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Notes in the margin.

Plain answers to the questions people ask while they read the Bible, with the passage quoted in full.

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16But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
Ruth 1:16-17, ESV

Verses explained ·

Ruth 1:16 Meaning: A Widow's Loyal Promise to Naomi

Ruth 1:16-17 is a widow's promise to her mother-in-law on a road out of Moab. Read the verses in context and see what Ruth binds herself to, and why.

Read the note, 7 min

Psalm 100:1-5

Psalm 100 Meaning: Why Thanksgiving Leads to Praise

Psalm 100 calls all the earth to worship with gladness, grounded in God's creation, care, goodness, and faithfulness. Read each verse in context.

7 min

Galatians 6:9

Galatians 6:9 Meaning: Keep Doing Good While You Wait

Galatians 6:9 asks you not to tire of doing good. Read it with verses 7 to 10 to see what Paul means by sowing, the harvest, and due season.

7 min

2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 Meaning: New Creation in Christ

Paul's new creation line sits inside a passage about Christ's death and reconciliation. Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 to see what changes and what does not.

7 min

Jeremiah 1:5

Jeremiah 1:5 Meaning: A Prophet Called Before Birth

In Jeremiah 1:5, God tells Jeremiah he knew, set apart, and appointed him as a prophet before birth. Read the call in Jeremiah 1:4-10 and what it means.

8 min

All notes 75

Verses explained

All 53
Ruth 1:16 Meaning: A Widow's Loyal Promise to NaomiRuth 1:16-17 · 7 minPsalm 100 Meaning: Why Thanksgiving Leads to PraisePsalm 100:1-5 · 7 minGalatians 6:9 Meaning: Keep Doing Good While You WaitGalatians 6:9 · 7 min2 Corinthians 5:17 Meaning: New Creation in Christ2 Corinthians 5:17 · 7 minJeremiah 1:5 Meaning: A Prophet Called Before BirthJeremiah 1:5 · 8 minRomans 3:23 Meaning: Why All Need God's GraceRomans 3:23 · 7 minMatthew 5:16 Meaning: Good Works That Point to GodMatthew 5:14-16 · 7 minProverbs 22:6 Meaning: Guiding a Child Without GuaranteesProverbs 22:6 · 8 minColossians 3:23 Meaning: Working for the Lord in ContextColossians 3:23-24 · 7 minJohn 15:5 Meaning: Abiding in Jesus and Bearing FruitJohn 15:5 · 7 minThe Ten Commandments List: Verses, Order, and MeaningExodus 20:1-17 · 8 minIsaiah 53 Meaning: The Suffering Servant in ContextIsaiah 53:1-3 · 7 minPsalm 37:4 Meaning: Delight in God and Your DesiresPsalm 37:4 · 7 minGenesis 1:1 Meaning: God and the Opening of CreationGenesis 1:1-5 · 6 minJohn 1:1 Meaning: The Word, God, and the BeginningJohn 1:1-5 · 8 minThe Great Commission: What Making Disciples InvolvesMatthew 28:16-17 · 7 minDeuteronomy 31:6 Meaning: Courage as Leadership ChangesDeuteronomy 31:6 · 7 minEcclesiastes 3:1 Meaning: A Time for EverythingEcclesiastes 3:1-8 · 7 minLamentations 3:22-23 Meaning: Mercy Amid DevastationLamentations 3:22-23 · 7 minHebrews 4:12 Meaning: God's Word Exposes the HeartHebrews 4:12 · 8 minPsalm 139 Meaning: Known by God and Asking to Be SearchedPsalm 139:1-6 · 8 minGod Is Love Meaning in 1 John 4:8: Love Shown in Christ1 John 4:8 · 8 minRomans 5:8 Meaning: Love Shown Before We Deserved ItRomans 5:8 · 7 minJohn 14:6 Meaning: Jesus as the Way to the FatherJohn 14:6 · 8 minMicah 6:8 Meaning: Justice, Kindness, and HumilityMicah 6:8 · 7 minPsalm 91 Meaning: Refuge Without Testing GodPsalm 91:1-4 · 8 minPsalm 27:1 meaning: confidence when fear is nearPsalm 27:1 · 8 min1 Peter 5:7 Meaning: Casting Your Anxieties on God1 Peter 5:7 · 8 minJames 1:2-4 Meaning: How Trials Can Grow EnduranceJames 1:2-4 · 7 minEphesians 2:8-9 Meaning: Grace, Faith, and Good WorksEphesians 2:8-9 · 8 minGalatians 2:20 Meaning: Living by Faith in ChristGalatians 2:20 · 8 min2 Timothy 1:7 Meaning: Courage to Bear Witness2 Timothy 1:7 · 7 minPhilippians 4:6-7 meaning: prayer and guarding peacePhilippians 4:6-7 · 8 minCome to Me All Who Are Weary Meaning: Rest and a YokeMatthew 11:28-30 · 7 minIsaiah 40:31 meaning: strength for those who waitIsaiah 40:31 · 7 minJoshua 1:9 meaning: courage rooted in God's presenceJoshua 1:9 · 8 minArmor of God: What Each Piece Means in EphesiansEphesians 6:10-18 · 8 minBe Still and Know That I Am God: Meaning in ContextPsalm 46:10 · 7 minFruit of the Spirit: What Each Quality MeansGalatians 5:16-18 · 7 minHebrews 11:1 Meaning: Faith, Assurance, and HopeHebrews 11:1 · 7 minIsaiah 41:10 Meaning: Why Israel Need Not FearIsaiah 41:10 · 7 minJeremiah 29:11 meaning: a promise to the exilesJeremiah 29:11 · 7 minJohn 3:16 meaning: why God gave his only SonJohn 3:16-17 · 7 minLove Is Patient, Love Is Kind: Meaning in Context1 Corinthians 13:1-3 · 7 minPhilippians 4:13 meaning: contentment in needPhilippians 4:13 · 6 minProverbs 3:5-6 meaning: trust beyond your own wisdomProverbs 3:5-6 · 6 minPsalm 119:105 meaning: a lamp for your next stepPsalm 119:105 · 7 minPsalm 23 meaning: a guide to every verse of the psalmPsalm 23:1-6 · 7 minRomans 12:2 meaning: how a renewed mind changes youRomans 12:1-2 · 8 minRomans 8:28 Meaning: What Working for Good MeansRomans 8:28 · 7 minSeek First the Kingdom of God: Meaning in ContextMatthew 6:33 · 6 minThe Beatitudes Explained: Whom Jesus Calls BlessedMatthew 5:3-12 · 7 minThe Lord's Prayer Explained, One Line at a TimeMatthew 6:9-13 · 7 min

