No matter whether you’re looking for more detail about biblical people and places, background on significant historical events, or insight into a theological topic, Factbook will get you started. Factbook is one of the most powerful features of Verbum, and it makes almost any biblical or theological term easily searchable.
To use Factbook, start by entering something you are exploring in the Topic or Reference box. Then, select the precise item to study from the dropdown list, select the lens through which you want to study the article (biblical, theological, information from your library, etc) examine the different sections presented and find relevant information drawn from a combination of Verbum-provided data and resources in your Library. Many Factbook sections allow subscribers to summarize individual results using AI Credits.
Considering a Verbum subscription? Let us help you choose.
In this article we will look at how to open Factbook and then go through a number of examples showing how to use it as a starting point for study.
Note: This feature is available to all users.
Skip ahead to:
Study an Original Language Word
Using Books to Assist Your Research
Asking Questions to Explore Further
Accessing Factbook Using Factbook Tags
Open Factbook
You can open Factbook by clicking the Factbook icon on the toolbar.
Alternatively, you can select it from the Tools menu.
Study a Biblical Passage
The Factbook provides a great starting point to engage with a biblical passage, with access to a wide variety of information at the click of a button. We will look at John 2:1-12.
The Factbook article starts by showing the biblical text itself and follows this with a number of different sections - many of which provide links to other Factbook articles.
To find out more about the jars that Jesus commanded to be filled with water, click the link to open that Factbook article which, in turn, provides access to more information.
To examine the Greek term, while keeping the current article open, right-click the link and choose to open it in a new tab.
This provides access to lexicons and additional reference material.
To get back to the original article on the passage, click the back arrow at the top right of the panel.
Here, the Biblical Events section shows where this story fits within the wider ministry of Jesus, while the Reported Speech section makes it easy to understand how the different speakers interacted with each other within the context of the story. Right-click any of the links to find out a bit more about the people involved.
To see what commentaries in your library say about this passage, click one in the Commentaries section:
Note: If you have a Verbum subscription, you can one-click summarize commentary entries to determine if your study would benefit from reading the full entry.
If you want to explore the passage in even more detail, there are a range of options in the Dig Deeper section such as the ability to open an Exegetical Guide on the passage.
Study a Biblical Event
Sometimes, when studying a biblical passage it is really helpful to know where the events it is describing fit within the wider biblical story and the Factbook tool is a great place to start.
In this example, we are going to look at when Jesus was transfigured on a high mountain.
Right-click somewhere in the passage, select the event on the left of the context menu and then click the link to the Factbook tool on the right.
In addition to showing the key passages where this event is described and referenced, the Events section shows that this takes place in the period of Jesus' northern ministry. Right-click the link and open a new Factbook tab to see the Factbook article describing that period to see where the transfiguration fits within that.
The Factbook Tags section shows where in your books the event is "tagged" as it is discussed. Click one of these tags to open that book directly to the tagged reference.
The Dig Deeper section provides links to other Factbook articles about key people, places, and things within the passage and more. Open one to examine it in more detail.
Study a Biblical Book
If you are reading a biblical passage, or starting to study a biblical book, it can be really helpful to get an overview of the whole book and, again, the Factbook tool can help with this.
Enter the book into the tool and select the option you require from the dropdown menu.
From here, you can access commentaries that discuss the book and see where the different people (or places and things) occur within it.
There are many other sections within this article, all of which provide helpful information about the book but the two main sections for our purposes are the Bible Book Guide and Dictionaries.
The Bible Book Guide section contains many links to books in your library that discuss different aspects of the book you are studying. Click these links to explore what commentators have said about the purpose of the letter, when it was written (by whom and for whom as well), where it fits within the canon, and much more.
The Dictionaries section contains links to articles in dictionaries in your library that discuss the book you are studying.
Note: If you have a Verbum subscription, you can one-click summarize commentary entries to determine if your study would benefit from reading the full entry.
The Dig Deeper section provides links to other Factbook articles relevant to the book as well as links to other Verbum tools and capabilities designed to enable deeper study.
Study a Topic
The Factbook tool is helpful when starting a study on a general topic - we'll use resurrection as an example. Enter resurrection into the reference box to get a list of options that relate to this topic. You will see a range of options. For this example, we'll select the Resurrection entry.
I've selected the Library lens to just focus on sections in the article that show books in your library that explore the topic.
The first section, provides quick access to a dictionary article on this topic while the second provides links to additional dictionaries in your Bible. Click one of the links to open the dictionary to the relevant article.
Note: The actual book shown in the first section of the Factbook article will depend on what books you have in your library and how they are prioritized.
The Cultural Concepts section provides links to books in your library that refer to this concept, while the Journals section provides links to journals that are discussing it.
The Sermons section provides links to sermons in your library that have been preached on the topic.
