Bible Study Tools: Font Styles and the Bible

Did you know that sometimes your Bible translation is giving you vital information that is hidden in plain sight? When there is a change in the font style make sure you pay attention because that small change can make a big difference in your reading and interpretation. For example, the text of Joshua 2:5 (KJV) looks like this: “And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate.” The phrase, “about the time,” is in italics because that prepositional phrase does not show up in the original Hebrew. In the context of Joshua 2:5, the spies that Joshua sent out to Jericho were making plans to leave the city and head back to the Israelite camp right before the gates of the city were shut for the night. For the sake of clarity, the English Bible translators felt that the phrase, “about the time,” would help smooth out the verse, and it does ... try reading the verse with the phrase and I think you will get my point. Here’s a helpful tip: be careful with any Bible interpretation that depends solely on italicized words.

The use of small capital letters is found in most English translations especially when it comes to the name of God. In Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) the text looks like this: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Notice that the name “LORD” is in all capital letters. This is a Bible publishers’ technique to inform the reader that the Hebrew word being translated in this passage is the divine name YHWH (“Yahweh”). The point is that the Bible publishers wanted to distinguish the divine name from the generic word for “lord, master,” which is Adonai. The presence or absence of the sacred name in a particular passage can make a difference in how a passage is read. On some occasions both the divine and generic names for God are used in a single verse, it looks like this: But Abram said, “O Lord GOD...” (Gen.15:2). Notice that when these two names occur in tandem, the sacred name always retains all capital letters.

Want to know more about your Bible’s font styles? Check out your Bible’s preface.