Finding synonyms within context

Is there an 'easy' way to find synonyms within a particular set of scripture? For example, in 2 Timothy, there are a few words that refer to suffering, such as suffer, chain, hardness. I would like to know how I could get to chain, hardness, etc if I'm looking up the word suffer. Hope this makes sense.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Mark Barnes

The best way would be with Louw-Nida lexicon, which groups words by semantic domain (meaning). So, for example, 2 Tim 1:8 mentions suffering. The reverse interlinear gives the Louw-Nida number for this word as 24.84. If you click on that word it will open the LN lexicon to 24.84 and give the definition. But if you then display the contents panel, you'll see that 24.84 is part of a semantic domain called 'Pain, Suffering', which is LN24.77-LN24.94. Armed with that information, you can then search 2 Timothy for words those domains. (Just search for <LN 24.84-24.94>). That will get you synonyms. (Though what you've asked for is more than that, as 'chain' and 'hardness' are not synonyms of suffer).

You can add in other semantic domains if you felt it useful, for example <LN 25.223-25.296> which covers Worry, Fear, Sorry and Discouragment. Or 25.167-25.178 which covers endurance. There are several other domains you'd want to add, including 22.1-22.37 for hardship, and you'll find more if you look. Then link them together like this:

W. Martin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193371#Comment_193371

Do the Louw-Nida numbers only work for the New Testament? I don't have my laptop with me at the moment but it seems as if I don't remember those showing up in the Old Testament.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193394#Comment_193394

Do the Louw-Nida numbers only work for the New Testament?

Quick check in ESV shows Louw-Nida only in New Testament.

Keep Smiling [:)]

W. Martin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193399#Comment_193399

With that being said, is there a way to accomplish the same type of thing for the Old Testament?

Mark Barnes

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193408#Comment_193408

With that being said, is there a way to accomplish the same type of thing for the Old Testament?

Unfortunately not. There's no equivalent of Louw-Nida in the OT.

Kevin Becker

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193417#Comment_193417

There's no equivalent of Louw-Nida in the OT.

There is one under production, but it's not finished yet. And after it is the project to tag Bibles with it will likely take a while...

http://www.sdbh.org/home-en.html

W. Martin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193417#Comment_193417

I did a google search to see if there was such a tool out there and someone referred to the Dictionary of Biblical Language with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament). I haven't checked it out yet but it is part of the Scholar's library.

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193439#Comment_193439

someone referred to the Dictionary of Biblical Language with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament). I haven't checked it out yet but it is part of the Scholar's library.

I haven't used that resource very much, but I gave it a cursory look when I read your post. You can search DBL for LN numbers using this syntax

A range search did not work, but I may not have mastered the syntax for that.

Anthony H

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193618#Comment_193618

Jack has made an excellent observation on DBL. It holds LN semantic info. But you can't search the OT for an LN range because the data isn't there.

But you can search the DBL for LN ranges.

Doing a search on the DBL Hebrew with multiple LN ranges will obviously return a lot of results. I ran Mark B's <LN 22.1-22.37>, <LN 24.84-24.94>, <LN 25.167-25.178>, <LN 25.223-25.296> and it returned 422 hits in 349 articles. So there is probably a better method to weed down the results.

Long way around maybe. But usable.

W. Martin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193628#Comment_193628

Thanks for all your help. You all have been wonderful!

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193628#Comment_193628

But you can search the DBL for LN ranges.

As I said, I may not know the syntax. Thank you, Anthony. Now I know.

Anthony H

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193750#Comment_193750

I always forget the syntax too.

It was a great idea Jack. Thank you! Otherwise I would have overlooked it. [Y]

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/193773#Comment_193773

I always forget the syntax too.

It was a great idea Jack. Thank you! Otherwise I would have overlooked it.

Actually it was not brilliant deduction. I stumbled on the syntax. When I saw the LN numbers in the text, I right-clicked and searched this resource. I then saw the syntax in the search field. After seeing your post, I tried the range search again, and this time it succeeded. Guess I mistyped the first attempts.