The Preaching Resources section provides links to books in your library that speak about the topic, grouped to help you find useful material for different stages of preparing for preaching.
The Books section provides links to books in your library that particularly focus on this topic while the Factbook Tabs section provides links to books that have been tagged with this topic.
Study a Theological Topic
The Factbook tool is also helpful when starting a study on a theological topic - we'll use the Trinity as an example. Enter trinity into the reference box to get a list of options that relate to this topic. You will see a range of options. For this example, we'll select the Systematic Theology entry.
I've selected the Theological lens to just focus on sections in the article that engage with the theology of the topic. The first section, drawn from the Lexham Survey of Theology, is a great way to start exploring this topic either within the Factbook article itself or by accessing up the entire discussion in the linked book.
Note: The actual book shown in the first section of the Factbook article will depend on what books you have in your library and how they are prioritized.
You can also see key biblical passages that speak about the Trinity, and open your Top Bible filtered to just show those passages enabling you to really focus on what they say. Or you can save them in a Passage List for later study.
The Related Topics section shows where this topic fits within a wider hierarchy of topics. For this theme it shows that:
- The doctrine of the Trinity is seen as an aspect of the Doctrine of the Triune God
- The doctrine of the Trinity takes into account Historical Development of the Doctrine of the Trinity, Plurality, The Trinity and Scripture and The Unity of the Trinity
Use the other sections in the article to get access to books in your library that explore the topic in more detail.
Study an Original Language Word
Sometimes when studying a passage it can be really useful to explore the meaning of the underlying original language - such as trying to understand what is meant by the word often translated as Blessed at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.
Right-click the word, ensure the lemma option is selected on the left of the context menu and then select the Factbook option on the right. This opens the Factbook to the article on that word enabling you to study it in more detail.
The first section is drawn from your highest prioritized lexicon with a discussion of that word - you can either study it within the Factbook or click the original language word to open the lexicon to that place.
Sometimes, looking at where this word is mentioned in other lexicons (or similar reference works) can provide greater background on the use of the word - and the Factbook Tags section provides links to some of these.
For a really deep study of the word, open the Bible Word Study Guide from the Dig Deeper section.
Study a Counseling Theme
The Factbook tool also provides helpful information about Counseling themes - and includes a specific Counseling Lens. For this example, we'll select the Grace Counseling Theme and view it through the Counseling Lens. The first section contains an article on this theme from a book in your library enabling you to start exploring this theme either within the Factbook article itself or by accessing the entire discussion in the linked book.
You can also see key biblical passages that speak about this Counseling Theme, and open your Top Bible filtered to just show those passages enabling you to focus on what they say. Or you can save them in a Passage List for later study.
The Related Topics section provides links to other Factbook articles that may provide more context while the Counseling Resources section provides links to resources in your library that speak about the theme as well as links to external websites.
Use the other sections in the article to get access to books in your library or other Verbum tools that help you explore the topic in more detail.
Study Ancient Texts
The Factbook tool also provides direct links to ancient biblical and non-biblical texts, and commentaries on those texts. For this example, we'll select Josephus' work Antiquities of the Jews and view it through the Library Lens. The Commentaries section contains links to commentaries or scholarly studies on the text you are studying. Click a link to open the commentary itself.
The Texts section contains links to the texts themselves - and you can group this information either by language or by book. Click a link to open the linked resource.
If Factbook finds results in books you don't own, it marks them with a padlock icon . These appear below a line, keeping them separate from your unlocked articles. Click the link to open a panel with links to purchase options and a preview of the resource.
If Factbook finds results in books you own but don't have downloaded to your device, it marks them with a cloud icon . Click the link to open a panel with options to either download or it open it in the web app as well as a preview of the resource.
Using Books to Assist Your Research
As shown in the examples above, Factbook articles have a range of sections that provide access to Commentaries, Dictionaries, Journals, and more that relate to the word or theme you're studying. Some of them also contain a Books section that provides links to particularly relevant books - and within this section you can group the results by class such as Type or Author if you wish.
The information shown in this section depends on the Lens you have selected to view the article - the entry on the left shows the section with the Library lens selected, while the entry on the right shows the same section with the Theological lens selected. This helps in identifying books that relate to the theme you are studying and also the particular focus you have.
The Store tab shows relevant books in the Logos catalog that you don't currently own - again the selected lens impacts which books are shown.
More generally, the Discover lens (at the far right of the lens ribbon) shows books you don't own that are related to the theme you're studying. If you click one of the results you are taken to a preview of the book with an option to purchase it. The examples below show entries for Peter and the book of Romans.
Note: The Discover Lens is only shown if you have Prefer Local Data set to No in Program Settings.
