You’ll Never Read Books the Same Way Again

I love books. Stop by my house and you’ll see bookcase after bookcase filled with volumes. And maybe you’re like me: a dedicated bibliophile. But today, I’d like to share three things that changed the way I read books forever, from the Esther commentary in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary Series.

Find source material quickly

When you read a book in Logos, it’s easy to find the sources the author used in his or her research. A great example is found in Dr. Tomasino’s commentary on Esther 2:10. Tomasino notes the distinct difference between the exiles in Daniel and those portrayed in Esther:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, too, stand firm in their principles, even when they are threatened with a horrible death (Dan 2). Compared to figures as these, Mordecai and Esther seem hardly worth of praise or emulation.

This seems to be an important element to the book of Esther, which discusses God’s relation to a people in exile. I believe it bears further study.

Find source material quickly

When you read a book in Logos, it’s easy to find the sources the author used in his or her research. A great example is found in Dr. Tomasino’s commentary on Esther 2:10. Tomasino notes the distinct difference between the exiles in Daniel and those portrayed in Esther:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, too, stand firm in their principles, even when they are threatened with a horrible death (Dan 2). Compared to figures as these, Mordecai and Esther seem hardly worth of praise or emulation.

This seems to be an important element to the book of Esther, which discusses God’s relation to a people in exile. I believe it bears further study.

Bulletin for Biblical Research, “The Politics of Esther and Mordecai: Courage or Compromise?”

This kind of research allows me to find an author’s original sources. In a traditional reading environment, I would have to search through stacks of journals in a musty library. Instead, I’m only two clicks away from reading an in-depth article that furthers my understanding of this important Old Testament book.

Compare original-language texts

With the Logos edition, you can use the original languages in powerful ways. Here, we see Dr. Tomasino provides the original Hebrew text, complete with textual notes.

Screenshot 2015-06-15 15.14.14

With Logos, I can immediately get a side-by-side comparison of the Hebrew and Greek texts. One of these valuable textual notes informs us that the LXX, or Greek Septuagint, includes an insertion in verse 20. The Jewish Scribes who translated the Masoretic text added the phrase “to fear God.” This evidences the revisionist nature of the LXX and reminds us that even ancient readers were concerned about the strange absence of God in this book.

Put concepts in context

In the commentary for Esther 3:1, I came across a mention of the Amalekites, “a nomadic people descended from Esau.” But I want more information on the Amalekites. Fortunately, Logos has the ability to search my entire library of resources.

Screenshot 2015-06-16 10.21.58

When I run a Topic Guide, I see that I have resources including the Lexham Bible Dictionary, as well as textual searches, which allow me to comb through every occurrence in the Bible. This context is incredibly helpful before I put too much weight into a point or argument.

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Why get your digital resources with Logos? Because Logos helps you find source material, including original language works, so that you can put the information in its proper context. Once you try Logos Bible Software, you’ll never go back to using reference books the same way again.

Ready for a Logos base package? Call sales for help finding the base package that is right for you: 1-(888) 670-3148.

Or, get a completely free book from Logos each month and discover the exciting things you can do with Logos resources!

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Written by
Jonathan Watson

Jon Watson is a minister in training with St. Columbia's Free Church in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Written by Jonathan Watson
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