If you have not yet installed the programme, you can install it by clicking here .



TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. The menu

In the menu, you can adjust various settings. You will also find a help function here.

The help function of the Online Bible for Mac is not very extensive, but the programme is very intuitive, so its use is mostly self-explanatory.

Below we will guide you step by step through the features of the Online Bible.


Under Online Bible -> Settings you will find, among other things, Content Updates, the Store and you can set the default lexicons for Greek and Hebrew. You can also customise the Font. However, the latter is a Premium feature:

Customise font:

Under Window, you will find various options for displaying the Online Bible windows:

The other menu options are discussed later.

B. Overview of the windows

Left window

Red: here you select Bible translations, commentaries, lexicons, dictionaries and books.

To make this window clearer, you can collapse or unfold the individual categories.

Below you can see the titles in the Bible category when it is unfolded:

Note: These titles are obviously different and depending on which ones are installed.

If you hover over Bible (at the top), a ∨ sign will appear:

This collapses the Bible category by clicking on it.


If you now hover the mouse pointer over the category Bible, this character > appears:

Middle window

This consists of an upper (green) and lower (yellow) section. The upper section displays the Bible text. The lower section displays the chosen commentary, dictionary or book.

Upper section

Depending on the chosen Bible translation, 2 characters may be displayed in the top right of the window:

S# and/or ❊

The S# character allows you to enable or disable Strongcoding.

The ❊ character allows you to enable or disable footnotes (if present).

Lower section

At the top right of the screen, you may encounter this character (for example, if you have a comment open):

This lets you choose whether a comment runs along with the Bible verse in the top window.

Right window

Blue: this has three functions:

  • display selected Hebrew or Greek lexicon
  • display of search results
  • display of bookmarks

To do so, use these symbols above the right-hand window:


Lexicon / close or open window:

Bookmarks / close or open window:

Search / close or open window:

About search the following. If you choose search, you can use the + sign (at the top of the screen) to select additional search options:


See further under Searching the Bible.

C. Overview of functions

Reading a Bible text

You select a Bible translation in the left-hand window. At the top of the main window (the middle window), the name of the translation is displayed. You can open a desired verse by clicking in the white line of the Bible translation:

this window will open:

You can also choose from the menu: Open -> Open Bible (or the key combination ⌘ B):

You can open a Bible text and Translation here. You can also choose whether to open the Bible text in a New window or in the Main window:

If you open a Bible text in a new window, it will remain open until you close it.

In addition: If you open a Bible text in a new window, you can make it run along with the text in the main window.

By clicking on the two squares in the top right, one of them turns blue and the text is synchronised with the main window...:

Comparing translations

You can open multiple windows and also synchronise them to compare different translations. See article Comparing translations.

Footnotes and/or annotations

Some Bible translations contain footnotes. For example, the Authorised Version and the Amplified Bible. Sometimes footnotes are used for alternative translations.

These can also be called up in the Online Bible. They are then in this kind of {hooks}.

To open them, click on the symbol in the Bible text window at the top right:

The colour changes to blue:

Searching in the Online Bible

A nice feature of the Online Bible is also that you can search for words or phrases in all content. See Right window. For more information on searching: Searching in the Bible.

Opening a commentary

The same as described under ‘Reading a Bible text’ also applies to commentaries. Use the key combination ⌘ N, or choose Open Commentary from the menu:

You can open a commentary here. To do so, choose a Bible section (e.g. Gen 1) and which commentary you want to open (e.g. Keil and Delitzsch).

You can also choose whether to open the commentary in a New window or in the Main window:

If you open a comment in a new window, it will remain open until you close it.

In addition: If you open a comment in a new window, you can run it along with the test in the main window. 

Clicking on the two squares at the top right turns one of them blue and synchronises the text with the main window:

You can also go to another Bible text in the opened commentary. For example; you want to view Keil and Delitzsch's commentary on Gen 30.

If you click on the text reference, a new window will open where you can choose a desired Bible text which is covered in the commentary.

The many commentaries available are an important part of the Online Bible. For more information, please open this link: Using commentaries.

Opening a dictionary

The Online Bible also features many dictionaries. These can be called up in the left-hand window by clicking on them. The chosen dictionary appears below the Bible text in the middle window.

For more information see Using dictionaries.

Using Lexicons

Lexicons are an important tool for Bible study. These make use of Strong numbers. A number of Bible translations feature Strong numbers. In English there is the King James Version. If a translation has Strong numbers, you will see an icon (S#) at the top of the screen. This turns them on and off. 


Clicking on a Strong number opens a lexicon. If you have multiple lexicons, you can designate one (per language Greek/Hebrew) as the default (the one that opens automatically when you look up a Strong number). To do so, go to the left panel where all installed titles are listed, select a lexicon, and with secondary click choose the ‘Default ... Lexicon":

You can also choose the default lexicon from the menu at the top of the screen: Online Bible -> Settings:

Note: In the Mac app, in any screen where you get a pop-up window you can choose to get it in a separate window (see Cross References) for more information on the four arrows


Find out more about Strong numbers and lexicons here:

What are Strong numbers and how to use them?

Using Hebrew and Greek lexicons

Using Strong numbers in search criteria


Opening books

Besides the many Bible translations, dictionaries, commentaries and lexicons, there are also many separate books in the Online Bible. These are not linked to Bible translations. but you can consult them.

