Help Manual

Search guide

OpenScripture search is designed for fast Bible study with transparent controls. This guide explains how to choose your search area, mode, range, and syntax.

Where search appears

Search lives in the same selector flow used for books and chapters. You can open it directly from the selector header, or from the verse drawer by selecting a word or phrase and tapping Search.

Search area

  • Bibles — Search Bible text and optionally narrow to specific versions.
  • My Notes — Search your personal notes.
  • Resource Notes — Search resource and commentary note content.

Search mode

  • Passages — Standard verse-level text matching.
  • Aligned — Cross-translation search output grouped by verse reference and translation.
  • Fuzzy — Broad matching for approximate phrase forms.

Search ranges

Built-in ranges include the following:

Entire Bible, Old and New Testament, Old Testament, Apocrypha, New Testament, Torah, Nevi'im, Kethuvim, Former Prophets, Latter Prophets, Poetic Writings, Wisdom Literature, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, Gospels, Synoptics, Luke-Acts, Pauline Epistles, Pastoral Epistles, General Epistles, Petrine Epistles, Johannine Literature, Johannine Epistles, and user-defined custom ranges.

Syntax supported

Goal Example
Find both words Christ Jesus
Either one or the other Christ OR Jesus
Exclude a word Christ NOT Jesus
Exact phrase "son of man"
Wildcard (many chars) Christ*
Wildcard (single char) s?n

Ongoing updates

This article is maintained as search evolves. If behavior changes in-app, this guide is updated so that available operators and filters stay accurate.