vision that has compelled me to write more than 1,200 Bible studies, all of which correspond with the 1,189 chapters in Scripture. Specifically, my goal for The Bible Study Bible was to create a resource that would allow any person or any group to enjoy a curated study of any portion of God’s Word at any time. No outside curriculum needed (although I am a fan of curriculum in general). No commentaries required (although I have used several commentaries in developing the studies in this Bible).

You are holding the fulfillment of that vision in your hands. It is my sincere hope and repeated prayer that The Bible Study Bible will bring a new level of depth and freedom to your encounters with the Bible and to your experiences with genuine community.

Obviously, the most important element in this edition of the Bible is the biblical text, the sixty-six books written by forty authors over a period of more than two thousand years and all under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit. God’s Word is a miracle we can hold in our hands, and it’s been a privilege to explore the Scriptures on a deeper level as I have written the study material you’ll find in these pages.

Speaking of those study materials, here is a breakdown of what you will find at the end of each Bible chapter and tips on how to maximize the content.

Study Structure

First, the promise of this resource is that you will find a quality Bible study at the end of each biblical chapter. Some chapters even include multiple studies. Psalm 119, for example—the longest chapter in God’s Word—has been divided into five separate studies.

Each of these studies has been divided into three sections: Start, Grow, and Go.

The Start section is the on-ramp for each Bible study. You’ll find at least one icebreaker question designed to jump-start contemplation and/or conversation. And most studies include an Activity as well. The goal of these activities is to approach the main topic of each biblical chapter from a different perspective, a fresh angle. I have written the activities especially for study participants who are visual or hands-on learners, which means they may not get excited about sitting and listening for extended periods of time.

As you engage with these studies, you’ll probably notice that the Start material is nonspiritual. The icebreaker questions and activities connect with specific themes or images from the Bible chapter being studied, but they don’t ask participants to make any spiritual connections. This is intentional. Many people—especially those who are new to studying God’s Word—don’t feel comfortable diving into a biblical discussion headfirst. The neutral flavor of the Start content is designed to help such people ease their way into engaging with God’s Word.

The Grow section is the meat of each study. It contains between four and eight discussion questions that are handcrafted to help you (and your group members) engage with the text of God’s Word.

This is important. My goal in writing these questions was not to force you to regurgitate God’s Word—as in, What did Jesus say is the greatest commandment? No, my goal was to help you engage. Grapple. Think. Yes, there will be one or two questions in each study that are intended to help you identify what the text says. But most of the questions will be open-ended because most of the questions are designed to generate meaningful contemplation and conversation. If you’re part of a group, these questions will get everyone talking.

In addition to those discussion questions, each Grow section contains one or more additional types of content—worship ideas, prayer suggestions, group activities, additional Scripture passages to explore, and so on.

The Go section represents the end of each study, and its goal is application. The questions and other types of activities included in this final section are intended to help you process what you have learned from God’s Word in an active way—in a way that involves your everyday life, today or this coming week.

Types of Content

Below are the different types of content you will find throughout the studies in The Bible Study Bible. You won’t find all these content types in every study. But you will find a mix of content types in each study. This variety is important because people learn and engage in different ways.

The content includes the following:

• Questions: As mentioned above, the primary goal of the questions in each Bible study is to produce meaningful discussion and conversation. That means most of the questions in each study will be open-ended, without a correct answer. Whether you are leading or participating in a group, these questions will help you engage with the text on a deeper level.

• Activity: Most of the activities in the Start section of each biblical chapter are designed for individual study to help people connect with one of the main biblical themes through a means other than talking. Those means include artistic expression, physical activity, research, engaging the senses, and more. Note that while these activities were crafted for individual study, they can easily be adapted as group activities to open up a Bible study or discussion.

• Groups: Most of the studies contained in this resource include a specific activity designed to be conducted in a group setting. Again, the goal of such activities is to move people beyond the typical group experiences of sitting and talking. So the group activities are focused more on physical movement, artistic expression, games, challenges, object lessons, and more. However, the group activities included in this resource are not random. Each one has a direct connection to the biblical text under discussion.