Asking Questions to Explore Further
For most topics, and most lenses, the Questions to Ask section suggests some questions regarding the topic to think about and suggests some possible answers. The questions suggested take account of the lens you are using to study the topic as shown below:
To engage with one of the questions, click it to see an AI-generated response with footnotes to the resources used to generate it. There is also an option to Ask a follow-up question that will open the Study Assistant pre-populated with the current question and answer, giving you the opportunity to explore further.
Accessing Factbook Using Factbook Tags
The case studies above involve typing a term into the Factbook reference box and selecting from a range of options or accessing the Factbook tool from the Context Menu. It is also possible to open the Tool to an entry directly from the biblical text using the Factbook Visual Filter.
Factbook tags add millions of tags to resources so that more detailed information is only a click away. With Factbook tags, you can hover over the tagged text to get a brief definition or click to find more details.
You can enable Factbook Tags from the Factbook Tags menu in the Formatting tab. In there, you will see options to select particular types of tags you would like to be displayed in the text. With this enabled, words that are tagged will show a dotted blue underline.
Hover over the tagged text for a brief definition, or click the tag to open the associated Factbook entry.
Along with the tags included in Verbum, users can tag any text and share it with the community. Currently, Factbook tags are only available on Verbum Desktop. Learn more about Factbook Tags here.
Additional Resources
Skip ahead to:
Study an Original Language Word
Using Books to Assist Your Research
Asking Questions to Explore Further
Open Factbook
If you are using a tablet, you can open Factbook by tapping the Factbook icon on the toolbar.
On a phone, you can select it from the More Items Menu (this option is also available for tablets).
Study a Biblical Passage
The Factbook provides a great starting point to engage with a biblical passage, with access to a wide variety of information at the tap of a link. We will look at John 2:1-12.
The Factbook article starts by showing the biblical text itself and follows this with a number of different sections - many of which provide links to other Factbook articles. In the Biblical Events section, you can filter the type of events shown to just match those you are interested in.
To find out more about the jars that Jesus commanded to be filled with water, tap the link to open that Factbook article which, in turn, provides access to more information.
To examine the underlying Greek term, tap the link.
This provides access to lexicons and additional reference material.
To get back to the original article on the passage, tap twice the back arrow at the top right of the panel.
Here, the Biblical Events section shows where this story fits within the wider ministry of Jesus, while the Reported Speech section makes it easy to understand how the different speakers interacted with each other within the context of the story. Tap any of the links to find out a bit more about the people involved.
To see what commentaries in your library say about this passage, tap one in the Commentaries section.
Study a Biblical Event
Sometimes, when studying a biblical passage it is helpful to know where the events it is describing fit within the wider biblical story and the Factbook tool is a great place to start.
In this example, we are going to look at when Jesus was transfigured on a high mountain.
Start entering the word transfigure in the Factbook tool and select the required event from the dropdown.
In addition to showing the key passages where this event is described and referenced, the Events section shows that this takes place in the period of Jesus' northern ministry. Tap the link to see the Factbook article describing that period to see where the transfiguration fits within that.
The Factbook Tags section shows where in your books the event is "tagged" as it is discussed. Tap one of these tags to open that book directly to the tagged reference.
The Dig Deeper section provides links to other Factbook articles about key people, places, and things within the passage and more. Open one to examine it in more detail.
Study a Biblical Book
If you are reading a biblical passage, or starting to study a biblical book, it can be really helpful to get an overview of the whole book and, again, the Factbook tool can help with this.
Enter the book into the tool and select the option you require from the dropdown menu.
From here, you can access commentaries that discuss the book to explore it in more detail.
You can also find out information about the different people (or places and things) occur within it.
There are many other sections within this article, all of which provide helpful information about the book but the two main sections for our purposes are the Bible Book Guide and Dictionaries.
The Bible Book Guide section contains many links to books in your library that discuss different aspects of the book you are studying. Tap these links to explore what commentators have said about the purpose of the letter, when it was written (by whom and for whom as well), where it fits within the canon, and much more.
The Dictionaries section contains links to articles in dictionaries in your library that discuss the book you are studying.
The Dig Deeper section provides links to other Factbook articles relevant to the book as well as links to other Verbum tools and capabilities designed to enable deeper study.
Study a Topic
The Factbook tool is helpful when starting a study on a general topic - we'll use resurrection as an example. Enter resurrection into the reference box to get a list of options that relate to this topic. You will see a range of options. For this example, we'll select the Resurrection entry, and I've selected the Library lens to just focus on sections in the article that show books in your library that explore the topic.
The first section, provides quick access to a dictionary article on this topic while the second provides links to additional dictionaries in your Bible. Tap one of the links to open the dictionary to the relevant article.
Note: The actual book shown in the first section of the Factbook article will depend on what books you have in your library and how they are prioritized.
The Cultural Concepts section provides links to books in your library that refer to this concept. Tap a link to see a popup and tap the Open button to open the book to the relevant place.
