ESV Cross-Reference System
The ESV Digital Edition includes one of the most extensive and useful cross-reference systems available. The ESV cross-reference system is based on a comprehensive system developed more than a hundred years ago by a team of Bible scholars from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. As far as possible this system also included the cross-references used in the original King James Version of 1611. The resulting cross-reference system was first used in the English Revised Version (RV) and has been highly regarded around the world for its effectiveness in showing the internal interrelationship of the text throughout the Bible.
The cross-reference system as it appears in the ESV Digital Edition has been adapted as needed from the RV system for use with the ESV text. In some cases, therefore, the specific wording of the reference passage may differ, although the underlying meaning and relationship to the referenced text is normally the same.
Because the ESV is an essentially literal, word-for-word translation, the ESV is especially suited for cross-reference study of key words and concepts throughout the Bible.
Types of Cross-References
The ESV cross-reference system includes several types of cross-references, some of which are illustrated here from Romans 3:3-4. These include:
- References to Specific Words or Phrases. References to words and phrases within the same chapter appear as, e.g., “ver. 7”; within the same book, as, e.g., “ch. 9:6”; in other books of the Bible, as, e.g., “Heb. 4:2.”
- Comparative References. These references direct the reader to passages with the same theme and are indicated by square brackets, e.g., “[ch. 9:6; 2 Tim. 2:13].” In this example the theme of God’s faithfulness as found in Romans 3:3 is cross-referenced with the same theme found later in Romans 9:6 and in 2 Timothy 2:13.
- References to Collections of References. These references direct the reader to verses that contain a collection of cross-references on a specific word, phrase, or theme. They are indicated by the word “See” when it is paired with a specific verse, e.g., “See John 8:26.” In this example the reader is directed to John 8:26, where a cross-reference on the phrase “he who sent me is true” lists other verses that contain a similar phrase.
- References to Longer Parallel Passages. These references point to longer passages that closely parallel the current passage. They indicate the length of both passages using the phrase “For . . . , see . . .” For example, a cross-reference at the beginning of the parable of the sower in Matthew states, “For ver. 1–15, see Mark 4:1–12; Luke 8:4–10.”
- Less Direct References. These references direct the reader to longer passages that share a similar theme or provide explanatory context. These are indicated by the word “See” when it is paired with a verse range. For example, a cross-reference on “turned their rivers to blood” in Psalm 78:44 says, “See Ex. 7:17–24,” pointing to the passage describing when God turned the waters of Egypt to blood.
- Quoted References. These references indicate both where a verse or phrase is quoted elsewhere in the Bible and, in the case of such a quotation, its original source, e.g., “Cited from Ps. 51:4.”
The notations “(Heb.)” and “(Gk.)” indicate that the reference is clearer in Hebrew or Greek than in English. “(Gk.)” in New Testament citations of the Old Testament indicates that the reference is most clear in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament.