What is a Strong's number?

If you have ever seen a small number next to a word in a Bible study tool, like logos G3056 or ruach H7307, you have encountered a Strong's number. They are everywhere in Bible study software, and for good reason: they are the simplest way to trace a word across the whole Bible without knowing Greek or Hebrew.

Where they came from

In the 1890s, a theologian named James Strong published a monumental concordance. He assigned every unique Hebrew and Greek word in the Bible its own number. Hebrew words got numbers starting with H (H1, H2...), and Greek words got numbers starting with G (G1, G2...). Each number pointed to a dictionary entry with the word's meaning and usage.

The system was simple enough for anyone to use, and it caught on. More than a century later, Strong's numbers are still the standard way to link English readers to the original text.

What they are good for

A Strong's number lets you:

• Find every occurrence of a word. Search by the number and see every verse where that specific Greek or Hebrew word appears, regardless of how it was translated into English.
• Compare usage across authors. Does Paul use a word differently than John? The Strong's number gives you a reliable way to check.
• Connect a word to its dictionary entry. Each Strong's number maps to a lexicon definition that explains the word's range of meaning.

How to use them in Biblelexical

In the reader, tap any word. The study sheet shows its Strong's number prominently. Tap the number to see everywhere that word appears, or tap the lexicon entry to read the full definition.

You do not need to memorise numbers. Just tap a word, note the Strong's number if it is interesting, and follow where it leads. Over time you will start to recognise the numbers for common words, such as G3056 (logos), G26 (agape), and H430 (elohim), and the Bible will open up in a new way.

What they are not good for

Strong's numbers are a tool, not a magic key. They have limitations:

• They group words by root, not by every inflection. Slight variations in meaning within the same root are not distinguished.
• The lexicon definitions are over a century old. They are generally reliable but do not reflect the latest scholarship.
• A number is not a substitute for context. Knowing that a word is G26 (agape) tells you it is the Greek word for love, but the verse itself tells you what kind of love is meant.

Biblelexical addresses some of these limitations by including modern morphology data alongside the traditional Strong's system, giving you both the time-tested reference and the grammatical detail.

Start with one word

Pick a word from a verse you know well. Tap it. Look at the Strong's number. Search for it across the Bible. Read the lexicon entry. You have just done original-language study. No Greek textbook required.