How to do this kind of search

Hi All,

A friend of mine just asked me this question:

"Is there a way to get a word count in the bible. If so how? I want to count how many times the word anxious is in the old and new testament, and or worry."

A word study on "anxious" obviously won't do, since there are numerous words and synonyms that have the same basic sense. (In my friend's question above, he also recognized "worry" as a related synonym.) So, how and what kind of a search does one have to do to execute a word count of words in the range of anxious (worry, etc.)? Grateful for any responses. Thanks you.

Irving S

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RyanB

Would the Bible Word Study or Concordance tools be what you're looking for?

Irving Salzman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/962500#Comment_962500

I don't believe so, because a word study and concordance can only bring back hits on one word alone and at one time. I want a count on all of the words related to being anxious and worried.

Joshua Tan

Hi Irving!

I'd usually use the Bible Word Study guide to find other terms with the same root word. Certain resources (e.g. Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words) also suggest synonyms.

Sample:

[3534] μεριμνάω merimnaō 19× to be anxious, or solicitous, Phil. 4:6; to expend careful thought, Mt. 6:27, 28, 31, 34a; 10:19; Lk. 10:41; 12:11, 22, 25, 26; to concern one’s self, Mt. 6:25; 1 Cor. 12:25; to have the thoughts occupied with, 1 Cor. 7:32, 33, 34; to feel an interest in, Phil. 2:20* [3309] See concerned; worry.

Mounce, W. D. (2006). Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (p. 1209). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

I'd also like to learn how to aggregate the results. Via search with similar root, perhaps?

Beloved Amodeo

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/962502#Comment_962502

I don't believe so, because a word study and concordance can only bring back hits on one word alone and at one time. I want a count on all of the words related to being anxious and worried.

With a little work you can get close to a definitive answer to your question using both Bible Sense Lexicon and Louw Nida numbers. Louw Nida you must collect one after another and present them together. NB: I have not exhausted all the Louw Nida entries, you are going to have to do this for yourself. I have just started you on your way in my example below.

Irving Salzman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/962517#Comment_962517

Thank you, Beloved.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/962517#Comment_962517

Louw Nida you must collect one after another and present them together. NB: I have not exhausted all the Louw Nida entries,

You can use a range like 225-227 for LN numbers. From the Lexicon the range is 223-250, but I would just go with <LN 25.223-247>.

Bible Senses have to be OR'd (but you can use a list with commas) and have the advantage of applying to OT and NT e.g. <Sense = care>, <Sense = to brood>, <Sense = to be troubled>, <Sense = to be despondent (hopeless)>

Beloved Amodeo

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/962554#Comment_962554

Louw Nida you must collect one after another and present them together. NB: I have not exhausted all the Louw Nida entries,

You can use a range like 225-227 for LN numbers. From the Lexicon the range is 223-250, but I would just go with <LN 25.223-247>.

Bible Senses have to be OR'd (but you can use a list with commas) and have the advantage of applying to OT and NT e.g. <Sense = care>, <Sense = to brood>, <Sense = to be troubled>, <Sense = to be despondent (hopeless)>

Thanks, Dave!

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/962554#Comment_962554

From the Lexicon the range is 223-250, but I would just go with <LN 25.223-247>.

Analyzing search results shows many Senses:

<Sense = to brood> is included in grandparent search <Sense to mind> with the other senses being related to anxious, worry, ...

<Sense to be troubled> has same results as <Sense = to be troubled> since this sense does not have parents nor children.

<Sense = care> leaves out child <Sense = healing (act)>

<Sense to concern> includes children: <Sense = to matter to>, <Sense = to intrigue>, and <Sense = to seize (attention)>

Used LN search for comparison to expand Bible Sense search to include results in Matthew, Mark, and beginning of Luke (added more senses):

<Sense to mind> OR <Sense to be troubled> OR <Sense = care> OR <Sense to concern> OR <Sense to be agitated (state)> OR <Sense to be despondent (hopeless)> OR <Sense to expect>

Matthew 5:17 is included in Bible Sense results while not found in LN search.

Bible Sense search could be expanded more to include all LN search results..

Keep Smiling [:)]