Basic Bible Study Form

(Use this form after learning basic Bible interpretation).

Passage

Pray

1. The whole passage at one sitting
2. By paragraph
3. By verse
4. By phrases

1. Who wrote this?
2. Where was it written?
3. To whom was it written?
4. What does the passage mean?

1. How can I do this (or avoid this)?
2. How will this affect my life?

Example:

A psalm by David. O LORD, who may stay in your tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one who walks with integrity, does what is righteous, and speaks the truth within his heart. The one who does not slander with his tongue, do evil to a friend, or bring disgrace on his neighbor. The one who despises those rejected by God but honors those who fear the LORD. The one who makes a promise and does not break it, even though he is hurt by it. The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. (Psalms 15:1-5 GW)

Pray

1. The whole passage at one sitting
2. By paragraph—there is only one paragraph because this is short and poetry.
3. By verse
4. By phrases
   1. A psalm by David. O LORD,
   2. who
   3. may stay
   4. in your tent?
   5. Who
   6. may live
   7. on your holy mountain?
   8. The one who
   9. walks
   10. with integrity,
   11. does
   12. what is righteous, and
   13. speaks
   14. the truth
   15. within his heart.
   16. The one who
   17. does not slander
   18. with his tongue,
   19. do evil
   20. to a friend, or
   21. bring disgrace
   22. on his neighbor.
   23. The one who
   24. despises those
   25. rejected
   26. by God
   27. but honors
   28. those who
   29. fear the LORD.
   30. The one who
   31. makes a promise and
   32. does not
   33. break it, even though
   34. he is hurt by it.
   35. The one who
   36. does not
   37. collect interest
   38. on a loan or
   39. take a bribe
   40. against
   41. an innocent person.
   42. Whoever
   43. does
   44. these things
   45. will
   46. never
   47. be shaken. (Psalms 15:1-5 GW)

1. Who wrote this? David the King
2. Where was it written? It doesn’t say.
3. To whom was it written? The Lord, for this was a prayer.
4. What does the passage mean?
5.  For each phrase, think what that phrase means.

1. How can I do this (or avoid this)?
2. How will this affect my life?