• Explore: No chapter of the Bible exists in isolation, and there can be great benefit from connecting a passage being studied with key moments from other books of the Bible. That’s the goal of the Explore activities, which can be found in most of the studies throughout this resource. These activities instruct participants to read through a separate passage of Scripture—one that has a direct connection with the themes or concepts being discussed—and then answer a question designed to explore both passages.

• Worship: Worshiping God is a key theme in the Bible. For that reason, many studies in this resource contain suggestions for incorporating worship into the exploration of a specific chapter. These worship suggestions can include responsive readings, verbal declarations, shouts of joy or praise, and so on.

• Pray: Prayer is also a major theme of God’s Word, which is why prayer is a major theme of the studies in this resource. Activities labeled Pray are designed to help groups or individuals respond to the truth of Scripture by talking to God about those truths. They include suggested themes or topics for prayer as well as challenges to pray in specific ways as a form of application.

• Memorize: There is great value in hiding God’s Word in our hearts through the discipline of memorizing Scripture. As part of the Go section in many of the studies, you will find specific verses highlighted as good options for memorization.

Two Things to Remember

As you begin to familiarize yourself with The Bible Study Bible, I hope you will keep two general principles in mind that I think will greatly enhance your experience of creatively engaging the Scriptures for transformation.

The first is this: be willing to try something new. As you’ve seen from the material above, the overall structure of each Bible study in this resource is relatively simple: Start, Grow, and Go. And the concept of pairing discussion questions with helpful learning activities, worship, and prayer is certainly not new.

Still, if you are an experienced participant or leader of Bible studies, you may find some content throughout this Bible that will surprise or confuse you. There will be questions that push you to think about important themes or truths in ways you have not thought about them before. There will be questions that encourage you to be vulnerable. And there will be questions and activities that encourage you to move in directions that might make you feel a little uncomfortable.

That’s OK. We all have comfort zones and preferences, and there’s nothing wrong with feeling uncertainty or discomfort. But I hope you will make an effort to push past those feelings and give the content a try. Don’t allow your comfort zones to become ruts that keep you moving only in a single direction. Be willing to try something new—both for your sake and for any group members studying God’s Word with you.

On a similar note, you may find some of the activities in the Start section strange or silly. Maybe even corny. If so, I understand. Every person has different tastes, learning styles, life experiences, and more. But here’s my repeated request: give it a chance. Especially in a group setting. As I just said, every person is different, which means what you find distasteful may be exactly what one or more of your group members needs in order to connect with the main theme of God’s Word in a given chapter.

Here’s the second request I would make of you as you engage the material in this resource: trust your instincts. The team putting this Bible together has done everything possible to create a helpful resource for you and those with whom you choose to study God’s Word. We’ve tried to phrase questions and write activities in ways that make them applicable to most people in most situations.

Still, there are going to be some that don’t apply to you. When your instincts tell you that a question or activity from one of the studies in this Bible is unhelpful, I encourage you adapt the question or activity or skip it.

For example, if you are leading a singles Bible study, and you come across a study question that references a person’s spouse, please feel free to skip that question. Or rephrase it in a way that makes sense within the context of your study. In a similar way, if you are part of a brand-new group just getting to know one another, please don’t feel pressure to use a learning activity that encourages the confession of sin.

The truth is the team and I cannot plan for every eventuality or circumstance. For this reason, we are trusting you to use this resource as what it is: a tool. I hope very much that each of the 1,200 Bible studies in this Bible is a helpful tool that will allow you to deepen your experiences with God’s Word. But I am also trusting that you will use those tools in ways that are appropriate and that make sense within your specific situation.

How to Lead a Great Group Discussion

By Sam O’Neal

I was driving with my fifteen-year-old son along an isolated mountain pass in Colorado when I became aware of an important truth: I was driving with my fifteen-year-old son. As in, my almost-sixteen-year-old son. We were on a private gravel road on the way to a campground, with no other cars around for miles. The sun was going down, but there was plenty of light.

Here was an opportunity.

What’s wrong? My son’s voice was mildly curious as I pulled over to the side of the road. Maybe even a little concerned given the small drop visible over the edge of the road. We weren’t high in the mountains, but we were still in the mountains.

