STEPBible interface

When you first open STEPBible, you will see "Welcome to STEPBible" in the righthand panel, with helpful material displayed below to expedite your familiarization with STEPBible.  You can dismiss this welcome panel by clicking the X at the top right corner.  To eliminate the welcome panel from STEPBible's initial display, add ?skipwelcome to the URL (assuming you do not have other parameters already included).   For example: https://www.stepbible.org/?skipwelcome If you do have other parameters already included in the URL, add &skipwelcome, for example: https://www.stepbible.org/?q=reference=John.3|version=ESV&options=HVNUG&skipwelcome Note that in the above two cases, ? precedes skipwelcome in the first case, and in the second case, & precedes skipwelcome. If English is your selected language; by default, STEPBible displays Genesis chapter 1 in the English Standard Version (ESV), with Notes and References activated and displayed in the left panel, as illustrated below. You access STEPBible's key functions by the following: A - The Find Bar contains a text entry field and: The Bible button The Book button The Find button B - The Sidebar button C - The Language button D - The Help button E - The Contact button F- The Previous/Next chapter buttons G - The Social Media button H - The Display Options button I - The New Panel button J - The Notes and References display

The Find Bar You use the Find Bar to tell STEPBible what you want it to display.  The Find Bar contains three buttons, the Bible Button and the Book Button on the left end of the bar and the Search Button (a magnifying glass icon) at the right end of the Find Bar. Note:  You must click the Search Button in order for STEPBible to display the material you have specified in the Find Bar.

Choose a Bible or Commentary

To choose a Bible version or commentary, click in the Find Bar, and then click Pick a Bible or commentary to show a list of options for STEPBible to display.

Notice the tabs on this  drop-down that give you different options of lists to choose from:

on the left, choose Bibles or Commentaries,

on the right, choose All, English (or your language), or Ancient, to limit the list of Bibles or commentaries accordingly.

Depending on the tab you select, Bibles or commentaries; STEPBible will display a drop-down list of items for you to choose from. You can make multiple selectionsof Bibles and of commentaries, or a mix.

This screenshot illustrates a drop-down list for choosing Bible versions.

Choosing Bible Versions that Support the Display Options You Want to Use

STEPBible shows you the display capabilities each Bible version has on the line to the right of its entry in the Bible version drop-down list:

• V - Vocabulary

• G - Grammar

• I - Interlinear

• S - Interlinear for the Septuagint - the Greek OT

• N - Notes and/or cross-references

• R - Jesus’ words in Red

Display capabilities indicate what, in addition to the Bible text (such as information about the original language texts, or how STEPBible can organize the display), each Bible version has available.  Choose Bibles with capabilities matching how you want your Bible text displayed. See Display Options below.

The Bible Button indicates the Bible Versions and commentaries currently selected for display.  Click the Bible Button to display a drop-down list of Bible versions to choose from  (as described above at Choose a Bible or Commentary). To remove a Bible or commentary, click the "X" on the Bible Button.  Click the Search Button to complete the change.

The Book Button lets you choose the Bible books that you want to view.  Click the Book Button to display a drop-down list of the books of the Bible. When you click a book name, STEPBible then displays that book's chapter numbers for you to select a chapter.  If you do not select a chapter, STEPBible will display Chapter 1.  Click the Search Button to display your selection.

Entering Text into the Find Bar     

Click in the Find Bar to enter text defining what you want to view.

You can enter text you want to search for.
You can enter Bible book names, chapters, and verses.
You can enter Greek or Hebrew words, or Strong's numbers.

After the first two characters you type into the Find Bar, STEPBible displays a drop-down list of appropriate options for you to choose from. 

For example, in response to your typing "jo" in the Find Bar, STEPBible offers:

• books of the Bible that start with "jo," 

• appropriate translation and/or commentary material, 

• matching New Testament and Old Testament words, 

• appropriate topics, and 

• the option to search on text containing "jo."

 Click on the item you want to view and then click the Search Button to display your selection.

Advanced Search

Click on Advanced Search in the Find Bar to display a drop-down text entry form for you to give STEPBible more-complex search criteria.

The Advanced Search form presents tabs for four different kinds of search details: text search, original language (Greek or Hebrew) word search, search by topic, and search by a query syntax aid (labeled "Free search"). 

For more information about Advanced Search, click here.

When you have entered your advanced search criteria, click Add to lookup query and then the Search Button to display your selection.

[ Top ⬆]

The Sidebar Button Click on the Sidebar Button to display the tools available to you on the four tabs of the Sidebar: The Original Word (Vocabulary) Tab The Vocabulary tab displays information about the meanings of the currently selected word in its original language, Hebrew or Greek, and provides the option to search for all occurrences of the word in the Bible version you chose first in the current session.

The Passage Analysis Tab

The Passage Analysis tab presents a "word cloud" pertaining to the currently selected Bible book, book chapter, or including one chapter before and after the currently selected chapter.  The font size of words in the word cloud indicates the comparative frequency of the word's occurrence.

You can choose analysis in terms of Bible text and original language, modern language, or subject.

You can select the words in a word cloud and copy them, then paste them with or without formatting into another application.