You can do that in the following way:

In the left screen, you will see all the books present. You can choose the desired book by clicking on it. The book will appear in the middle window under the Bible text.

Adding your own notes

This function is currently not available in the Mac app. It is high on the wish-list.

Cross References

Another great feature of the Online Bible are the cross references. These work with all translations. They are not the reference texts that you would see a printed version of that translation, but a standard set of the Online Bible.

In an opened Bible, you can access the cross references: click on or under the verse number on the left side of the screen. In the opening pop-up screen, choose ‘Popup’ or ‘Window’.

The difference between the two is that a Popup window is temporary (it disappears when you click on something) and a Windows window is permanent. The latter is useful if you want to open several windows with cross-references.

Incidentally, you can go directly to a Bible book on the right side of the referral text window:

With the icon

on top right, you can still switch from popup to Windows window.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks are also a very useful feature.You can always go back to a verse where you left off. You place a bookmark and the next day you can go back to your bookmark. Bookmarks are there only for Bibles and not for other books.


How to do it:

In the Bible text, click on the verse number. In the pop-up window, choose add bookmark:

Bookmarks can also be categorised, see Maintaining categories.


Deleting a bookmark goes the same way as adding a bookmark, only now you choose Delete bookmark.

Highlighting

You can highlight text (like with a highlighter), but on a computer the possibilities are almost endless.

You highlight a word with the right mouse button (secondary click):

If you want to highlight one or more verses, first select them with the left mouse button and then highlight them with the right mouse button (secondary click).

You can see that markings are kept in categories. See the next point for more information.


To remove a marker, right-click on it. You then select Clear.

Maintaining categories

By default, the app has two categories that can be used for both bookmarks and markers. They have a number and a colour.

If you are a Premium User, you can add new categories, give the categories a name, and also give them a colour of your choice. Obviously you can also change the standard two. Create a category by clicking on the + sign.

Back-ups

The latest version of the Online Bible includes the option to backup. 

You can backup all installed Modules, Markers and Bookmarks. It is not possible to make selections what is in a backup. By default, this is done automatically, but you can also choose manual. A total of 5 backups can be made. The next backup deletes the oldest one.

N.B. To make a backup, you are required to be logged in with an Online Bible account.

Backups are stored in the cloud at Cross Link Services. If you do not have internet access at that time, they will be saved the next time you launch the app and do have internet access. Backups are per account, not per device. This also allows markups and bookmarks to be synchronised between devices. The list of backups shows which device it was made on and when.

When you restore a backup, it does not replace what is already there, but merges it. E.g. bookmarks that were already there on the device simply remain. Of course, a bookmark (and category) will be replaced by a backup if it is the same verse. This way, you can also transfer everything to a new device.

A backup on, say, an Android phone can also be restored to an iPad (or vice versa). Currently, it is not possible to restore these backups to Windows.

When restoring a backup, all previously installed modules (Bibles, Commentaries, etc.) are also downloaded and installed again, obviously only insofar as they are no longer installed. This does not apply to modules imported from Windows.


To make a backup, go to Settings -> Backup in the Menu.

Copying text

The Online Bible has extensive ability to copy texts into a word processor.

The Online Bible does not even need to be open to copy, for example, Gen 1:1-5 into a word processor:

Simply type, for example, Gen 1:1-5 into the word processor and then select Gen 1:1-5 with the left mouse button. Then paste the text by pressing ⌘ and 7 at the same time.


The text will be copied and ‘Copy Verses’ will open:

You can see that for copying text, there are several options. You can enter a section of text, e.g. Act 2:4-6 and click on Copy and then use ⌘+V to paste the text into a word processor. 


In addition, you can select a Bible translation, as well as choose a particular formatting. For example, whether the text should be in inverted commas. You can adjust the inverted commas as you wish.

Other example. Reference on new line. With this you select whether the text reference (e.g. Gen 1:8) should be on a new line, or directly after the text.


You can also open ‘Copy Verses’ from the Online Bible menu: Open -> Copy reference Tool:

In addition to the above option, you can also choose to copy and paste text from the middle main window, in the Bible text.

To do so, click on a verse number and choose ‘Copy'. The following screen will appear:

As with the above ‘Copy Verses’, you have several options under ‘Preferences’ to adjust the formatting. In the green preview window, you can then see what the text will look like.


If you click on the verse number, there is also the option ‘Copy (fast)’. This option copies one verse with the formatting chosen above.

Content updates

The content of the Online Bible is updated regularly. You can easily update the content with the latest versions. It goes like this:

From the Menu: Online Bible -> Settings -> Content Updates:

Useful key combinations

It is quite handy to be able to use the keyboard to achieve a number of tasks, rather than leaving the keyboard and using the mouse.

Below you see a list of keystrokes which are used in combination with the Command key ⌘:


⌘+ = Enlarge font

⌘- = Reduce font

⌘7 = Open copy screen

⌘A = Select all (in the Online Bible defined as one chapter)

⌘B = Open a Bible (with the choice between pop-up window or new screen)

⌘C = Copy what has been selected

⌘F = Open search window

⌘H = Hide Online Bible (it remains open in the background)

⌘N = Open a commentary (with the choice between pop-up window or new screen)

⌘Q = Close Online Bible

⌘V = Paste the selected text

And finally ...


You might like to consider becoming a Premium User to support the on-going costs of these apps. 

Please also read this page: The development of more free content