Nothing’s wrong, I answered. After opening my door and stepping onto the gravel, I gestured toward the steering wheel. This is a good time for some practice.

The interest in my son’s eyes was clear. So was his apprehension. He looked from the driver’s seat to the rocky slope outside his window, then back to me. What about the cliff?

I thought cliff was a strong word, but I just shrugged. Keep it on the road, and we’ll be fine.

Is it easy or difficult to learn how to drive? On the one hand, driving a car is easy. There are two pedals and one wheel. Go. Stop. Turn when necessary. No problem. On the other hand, driving a car requires a new driver to acquire, memorize, and incorporate a huge amount of information about a wide range of possible scenarios. Imagine the first time he has to parallel park, for example. Or the first time he pulls up to a four-way intersection with nobody around to tell him who has the right of way.

There’s a similar dynamic at play when it comes to leading a group discussion. From one perspective, such a task is relatively simple. The leader asks questions, group members respond to those questions, and everyone rinses and repeats for forty-five minutes. There might even be snacks involved.

In reality, successfully leading a group discussion requires a set of important but subtle skills. Most group leaders acquire these skills through experience—through trial, error, and repetition. It’s likely you’ve already developed several of those skills if you’ve served as a group leader in the past. But I want to offer some key principles that can help you get started on the right foot and jump to the next level.

Context Is Key

One of the more valuable ways group leaders can serve group members in a Bible study is to provide context for the Bible passage or passages under discussion. By context, I am talking about basic information that helps group members understand why that passage was written, to whom it was written, and how that passage fits into the overall message of the Bible book in which it is contained. This information can be easily identified prior to a gathering and quickly explained at the beginning of a discussion.

For example, here’s what I might say to provide context for a group Bible study on James 3:

This is our third week studying the Book of James. As you probably remember, James was a key leader in the early church, and he wrote this letter during a season in which the church was experiencing persecution, both from Rome and from the Jewish religious leaders in different communities. James 1 includes a lot of practical instructions for dealing with trials and serving God by what we do. James 2 warns against the dangers of favoritism in the church and also describes the connection between faith and good works. This third chapter will focus mainly on the destructive power of the tongue.

Again, setting the context doesn’t have to be a long lecture—in fact, it shouldn’t be a long lecture, and it shouldn’t include a large amount of information. It’s better to be brief. If group members have questions about the context of a passage, they can ask those questions during the discussion.

Silence Is Your Friend

The majority of small group leaders I have encountered are uncomfortable with silence in their groups. They don’t like it. They find it awkward and off-putting.

That’s a natural reaction. We live in a noisy world, after all. Between televisions, cell phones, podcasts, videos, and songs, something is always pumping sound in our direction—which means a moment of silence during a discussion time can be viewed as a problem.

Even more, group leaders often feel like they’ve made a mistake when they ask a question and receive only an extended period of silence in return. They think the question must have been bad or at least presented in a bad way. As a result, they often develop a habit of responding to silence by answering the question themselves or moving on to something else.

Unfortunately, this habit is the enemy of meaningful group discussion.

Here’s the truth—silence during a group discussion is almost always a good thing, especially silence that occurs in response to a question. Why? Because that silence means your group members are thinking. It means they are processing the question that was asked, comparing it to their understanding of the Scripture passage, integrating it with their own experiences, and deciding whether the result is something they want to share with the rest of the group.

All of that takes time.

In fact, it’s common for people to spend thirty to sixty seconds processing a complicated question and deciding on a response. That may seem like an eternity to you as a group leader. (Go ahead and have a minute of silence right now to find out.) But that time is precious for allowing participants to say something meaningful and personal rather than simply respond to the answers that have already been given.

So get comfortable with silence in your gatherings. Recognize that silence is your friend, and allow it to do its work each time you ask a thought-provoking question.

Lead from the Back

One of the main ways group leaders inadvertently suppress discussion in their groups is by leading those discussions from the front. By that I mean they take an overactive role in managing or guiding the conversation within the group. Sometimes taking such a role is intentional, and sometimes it’s not. But in my experience, it usually leads to a stilted discussion overall.