The Journals section provides links to journals that are discussing the topic, while the Sermons section provides links to sermons in your library that have been preached on the topic.
The Preaching Resources section provides links to books in your library that speak about the topic, grouped to help you find useful material for different stages of preparing for preaching. The Books section provides links to books in your library that particularly focus on this topic while the Factbook Tabs section provides links to books that have been tagged with this topic.
Study a Theological Topic
The Factbook tool is also helpful when starting a study on a theological topic - we'll use the Trinity as an example. Enter trinity into the reference box to get a list of options that relate to this topic. You will see a range of options. For this example, we'll select the Systematic Theology entry, and I've selected the Theological lens to just focus on sections in the article that engage with the theology of the topic.
Note: If you don't see the Theological lens as an option, tap the arrow on the far right of the lens header and select it from the dropdown.
The first section, drawn from the Lexham Survey of Theology, is a great way to start exploring this topic either within the Factbook article itself or by accessing up the entire discussion in the linked book.
Note: The actual book shown in the first section of the Factbook article will depend on what books you have in your library and how they are prioritized.
You can see key biblical passages that speak about the Trinity.
And you can save them in a Passage List for later study.
The Related Topics section shows where this topic fits within a wider hierarchy of topics. For this theme it shows that:
- The doctrine of the Trinity is seen as an aspect of the Doctrine of the Triune God
- The doctrine of the Trinity takes into account Historical Development of the Doctrine of the Trinity, Plurality, The Trinity and Scripture and The Unity of the Trinity
Use the other sections in the article to get access to books in your library that explore the topic in more detail. Tap a link to open the associated resource to the relevant place.
Study an Original Language Word
Sometimes when studying a passage it can be really useful to explore the meaning of the underlying original language - such as trying to understand what is meant by the word often translated as Blessed at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.
To enter the original language lemma into the Factbook, tap and hold the word in your translation and select the Word Info option. Make a note of the transliterated form of the word.
Press and hold the transliterated form of the word and then copy it from the popup menu.
Paste the transliterated form in the Factbook and select the required option from the dropdown. This opens the Factbook to the article on that word enabling you to study it in more detail.
The first section is drawn from your highest prioritized lexicon with a discussion of that word - you can either study it within the Factbook or tap the original language word to open the lexicon to that place.
Sometimes, looking at where this word is mentioned in other lexicons (or similar reference works) can provide greater background on the use of the word - and the Factbook Tags section provides links to some of these.
For a really deep study of the word, open the Bible Word Study Guide from the Dig Deeper section.
Study a Counseling Theme
The Factbook tool also provides helpful information about Counseling themes - we'll use Grace as an example. Enter Grace into the reference box to get a list of options that relate to this topic. For this example, we'll select the Grace Counseling Theme and I've selected the Counseling Lens to just focus on sections in the article that engage with this aspect.
Note: If you don't see the Counseling lens as an option, tap the arrow on the far right of the lens header and select it from the dropdown.
The first section contains an article on this theme from a book in your library enabling you to start exploring this theme either within the Factbook article itself or by accessing the entire discussion in the linked book.
You can also see key biblical passages that speak about this Counseling Theme.
And you can save them in a Passage List for later study.
The Related Topics section provides links to other Factbook articles that may provide more context.
And the Counseling Resources section provides links to resources in your library that speak about the theme but also links to external websites.
Use the other sections in the article to get access to books in your library or other Verbum tools that help you explore the topic in more detail.
Using Books to Assist Your Research
As shown in the examples above, Factbook articles have a range of sections that provide access to Commentaries, Dictionaries, Journals, and more that relate to the word or theme you are studying. Some of them also contain a Books section that provides links to particularly relevant books - and within this section you can group the results by class such as Type or Author if you wish.
The information shown in this section depends on the Lens you have selected to view the article - the entry on the left shows the section with the Library lens selected, while the entry on the right shows the same section with the Theological lens selected. This helps in identifying books that relate to the theme you are studying and also the particular focus you have.
The Store tab shows relevant books in the Logos catalog that you don't currently own - again the selected lens impacts the books shown.
More generally, the Discover lens shows books you don't own that are related to the theme you are studying. If you tap one of the results you are taken to a preview of the book with an option to purchase it. The examples below show entries for Peter and the book of Romans.
Note: If you don't see the Discover lens as an option, tap the arrow on the far right of the lens header and select it from the dropdown.
Asking Questions to Explore Further
For most topics, and most lenses, the Questions to Ask section suggests some questions regarding the topic to think about and suggests some possible answers. The questions suggested take account of the lens you are using to study the topic as shown below:
To engage with one of the questions, tap it to see an AI-generated response with footnotes to the resources used to generate it.
There is also an option to Ask a follow-up question that will open the Study Assistant pre-populated with the current question and answer, giving you the opportunity to explore further.