L/V 10+ Tip of the Day #164 ESV cross-references

Another tip of the day (TOTD) series for Logos/Verbum 10. They will be short and often drawn from forum posts. Feel free to ask questions and/or suggest forum posts you'd like to see included. Adding comments about the behavior on mobile and web apps would be appreciated by your fellow forumites. A search for "L/V 10+ Tip of the Day site:community.logos.com" on Google should bring the tips up as should this Reading List within the application. 

This tip is inspired by the forum post: New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge revised - Logos Forums and by Cross-References: Letting Scripture Interpret Scripture - Bible Study Tips

Note that the following applies only when accessing from within the ESV directly. The Bible references shown in Passage Guide > Cross-references > lower Bible section strips the details out and uses only the plain Bible reference.

Note that if you click on a cross-reference superscript, it will fix the popup so that you can click on the references.

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Types of Cross-References

If you’re going to make use of cross-references in your study, you need to know about the different types and how to use them. For our purposes today, we’re going to utilize the ESV cross-reference system and explain its setup. To learn about the cross-references for your Bible translation consult its front matter.

The ESV’s system identifies six different types of cross-references.

1. References to Specific Words or Phrases

This is the most common type of reference. As the title suggests, these references point you to similar words or phrases, whether they be in the same chapter (ver. 7), the same book (ch. 1:3), or in a different book of the Bible (Heb. 11:2).

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2. Comparative References

These are thematic references, pointing to the same or a similar theme elsewhere in Scripture. The ESV these references with brackets like “[2 Tim. 2:13].”

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3. References to Collections of References

Instead of repeating a long list of related verses already recorded elsewhere, the ESV provides a reference to this list’s location. These are denoted by the word “See” in the ESV, such as “See John 8:26.” In the cross-references for John 8:26 you will find the list of related verses.

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4. References to Longer Parallel Passages

Long passages closely paralleling one another also have their own indicator. Such references are identified by the phrase “For …, see …” For example, you will find the reference “For ver. 1-15, see Mark 4:1-12; Luke 8:4-10” in Matthew’s gospel for the parable of the sower.

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5. Less Direct References

The “See” referent is also used for passages that share a related theme, but its reference passage is longer. Proverbs 3:33 speaks of the Lord’s curse being on the house of the wicked. Its cross-reference contains the text “See Lev. 26:14-39,” which contains a fuller explanation of what the saying means.

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6. Quoted References

The last type of cross-reference in the ESV indicates when another passage is quoted. If quoted elsewhere in the Bible, those passages are listed. The location to the original text is also included, such as “Cited from Ps. 51:4.” Sometimes when the quotation is clearer in the original language the cross-reference will include “(Heb.)” or “(Gk.)” indicating that the reference is most clear in that language.

Note: Unlike the text of the Bible, cross-references are not perfect and without error. These were put in place by publishers and are accurate in so far as the publisher was able to check them. Some cross-references may lean one way or another on doctrinal/theological issues. As with any biblical tool, be aware of its limitations.