One way group leaders lead from the front is by being first to answer most discussion questions, as I mentioned above. This habit is especially bad for group discussion because when the group leader speaks, the rest of the participants assume he or she has given the correct answer, and now there’s not much more to talk about. When other people do speak up, they generally comment on what the group leader said rather than offer thoughts based on their own experiences and ideas.

Another way group leaders lead from the front is by offering a comment or response each time a group member shares something. Here’s what that might look like within a discussion:

Group Leader asks a discussion question.

Group Member A shares her thoughts.

Group Leader responds to those thoughts.

Group Member B shares his thoughts.

Group Leader responds.

Group Member C asks a question.

Group Leader answers the question.

Group Leader asks a new discussion question.

Do you see the problem in that scenario? The group leader has become a choke point because the entire discussion must run through him or her. Discussion and conversation can’t flow freely, and they are usually prevented from reaching any kind of spiritual or relational depth because the group leader is speaking half the time.

A healthier discussion would look like this:

Group Leader asks a discussion question.

Group Member A shares her thoughts.

Group Member B shares his thoughts.

Group Member C asks a question.

Group Member B offers an answer.

Group Member D agrees but adds a thought.

Group Leader redirects the conversation back to the original discussion question.

Group Member E shares a story that illustrates her thoughts.

This is a healthier exchange not just because more people are involved but because it represents an actual group discussion—people within a group having a conversation together and sharing organically with one another, instead of the group constantly responding to or interacting with what the group leader says.

So one of the main ways you as a leader can create healthy discussions in your group is by leading from the back—by refusing to control the discussion. Yes, there are times when you need to guide or redirect a discussion that is moving off track. And yes, you certainly should feel free to offer your own opinions or insights as a member of the group; leading from the back doesn’t mean being silent. But it’s critical that you consciously allow the group to engage in discussion organically, as a conversation, rather than seek to manage or reply to every new moment in that discussion.

How can you tell if you are leading from the front within your group? One telltale sign is if group members instinctively look at you after somebody shares or after someone asks a question. If the eyes of your group members are constantly pointing in your direction, that might reveal that you are leading from the front.

In that scenario, it can be helpful to simply remind your group members to talk with one another rather than looking to you: I see a lot of eyes in my direction, but remember I am just part of the group. We are all talking with one another.

Let the Holy Spirit Do His Work

One of the reasons why group leaders often begin leading from the front is because they want to see their group members experience spiritual growth and transformation. They want to see people change. Those are noble goals, of course, but we as leaders need to remember that God is the Source of transformation among people—not you and me.

There is an idea common in the church today that people will grow spiritually when they believe or understand the correct things doctrinally. Knowledge creates transformation. As a result, many group leaders feel almost a desperate desire for their group members to give the right answers to questions or say the right things in a discussion as a sign that they are growing.

The truth is that knowledge alone does not create transformation—just ask the Pharisees and teachers of the law from Jesus’ day. Yes, biblical doctrine is important and helpful in our spiritual lives. Yes, one of the benefits of gathering in groups is helping everyone understand the truths of our faith and work out the implications of those truths together.

But God alone changes people. God alone, through His Spirit, causes people to grow spiritually. Therefore, one of the ways we can help our group members as leaders is by stepping back and allowing the Spirit to do His work in and through our groups.

What does that look like? Well, here’s an illustration. If I were to ask you to fall asleep right now, could you do it? Just close your eyes and go unconscious? For most of us, the answer is no. We can’t force ourselves to sleep. What we can do, however, is create the right environment for sleep to occur. We can turn off the lights, for example. We can put on pajamas and hop in a comfortable bed. We can turn on white noise or rainforest sounds or whatever else helps us relax to the point where sleep becomes not just possible but imminent.

In the same way, you cannot force your group members to understand truths or to grow spiritually during your group gatherings. But you can create the right environment for your group members to encounter the Holy Spirit and respond to His work. You can do that by gathering people together in a community where they are comfortable being vulnerable and talking about deeper issues. You can do that by helping people not just listen to the Bible but engage with what it says by wrestling with the deeper themes of God’s Word. And you can do that by eliminating the distractions and smoothing out the misunderstandings that often sidetrack us in group settings.

