TIP of the day: Context menu searches for English New Testament part 1

MJ. Smith
MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 53,112
edited November 20 in English Forum

This is the first of a series of posts that shows how the Searches built by Logos work so that you can build your own similar searches.

1. The Context Menu (right-click on selection) will build a variety of searches based upon options available based on your selection on the right-side of the menu.

2. When initiating the search you have the option of:

  • an inline search of the resource from which you are initiating the search
  • a standard search of the resource from which you are initiating the search
  • a standard search of all open resources
  • a standard search of all your resources
  • an everything search

In the examples I will consistently use the all resources option.

3. The universal options that are not in the Panel Menu will remain unchanged (i.e. last values you set) when you initiate the search.

With "reference" selected on the right side, this is the resulting search.

Basic information on the structure of the search:

<BibleNRSV = John 20:18>

Wiki link:  Search Help

1. References

To search for references in the text of a resource use the format <datatype Op reference>
    where Op can be ~ {intersection}, intersect {full intersection}, =, subset, or superset.
Note that ~ is the default e.g. <bible Jn 3:16> is the same as <bible ~Jn 3:16>.
Many datatypes are handled automatically, so <~Jn 3:16> or Jn 3:16 are the same and <G5547>, <H6213> are recognized as Strong’s numbers.

Strong’s number ranges can be specified as <G875-878>, <H769-771>
Louw-Nida numbers & ranges can be specified as <LN 57.125>, <ln 57.125-57.129> or <ln 57.125-129>
TWOT numbers & ranges can be specified as <TWOT 1768>, <twot 1768-1768b>
TDNT Volume/Page can be specified as <TDNT 8.1>, <tdnt 7.445>

List of available Bible datatypes: Bible Datatypes

Datatype term operators: Logos 6 Help

Bible References

The most common data type to search for in Logos is Bible references, for example, <Bible John 3:16>. Because it’s so common, you can leave off the Bible part, so <jn 3:16> or <~jn 3:16> or <=jn 3:16> will all work. You can even just type jn 3:16 with no angle brackets — if your entire query looks like Bible reference, Logos will insert the full syntax for you behind the scenes.

•    <Bible Jn 3:16> or <Bible ~ Jn 3:16> — match this reference and references that contain it within the same chapter, so John 3:1-24 but not John 3-4.

•    <Bible = Jn 3:16> — match only exactly John 3:16 and not John 3:1-24 or John 3.

•    <Bible intersect Jn 3:16-21> — match any reference that intersects with verses 16-21, so John 3:1-24 or John 3-4 but not John 3:1-15.

•    <Bible superset Jn 3:16-21> — match any reference that includes verses 16-21, so John 3 or John 3:1-24 but not John 3:17.

•    <Bible subset Jn 3:16-21> — match any reference included within verse 16-21, so John 3:16 or John 3:16-21 but not John 3.

Different editions of the Bible have different content, and so there are actually several Bible data types. Learn more by reading about versemaps.[1]


[1] Logos 6 Help (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2015).

4. Here are 4 versions of the Search:

  • as generated by Logos
  • using the basic datatype Bible rather than BibleNRSV based on my prioritization of Bibles
  • allowing the operator to default to the broader ~ with the first entry open so you can see it is not a precise match (the generated =) Note:this changes the results
  • omitting the datatype name because it will be recognized by default ... this is not possible for all datatypes

5.Next the item selected in the right side of the Context Menu is Greek Strong's.

6. This is the generated search:

The primary source for identifying Greek Strong's numbers are the following resources:

  • Strong, James. The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.
  • Strong, James. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995.

It is also available as a line in an interlinear/reverse interlinear Bible.

7. Like Bible references, this term may be written in shorter forms - allowing the operator to default to ~ and omitting the datatype name.

8. Here is a sample of the standard sources for the Greek Strong's numbers.

9. The next item selected on the right side is the Louw Nida number

10. This is the resulting search.

The standard source for available values is:

  • Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.

It is also available as a line in an interlinear/reverse interlinear Bible.

11. Again the operator may be allowed to default to ~ and the datatype name may be omitted.

12. A sample of the source of the Louw-Nida values.

Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

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