The Mac is known for many things, but one of the great things about the Mac is the rich and huge developer community associated with the platform. There is no mourning, let it be said freely, for it is just what is done, what is needed is done, and what is needed is done. A common tool that many believers look for is a good Bible program. Well there is a free product out there that is also necessary. It is called MacSword.
MacSword is a fully featured, highly customizable Bible application that allows users to install multiple versions and translations of the Bible. Added versions of the Bible for MacSword that are in other modern languages for those who prefer to read the Scriptures at . There are also many study guides and commentaries that help enrich the user’s Bible study.
How does it work?
You can download MacSword at macsword.com. The program is installed like any other program on the Mac. Once you have installed the tool, simply drag the MacSword icon to the Applications folder. This MacSword won’t be of much use because you have to install specific “modules” to get the specific functionality you want.
Modules are what make MacSword tick. There are myriad modules that can be downloaded from the Sword Project Web site at crosswire.com/sword/modules. Here you will find tons of Bible texts, dictionaries, glossaries, commentaries, devotionals, maps and various translations. You should know to download the Mac versions.
The latest version of MacSword uses what’s called an “integrated deployment module.” The MacSword installer creates a folder called “Sword” in your Mac’s ~/Library/Application Support/Sword/ folder (the “~” symbol refers to the name of the root directory that is usually used for your computer. But you don’t have to worry about this, because the new Module Installer does everything He will take care of you.
How to Install MacSword Modules
We will try to start by inserting the King James version of the Bible. If you haven’t done so already, download the MacSword application. Then go up to the MacSword pull-down menu and select Module Installer. If the Installer module asks you if you want to confirm the Crosswire connection, say to do so. When you’re in the Module Manager, you can select the triangle next to the word “Crosswire” and see a breakdown of the categories of modules that are available. Let’s go under the Holy Bible and scroll down to find the Holy Bible. This is a simple setup. Click on the right option and “Install”. The item will be tagged for installation. Finally, click “Processing Tasks” at the top of the window and MacSword will install your module for you. Now restart MacSword and you will find it under the Bible section of Macsword. Some of the other big modules can also be installed. Find the most comments and devotions available for MacSword.
How to use it
Now that you have your Bible module, how do you use it? Well milk MacSword and choose the Bible translation you use. When the main window for the Bible module appears, you can select a book and chapter and verse from the drop-down at the top of the window. The books are listed in the same order as in the traditional Bibles.
If you want to look up a word in the Bible. Select “Find” from the View menu pull-down and search! Remember that the program will have to tell the Bible first to find the word you are looking for. When the search is complete, you will be presented with results showing every line that contains your query.
You can also choose to illustrate the words of Jesus in the New Testament as in the traditional Bibles. To turn this on, go to the “Options” pull-down menu and “Highlight Jesus Word”, and all the words of Jesus will be turned into red text. The Options menu includes other handy features such as adding in Valid’s Concordance numbers to all of the words in the text and these are clickable where you can view the original Greek with notes from the Strong’s Concordance.
It is amazing that MacSword is a great software available completely free of charge. So head over to MacSword.com and test drive this great Mac application and see if you can increase your daily Bible. reading and studying Good bye!
