exploring verse mapping through verse mapping bibles and journals

*This post is written in partnership with Bible Gateway. As a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, I received free products to facilitate my post. Opinions are 100% my own. No other form of compensation was received.

Even though I’ve created a multi-decades long habit of daily Bible reading, I still struggle to keep my quiet time fresh. It’s easy to slip into a “to-do” mindset with our walk, allowing our time in the Word to become rote and stale. And, I want the opposite of that. I want to continue to grow and mature in my walk with the Lord, always seeking to learn and to listen when I read.

Verse mapping is a Bible study method that allows you to dig deep and explore God’s Word. Verse mapping combines study using multiple versions and Greek and/or Hebrew text with a search for real-world application and personal growth.

If you’re not familiar with verse mapping, here is the process:

Verse: Choose a verse that you’d like to study, and write it out.
Design: Copy the verse in 2-3 different Bible translations, and underline key words that are the same or different between translations.
Develop: Look up the meanings of the underlined words in Hebrew or Greek, and record them.
Actions: Ask questions. Imagine what it would have bene like to have experienced what is happening in the verse. Study the verses in the surrounding passage. Use other study tools to dig deeper.
Outcome: What did you learn? What is God saying to you through this verse? How does the verse relate to your life?

If you’re just starting to learn about verse mapping, and/or learn best through seeing examples firsthand, the NIV Verse Mapping Bible or the NIV Verse Mapping Bible for Girls is perfect for you.

NIV Verse Mapping Bible:

In the NIV Verse Mapping Bible, author and developer of the verse mapping system Kristy Cambron uses starter maps and prompts to help you begin your study. The sample maps begin with a pre-selected verse from the portion of Scripture you’re reading. It is written in step 1 in NIV, and then translated into New King James and New American Standard in step 2, Design. There is enough room for you to write the verse again in a translation of your choosing. (New Living tends to be my go-to translation these days.) (Bible Gateway has long been my source for reading through Scripture in multiple translations. Their site makes it easy to quickly switch between versions.)

Bible Gateway has also made their Reverse Interlinear tool available for the 350 verses partially mapped in both this and the NIV Verse Mapping Bible for Girls for free. It’s a phenomenal and easy-to-use tool that allows you to quickly dig into the words you’d like to study in the Develop step. (Instructions for how to access this tool are found inside the Bible.)

The starter maps are perfect if you’re eager to dive a little deeper and enhance your study, but are intimidated by the idea of researching the Greek and Hebrew texts on your own.

Verse mapping was completely new to me – and I enjoyed the process, appreciating that it required more from me. This takes intention, time, effort, and a willingness to learn and grow. You can’t verse map passively.

However, the Bible features both starter maps (partially filled out maps as shown above) and blank maps that allow you to study and practice each step on your own. In addition to the verse mapping features, the NIV Verse Mapping Bible features wide lined margins that allow you to journal or jot down notes as you study and read. (Bonus!)

The NIV Verse Mapping Bible for Girls

This Bible is essentially the exact same as the “Adult” version of the NIV Verse Mapping Bible, except for the colors/design, and lack of a presentation box.

As a parent, I LOVE that this Bible and the NIV Verse Mapping Bible include the same partially completed verse maps -allowing parents and daughters to study God’s Word together. There are 350 partially completed verse maps, and 70 blank maps for independent practice and study.

This Bible will allow your daughter to get-to-know her Bible and her God in a uniquely personal way as she learns how to draw comparisons, study different translations, and spend more time in the Word.

Verse Mapping Bible Study Journal

For those of you desiring a more personal and customized verse mapping experience, the Verse Mapping Bible Study Journal is right for you. The journal features instructions (a verse mapping 101 guide) and 50 blank maps for you to begin your verse mapping journey.

I love using the Verse MappingBible Study Journal in conjunction with my independent Bible study. I like that as I find Scripture that stands out to me in my daily reading, I can choose to map it in my journal. Nothing is pre-selected, freeing me up to choose verses that are meaningful to me. I also like that unlike the verse mapping Bibles, I’m free to select which translations to use when digging into Scripture.

*If you choose to map a verse that is NOT one of the 350 partially mapped verses in either verse mapping Bible, the online reverse interlinear tool will not be available to you for free. You will need to make use of another concordance or dictionary that includes Hebrew/Greek definitions.