Seeing repetition in the text is a key that helps the reader gain a clear understanding of the context. It’s so important, that I developed a project I call the Repetition Study Bible. As the name suggests, it highlights repetition in the text. The visual nature of the Study Bible implicitly teaches interpretive principles to the reader.

There are two key ways the repetition is shown. First, key terms in the book are highlighted. For example, in John the word “signs” is an important word. Thus, it is highlighted throughout the entire text. This helps the reader grasp the larger purposes of the book. A second feature displays key repeating words in passages throughout the book.

The repetition is being highlighted to help the reader see the emphasis of the author, which obviously leads to better understanding. Focusing on repetition is ideal for translations that employ a word-for-word (“formal correspondence”) translational theory – translations such as the KJV, ESV, and NASB. The Lockman Foundation has graciously allowed me to use the entire NASB95 for this project. This is a user friendly Study Bible that tracks word usage of the NASB95 (not Greek terms).