The Bookmarks and Recent Texts Tab

The Bookmarks and Recent Texts Tab displays the history of your activity in STEPBible. STEPBible stores this record in your browser using cookies; so, the record persists as long as the cookies persist.  STEPBible gives you three options at every history item, represented by three icons to the left of the listing.  Click the appropriate icon to open or search for the item, pin the bookmark to keep it available at the top of the record, or delete the item from the record.

The Quick Links Help Tab

The Quick Links Help Tab displays demonstration buttons and links to help you quickly get started with using STEPBible.

[ Top ⬆]

The Language button You use the Language button to choose the language that will govern the STEPBible interface.  Click the Language button to display a list of languages currently available in STEPBible. By default, STEPBible uses the language set in your browser.

STEPBible will offer Bibles and commentaries, and display supporting text, according to your language choice here. STEPBible has need of help with Bible translation.  Click here to learn more.

[ Top ⬆]

The Help button Click the Help button to display a list of Help options.

Click the Help option you are interested in: Download STEP displays the STEPBible download page. Quick tryout links displays brief instructions and link buttons for you to try in your initial exploration of STEPBible. Video demonstrations takes you to STEPBible's YouTube channel. Guide & Instructions takes you to this User Guide. Available Bibles etc takes you to a page in this User Guide covering Bibles, commentaries, and other resources available to you in STEPBible. Reset everything resets STEPBible, removing your Bookmarks and other settings. We need your help! takes you to the User Guide page outlining ways you can contribute to the development and maintenance of STEPBible. Feedback & contact Displays a contact form where you can describe a programming bug, an  improvement suggestion, a new feature suggestion, an error you’ve found, a help request, or to offer your help, or just to say “Hi.” (See screenshot  below  the Contact Button.) Privacy policy describes Tyndale's Privacy Policy Copyright &. licenses takes you to the User Guide page about STEPBible copyright and licenses. About acknowledges many who have helped in the development of STEPBible.

[ Top ⬆] The Contact button Click the Contact Button to display STEPBible's Contact Form.

You can use the Contact Form to communicate with us about a programming bug, an  improvement suggestion, a new feature suggestion, an error you’ve found, a help request, or to offer your help, or just to say “Hi.”

[Top ⬆] The Previous/Next chapter buttons Use the Next (right arrow) and Previous (left arrow) Chapter buttons to move the Bible text displayed in the selected panel a chapter ahead or back.

[Top ⬆] The Social Media button Click the Social Media Button to connect with Twitter or Facebook.

[Top ⬆] The Display Options button Click the Display Options Button to choose how you want your Bible or commentary text displayed. STEPBible allows you to compare the texts of multiple Bible versions, and to mix the display of Bible texts with correlated commentary material. You can view the material you choose together in a variety of display formats. The display options STEPBible presents for you to choose from depend on the capabilities of the Bible versions and commentaries you have selected, as described below. The top portion of the Options drop-down menu offers four choices for arranging the display of verses from multiple Bible versions and commentaries to view them together.  You can choose one of the following: Interleaved: shows the  Bible versions and commentaries you have selected, grouping the versions verse by verse. Interleaved with comparison: is like Interleaved, but this selection highlights the textual differences between words. Interleaved with comparison only works for Bibles tagged with "I" or "S," as described  under Choosing Bible Versions that Support the Display Options You Want to Use (see above ⬆) and written in the same language. Column view: shows each version or commentary in its own column. Each row represents one verse. Column with comparison: is like Column view, but it highlights the textual differences. Interlinear (and reverse interlinear):  aligns words and phrases in columns such that one can see the links between words as they are translated in different languages. This feature is only supported by a few Bibles. Other options allow you to turn on or off Notes and References and the Quick Lexicon display that appears when you hover over words and the verse vocabulary when you hover over verse numbers. Here you can also turn on or off Headings and Verse numbers, or change the font size, etc. Additionally, you can turn on vocabulary under each word or transliteration, or display Greek and Hebrew with or without pointing. You can even turn on colour-coding grammar in a limited number of Bible vesions  (those tagged with a "G" as described  under Choosing Bible Versions that Support the Display Options You Want to Use (see above ⬆). For more information about Display Options click here.

[ Top ⬆]

The New Panel button Click the New Panel button to add a new display panel to the right of the current panel.

You can select new Bible and/or commentary material for display in the new panel, as described above under Choose a Bible or Commentary (see above ⬆).

Click the Search Button to display your selection.

[Top ⬆] The Notes and References display To see Notes and References, choose a Bible version that has an "N" on the line to its right in the Pick a Bible or commentary drop-down list, as as described under Choosing Bible Versions that Support the Display Options You Want to Use (see above ⬆). By default, STEPBible displays notes and references for Bible versions that have that capability. You can turn off the Notes and References display by un-checking  Notes and References under Display Options (see above ⬆).

To use Cross- References:

1.  click on a super-scripted note character in the Bible text. STEPBible highlights the corresponding scripture references in the Notes and References display.

2.  Click on the scripture reference you are interested  in.  STEPBible will display that scripture in a small fly-out window.

3.  Click on the display icon in the top right of the fly-out window to display the scripture in context in a new viewing panel.

[Top ⬆]