Really, that is your goal as you lead discussions in your group. Gather people together in a genuine community. Point them to God’s Word, and give them opportunities to grapple with what it says. Then step back and allow the Holy Spirit to accomplish what only He can accomplish.

For more helpful material on leading groups of all kinds, check out The Field Guide for Small Group Leaders by Sam O’Neal.

How to Use This Resource for Personal Study

By Sam O’Neal

One of the more humorous quirks of the English language is the way it allows words to function both as nouns and verbs. That’s why you can drink a drink, bank at a bank, and produce some produce.

There’s a similar fluidity at play when it comes to the term Bible study. That phrase, along with the phenomenon it represents, is both personal and public. Individual and corporate. When you purchase a Bible study, you could be acquiring a resource for your morning devotional or for your evening small group.

In putting together the different pieces of The Bible Study Bible, we have intentionally sought to respect this dual nature of what it means and what it looks like to study God’s Word. This includes the questions we have written, the structure of each study, and the phrasing and approach of the different activities included throughout this resource. Our goal has been to produce something that will equip group leaders for their groups but can also supplement individuals’ private explorations of God’s Word.

That being the case, it will be helpful to keep a couple things in mind as you use The Bible Study Bible as a supplement to your personal study of Scripture.

First, it’s important to mention that the majority of the study content is already applicable to an individual’s personal encounters with God’s Word. Meaning, the majority of the content in each of the 1,200 Bible studies offered here is already designed to help you engage with and explore God’s Word as an individual.

And yes, that includes the questions. I know we typically think of discussion questions as tools for group experiences, and there are good reasons for that association. But it’s also true that good questions will help you contemplate Scripture in new and meaningful ways.

Remember, it’s easy to drift into the rut of studying the Bible as a source of information. As we read God’s Word, we can become hyperfocused on what it means—on what specific information it conveys. We supplement that informational focus by checking study notes or looking through commentaries, both of which are helpful tools. Yet the focus is still on information.

In the context of a personal study, questions can help us move our primary focus away from information—at least for a time—and toward transformation. Questions help us engage the text by exploring not just what it means but what it means for me. For my family. For my community. In a similar way, questions help us grapple with the foundational elements at the heart of God’s Word. They help us identify what God values, what priorities He wants us to establish, and what principles have been laid out in the pages of Scripture.

The Bible Study Bible contains several additional types of content that are invaluable for personal study. The activities present in the Go section of each study, for example, are specifically written for individuals. They are designed to help you apply the main themes explored in a specific chapter and to do so in a way that engages different learning styles and preferences. The Bible studies in this resource also offer suggestions for worship, prayer, application, and memorization that are ideal for personal spiritual growth.

The second thing to remember as you use The Bible Study Bible as a supplement for your personal study of God’s Word is that the material is easily adaptable. Meaning, you can choose how to handle material from this resource that is not geared as much to personal study.

This is important to note because there are questions and activities in this Bible written for group experiences. Most of those are identified by the label Groups. Yet even those activities can be adapted to provide value for your individual study of Scripture. Some of the activities may be fun to try yourself, or they may contain questions that can spark your thinking.

In the end, there may be some material in a particular study that is simply not useful for you as an individual explorer of the text. In that scenario, you have the option to simply ignore that content.

The questions, activities, and other material contained in the 1,200 studies throughout this Bible have been designed to help anyone—in a group or on their own—interact with God’s Word in a deeper way. We hope this resource supplements your regular and diligent study of Scripture.