Reading plans

All 7
Bible in a Year Reading Plan: What Each Day Looks LikePsalm 1:1-3 · 7 minBible Reading Plan for Beginners: Your First 30 DaysMark 1:1 · 7 minHow Long Does It Take to Listen to the Bible?Romans 10:17 · 6 minHow Long Does It Take to Read the New Testament?Luke 1:1-4 · 7 minHow Long Does It Take to Read the Whole Bible?Psalm 119:105 · 6 minHow Many Chapters a Day to Read the Bible in a Year?Psalm 119:105 · 7 minWhat Order to Read the Bible: Three Ways to BeginLuke 24:27 · 7 min
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23, ESV

from Romans 3:23 Meaning: Why All Need God's Grace

How to study

All 6
Bible Reading Notes: What to Keep Beside a PassagePsalm 119:11 · 7 minBible Verse Context: How to Read What Surrounds ItJeremiah 29:11 · 7 minHow to Meditate on Scripture Through Repeated ReadingPsalm 1:2-3 · 7 minHow to Read the Bible for Beginners: A Place to Start2 Timothy 3:16-17 · 7 minHow to Study the Bible: Observe, Interpret, ApplyActs 17:11 · 7 minSOAP Bible Study Method: Four Steps for One PassageJoshua 1:8 · 7 min

Habits

All 5
Audio Bible App: What to Check Before You ChooseRomans 10:17 · 7 minBehind on a Bible Reading Plan? Begin Again HereLamentations 3:22-23 · 7 minBest Time to Read the Bible: Find a Time You Can KeepMark 1:35 · 7 minDaily Bible Reading Habit: Make Room for One PassagePsalm 1:1-3 · 7 minListen to the Bible While Driving: Keep the Passage in MindRomans 10:17 · 7 min

Bible facts

All 3
How Many Books Are in the Bible? How the Canons DifferLuke 24:44 · 7 minHow Many Chapters Are in the Bible? A Book-by-Book CountPsalm 117:1-2 · 7 minLongest Chapter in the Bible: Words and Verses ComparedPsalm 117:1-2 · 7 min

People and places

All 1
Who Were the Bereans? A Closer Look at Acts 17Acts 17:10-12 · 6 min

Genesis to Revelation

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