4. Parallel Display

BIBLIJA.net allows simultaneous display of several versions of the Bible, for comparison. The site displays the different versions in parallel columns and attempts to align them as correctly as possible. The site aligns each Bible verse with its counterpart in other versions – this means that in a version where the verses are shorter or are not presented as poetry (while those in another version are), there could be some blank spaces between verses.

To get a detailed list of the available Bible versions with their abbreviations, click on on the selection panel.

A. Parallel Display of a Place Search 

When you search for a particular place or passage in Scripture you can compare how it is translated in the different available versions.

• First check whether the “Place Search” tab is selected on the selection panel.
• Type the reference of the desired verse or passage in the “Passage:” field.
• On the right, in the “Versions:” area use the checkboxes and mark the versions you want in parallel display. At the beginning, only the default version is selected, but you can, of course, turn it off and search in another version.
• Click on the “Go” button. The program will display the desired passage in the same number of columns as was the number of selected versions.

Wider or Narrower Set of Versions

By default, the program offers you a narrower set of Bible versions to choose from, containing only the versions which are most commonly used in the current language environment (see »6.A. User interface in other languages«).

• With a click on the button you broaden the choice, so that you can choose from among all the available versions.
• This wider set of versions will be displayed in all subsequent place and word searches.
• You can revert to the narrower set by clicking the button .

The Bar for Choosing the Order of Versions

If “Compact Display” is not selected the program will display a special bar above the columns. With its help you can change the order of versions and also turn on or off a particular version.

• With the help of the drop-down menus on the bar, select a new order of versions. You can turn off the undesired versions with “---Exclude---”.
• Click on the button, which is on the right-most margin of the bar. The program will display the selected versions in the new order.

The program will keep the new order in all subsequent searches until you add or turn off some versions using the checkboxes on the selection panel.

Note:
In Parallel Display mode, the version that appears in the first column (that is, the leftmost one) plays the primary role:

• The book list on the left (see »1.B. Finding a Particular Passage Using the Book List On the Left«) is taken from this version.
• Only verses that are found in this version will be displayed in parallel columns. Please bear in mind that some editions of the New Testament lack certain verses (ex. Mt 17:21 in SSP). The discrepancy is even larger if you put SSP-Op (footnotes to SSP) or SSP-Ref (cross-references to SSP) in the first column.

B. Parallel Display of a Word Search

BIBLIJA.net allows you to compare different versions when doing a word search as well. This allows you to compare how a particular word or biblical term has been translated in different versions.

• First check whether the “Word Search” tab is selected on the selection panel.
• Regarding entering the desired word and the use of the list on the left, see “2. Word Search”.
• The program always searches through one version at a time. Other versions are displayed whether the word is found there or not. (Nevertheless, the word is highlighted everywhere it was found, that is, in the parallel versions, too.)
• Use the “Search in:” dropdown menu to select the version in which you are going to search for words or phrases.
• Use the “Parallel display:” area and its checkboxes to select the versions to be displayed beside the one you are searching in.
• Click the “Go” button. The program will display the list of hits in the version in which you were searching. Beside that it will display parallel lists of the same Scripture verses in other versions you selected.
• If the “Compact Display” checkbox is not selected, the program also displays the bar for choosing the order of versions (see above). The only difference is that now in a word search the first column (from left to right) is always the text you are searching in – and you cannot change that. Other versions follow in the default order – you can change that if you wish.

The Problem of Varying Enumeration of Chapters and Verses in Different Bible Versions

Please note that there is a particular problem that the current version of BIBLIJA.net does not yet solve and could therefore cause some confusion. Different Bible versions use different systems for enumeration of chapters and verses, and therefore there are some discrepancies (mostly in the Old Testament and especially in the Apocrypha). Because of this, for example, Gen 31:55 in ASV corresponds to Gen 32:1 in SSP. If you display only one version at a time, the program simply follows its enumeration, but in parallel display this problem occurs: the program follows the enumeration of the version in the first column (that is, the leftmost one, see the note above).

It is therefore useful to know that the SSP (together with Op and Ref), EKU and JUB are using the so-called “original enumeration” (which follows the Hebrew and Greek originals). This means that there shouldn't be problems in the parallel display of these versions (except for the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books, which are a special case).
The KJV, ASV, WEB and CHR use the so-called “English enumeration”, since it is found in most English Bibles (in a very few places CHR deviates from it). The most obvious difference between English and original enumeration is in Psalms: the English enumeration does not count the inscription at the head of many Psalms as the first verse, so there is a difference of a verse or two (ex. in Psalm 18). In the Book of Joel, chapter 3, according to original enumeration, is counted as the end of chapter 2 in the English enumeration. On the other hand, in the Book of Malachi, the end of chapter 3, according to original, is equal to chapter 4 in the English enumeration. Besides these, there are many more minor differences in various books of the Old Testament.
The SEG mostly follows the original enumeration, but not consistently – there are a number of places where English enumeration is used.
The VUL uses its own enumeration; it differs both from original and English. Psalms 10–146 are numbered as Psalms 9–145 in Vulgate. There are considerable differences in other books as well. In the Vulgate, the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical additions to Esther and Daniel are included in original versions of these books (they are not in separate books, as in KJV). The Epistle of Jeremiah is not a separate book either, it is the chapter 6 of the Book of Baruch.
The RUS uses yet another enumeration. In Psalms it follows the Vulgate whereas in other books it mostly follows the English enumeration.
Etc.

We expect that the next version of the BIBLIJA.net program will automatically correctly align these discrepant passages – i.e. in parallel columns the corresponding verses will be given in the same row, even though their actual enumeration differs.

Last change: 12-24-2018 01:35