Study Maps for The Bible Study Bible

Attributes of God

Eternal—Exodus 3:11–22

Good—Psalm 34:1–10

Omnipresent—Psalm 139:1–12

Merciful—Psalm 145:1–9

Righteous—Jeremiah 9:23–24

Sovereign—Jeremiah 18:1–11

Omnipotent—Jeremiah 32:16–23

Justice—Isaiah 61:1–11

Gracious—Romans 5:12–21

Omniscient—Romans 11:33–36

Holy—1 Peter 1:13–21

Love—1 John 4:7–16

Discipleship

Numbers 27:12–23

1 Kings 19:11–21

Matthew 10:1–42

Matthew 28:16–20

Luke 9:57–62

2 Timothy 2:1–26

Evangelism

Isaiah 6:1–13

Ezekiel 2:1–10

Matthew 28:16–20

John 4:1–38

Acts 8:26–40

1 Corinthians 9:19–27

Marriage

Genesis 2:1–25

Genesis 29:1–30

Proverbs 31:10–31

1 Corinthians 7:1–16

Ephesians 5:25–33

1 Peter 3:1–5

Money

Genesis 14:18–24

Deuteronomy 14:22–29

Ecclesiastes 5:8–20

Malachi 3:8–12

Matthew 6:19–34

Acts 5:1–11

1 Timothy 6:1–10

Hebrews 13:1–6

Names of God

Elohim—Genesis 1:1–31

El Elyon—Genesis 14:18–24

Adonai—Genesis 15:1–21

El Shaddai—Genesis 17:1–27

El Olam—Genesis 21:22–34

Jehovah Jireh—Genesis 22:1–14

Yahweh—Exodus 3:11–22

Jehovah Rapha—Exodus 15:22–27

Jehovah Nissi—Exodus 17:8–15

Jehovah Raah—Psalm 23:1–6

Jehovah Tsidkenu—Jeremiah 23:1–8

Jehovah Shammah—Ezekiel 48:30–35

Jesus—Matthew 1:18–25

Salvation

John 3:1–21

Acts 16:16–34

Romans 10:1–13

Ephesians 2:1–10

Satan

Genesis 3:1–24

Job 1:1—2:10

Zechariah 3:1–10

Matthew 4:1–11

2 Corinthians 11:5–15

Revelation 20:1–15

Spiritual Gifts

Romans 12:1–8

1 Corinthians 12:1–11

Ephesians 4:7–16

1 Peter 4:1–11

Prayer

Numbers 11:1–30

1 Samuel 1:1–28

2 Kings 19:8–36

Jeremiah 33:1–18

Matthew 6:5–15

Mark 11:12–26

Philippians 4:1–9

James 5:13–20

Suffering

Exodus 2:23—3:10

Job 9:1–35

John 16:16–33

Romans 5:1–11

Romans 8:18–39

James 1:1–18

The End of the World

Daniel 9:20–27

Joel 2:1–32

Zechariah 14:1–21

Matthew 24:1–51

2 Peter 3:1–18

Revelation 19:11—21:27

The Holy Spirit

Numbers 11:16–30

Judges 14:1–20

1 Samuel 16:1–13

Ezekiel 36:16–38

Matthew 3:1–17

John 14:12–31

John 16:1–15

Acts 2:1–38

Romans 8:18–30

Galatians 5:16–26

The I AM Statements of Christ

John 6:22–71

John 8:1–12

John 10:1–39

John 11:1–44

John 14:1–11

John 15:1–8

The Person of Christ

Luke 1:26–56

Luke 2:1–52

John 1:1–18

John 4:1–26

John 10:22–39

Romans 5:1–21

Hebrews 1:1–14

Hebrews 7:1–28

Hebrews 10:1–25

Revelation 19:11–21

The Story of the New King James Version®

In the latter part of the nineteenth century, F. H. A. Scrivener observed that the King James Bible, so laborious, so generally accurate, so close, so abhorrent of paraphrase, so grave and weighty in word and rhythm, so intimately bound up with the religious convictions of the English people, will never yield its hard-earned supremacy, save to some reverential and well-considered revision of which it has been adapted as the basis, that shall be happy enough to retain its characteristic excellence, while amending its venial [trifling] errors and supplying its unavoidable defects.¹

In 1975, Thomas Nelson Publishers—successor to the British firm that had first published the English Revised Version in 1885, the American Standard Version in 1901, and the Revised Standard Version in 1952—determined to evaluate interest in a possible new revision of the King James Version. Because any revision of the Scriptures must meet the needs of public worship, Christian education, and personal reading and study, leading clergy and lay Christians were invited to meetings in Chicago, Illinois, and Nashville, Tennessee, in 1975 and London, England, in 1976 to discuss the need for revision. Almost one hundred church leaders from a broad spectrum of Christian churches strongly supported the commencement of a new revision.

