The Bible Search supports a rich syntax to help you find verses quickly. Below are the operators and wildcards you can use:
| Operator / Syntax | Description | Example Query & Result |
|---|---|---|
+ (or space) |
Logical AND: Finds verses containing all terms. Note that searching words separated only by a space behaves as an exact phrase. Use + to find terms anywhere in the same verse. |
jesus + weptFinds verses containing both "jesus" and "wept" in any order. |
- |
Logical NOT / Exclude: Excludes verses containing the term after the minus sign. |
jesus - weptFinds verses containing "jesus" but NOT "wept". |
| |
Logical OR: Finds verses containing either term. |
grace | mercyFinds verses containing "grace", "mercy", or both. |
% |
Multi-character Wildcard: Matches zero or more non-space characters. |
behav%Matches "behave", "behaved", "behaveth", "behavior", etc. |
_ |
Single-character Wildcard: Matches exactly one single alphabetical character. |
h_tMatches "hat", "hot", "hit", etc. |
" " |
Exact Phrase: Wraps a search term in double quotes to find an exact match for the entire phrase. |
"in the beginning"Finds verses containing exactly "in the beginning" with no variations. |
[Book] |
Search Scope: Restricts your search to a specific book, range of books, or chapter range. |
lord [Matt] (Only Matthew)faith [Heb - Jam] (Hebrews to James)spirit [Matt 4 - 8] (Matthew Ch. 4 to 8)love [John 1:1 - 3:16] (Specific range)
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“Controversies” is in the King James Bible 1 time, in 1 verse. Jump to the verses ↓
