The concordance was one of the most under-used reference tools I owned. I was given my first concordance, a Young’s, as a wedding gift by one of the elders in my assembly. For years I used it to simply find verses and in a Young’s concordance that is not an easy task. Then one day I wanted to do a study of the word fellowship. Suddenly the concordance became a new and valuable tool, one I have used constantly since.
Let’s look at what we can find out about fellowship from the concordance. First, we can look up all the verses that contain the word. Here the concordance becomes a “topical”help. But in Strong’s or Young’s, the help goes even further. You will discover that there are two Hebrew and four Greek words translated fellowship. This is where the digging starts. In Strong’s concordance, there is a Greek and Hebrew dictionary which will give you a definition of the Greek or Hebrew words. This will increase your understanding of the English word, as you understand its meaning in the original language. A word of warning is in order. Because a word can mean many things, it doesn’t follow that it does mean all of those things in a particular context. Only a part of the definition will apply to your verse.
But now you need to go further. In the Greek and Hebrew dictionaries, other English words are given that are used to translate that particular word. For instance, you will discover at least eight different English words other than fellowship by which the Greek words have been translated. By looking up those English words, you will find the broad meaning that can be conveyed by the word fellowship. This will give you a solid, Biblical understanding of the family of words you are studying. You have done this without having to know the original languages and without any other books but a Strong’s or Young’s concordance.
Now a word on why I prefer Strong’s over Young’s. Both will do many of the same things for you. However, Strong’s is easier to use if you just want to find a text, because of the way it is laid out. Secondly, Strong’s has a better dictionary and shows the compound Greek words as well as root words which can be of help in understanding the meaning. The key word of comparison of six English translations, which is only in Strong’s, can be of value in showing how the experts translated various words. An additional help is an indication of distinctions between the text of the Authorized and the Revised versions of the Bible. On top of this, the Strong’s numbering system, which is the key between the main text of the concordance and the dictionary, has been used as the key in various lexicons and study helps. So by having the Strong’s concordance, you will find the doorway open to many other helps that have been closed to a strictly English reader.
In summation, here are six areas you can explore with your Strong’s concordance:
1. The Greek or Hebrew word which lies behind a particular English word;
2. Greek and Hebrew synonyms (different words which render the same English word);
3. English synonyms (different English words from the same Greek or Hebrew word). These are the words after the dash in the definition;
4. The root and derivations of a particular Greek or Hebrew word;
5. An exhaustive list of all references using that English word; and
6. A comparison of other translations of the text or word being studied.
I do believe that the very first tool that should be purchased by the new believer is the Strong’s concordance, not because it will all be understood and used right away, but because, as the believer grows in his spiritual life, he will never outgrow his need for this valuable tool.