Work began immediately. Biblical scholars representing a cross section of evangelical Christendom were selected to work on this major project. They came from England, Scotland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and the United States so that the New King James Version would reflect internationally accepted English usage.

Each translator worked privately and independently recommended changes in the King James text. Translators of the Old Testament used the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, while the Scrivener Greek Text was the basis of the New Testament. The 1769 revision of the King James Version, the edition in general use today, was the English-language text that guided the new revision process. The translator’s work was then submitted to the executive editor for the Old or New Testament. Word studies of the English, Greek, and Hebrew and an elaborate concordance were prepared especially for this revision by the executive editors and their associates. Using the original texts, the King James Bible, and carefully established guidelines, the executive editor for the Old or New Testament reviewed each scholar’s work. Where necessary, they made recommendations for further changes or, in some cases, for restoration of the King James reading.

Each book was then submitted to the English editor to be checked for grammatical accuracy, literary beauty, and effective communication of the content.

Throughout the entire editorial process, the work was regularly reviewed by the clergy and lay advisors who served on the British and North American overview committees.

The final exhaustive review process was carried out by a separate executive review committee for each Testament over a four-year period. All proposed changes by translators, editors, and reviewers were considered during this time, including final alterations proposed by committee members. The review process was completed in July 1981 at St. Andrews University in northeast Scotland, not far from Stirling Castle, King James’s historic residence. During part of this time, the North American committee was joined in its activity by the distinguished members of the British overview committee.

The New King James Version was thus prepared with profound reverence for the Word of God and with a deep appreciation of the wise traditions established by the translators of 1611. It was the prayer of the revisers that the work over which they labored may indeed be, as Dr. Scrivener said years before, a reverential and well-considered revision . . . retaining the characteristic excellencies of the King James Bible.

¹ F. H. A. Scrivener, The Authorized Edition of the English Bible (1611): Its Subsequent Reprints and Modern Representatives (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1884), 135–136.

Old Testament

The First Book of Moses Called

Genesis

Author: Nowhere in the Book of Genesis is the author named. Although the events of the book end three hundred years before Moses was born, the rest of the Bible and most church historians attribute the authorship of Genesis to Moses. Both the Old and New Testaments have many references to Moses as its author (see Ex. 7:14; Lev. 1:1–2; Num. 33:2; Deut. 1:1; Dan. 9:11–13; Mal. 4:4; Matt. 8:4; Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29; John 7:19; Acts 26:22; Rom. 10:19). Both early Jewish and Christian writers named Moses as the author.

Theme: After the initial story of the world’s creation, Genesis (beginnings) covers two basic subjects: God and humanity. God creates humanity. Humanity disobeys God and alienates itself from God. Genesis is the story, then, of the subsequent interactions between God and humanity that bring them back together into a right relationship. As such, the book points to the beginnings of restoration and of a new way of life. Genesis sets the tone for the rest of the Bible with clear teachings on following God’s call, believing in His promises, and being obedient to His commands. The main characters who dominate the story are the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

Time: c. 4000–1804 BC

Key Verse(s): Genesis 3:15

As You Study Genesis: Pay special attention to the ways God revealed Himself to humanity at the beginning of history and through the earliest pages of His Word. That revelation began with creation and with God’s intimate relationship with Adam and Eve. It continued in Genesis 12:1–3, where God promised Abram (later Abraham) a land, a people, and a blessing that would extend to all the families of the earth—a promise that was ultimately fulfilled through Christ. God revealed His values and priorities by establishing a series of covenants with Abraham and his descendants. And God revealed His care through a series of personal interactions with Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and more.

Genesis 1

The History of Creation

¹In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

²The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

⁴And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

⁵God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

⁶Then God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

⁷Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

⁸And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

⁹Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

¹⁰And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

¹¹Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.

¹²And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

¹³So the evening and the morning were the third day.

¹⁴Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;

¹⁵and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth; and it was so.

¹⁶Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.

¹⁷God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,

¹⁸and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

¹⁹So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

²⁰Then God said, Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.

²¹So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

²²And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.

²³So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

²⁴Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle