Where the text and study data come from.
VerseStudy keeps Bible text, study data, cross-reference data, comparison text, and scholarly citations distinct. This page explains what each source contributes and how it is used without implying that every source can be copied or reused in the same way.
World English Bible Classic
How VerseStudy uses it: Primary English Scripture text in the Gospel of John reader.
Licence/status: Public domain.
Attribution: World English Bible Classic (WEB), public domain.
VerseStudy uses the World English Bible Classic text from eBible. The WEB text is public domain; the current John reader is based on the official source dated 26 August 2026.
Source role: Rendered Scripture
STEPBible Data
How VerseStudy uses it: Greek lemmas, transliteration, glosses, sense ranges, and lexical references used in John 3 word studies.
Licence/status: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.
Attribution: STEP Bible / STEPBible.org data, created initially by Tyndale House Cambridge and now curated by STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
STEPBible is an actively maintained dataset. VerseStudy treats its lexical fields as study aids and keeps word conclusions tied to the immediate passage rather than treating a gloss as a complete interpretation.
Source role: Study-data source
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets
How VerseStudy uses it: Greek linguistic and morphology information used to cross-check original-language study notes.
Licence/status: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.
Attribution: MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/.
MACULA is an actively maintained linguistic dataset. Its own source and licence conditions continue to apply to incorporated data.
Source role: Study-data cross-check
OpenBible.info Bible Cross References
How VerseStudy uses it: Verse-to-verse relationship data used to suggest useful biblical connections.
Licence/status: Creative Commons Attribution.
Attribution: Cross-reference relationship data from OpenBible.info, used under CC Attribution.
VerseStudy uses the relationship data and writes its own explanation of why a connection matters. ESV quotation text shown by OpenBible.info is not copied into VerseStudy.
Source role: Relationship data
Berean Standard Bible
How VerseStudy uses it: A public-domain comparison translation used where a checked comparison is available.
Licence/status: Public domain.
The Berean Standard Bible publisher states that the Berean Bible texts were placed in the public domain. VerseStudy currently uses it only in a limited checked comparison.
Source role: Checked comparison text
Who Says That God Loves the World?
How VerseStudy uses it: A scholarly source used to document that speaker attribution in John 3 remains disputed.
Licence/status: Copyrighted scholarly work; citation and link only.
Attribution: Stuart Benjamin Langley, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The dissertation is linked and cited as evidence; its copyrighted prose is not reproduced as VerseStudy content.
Source role: Citation / link only
NET Bible textual-critical note on John 7:53–8:11
How VerseStudy uses it: A textual-critical source used for the manuscript-history disclosure surrounding John 7:53–8:11.
Licence/status: Copyrighted study note; citation and link only.
The NET Bible study note is citation-only. VerseStudy paraphrases the relevant high-level manuscript point and links readers to the source rather than copying the note.
Source role: Citation / link only
How these sources are combined
- Scripture: the Bible text remains separate from VerseStudy commentary.
- Study data: language and cross-reference datasets support notes, but VerseStudy adds its own contextual explanation.
- Citation-only sources: copyrighted scholarship may be cited and linked without reproducing the source prose.
Translation and copyright boundaries
VerseStudy does not assume that a Bible translation or scholarly work is reusable merely because it can be read online. Translation text is rendered only where its licence permits that use. Copyrighted study material is linked or paraphrased within appropriate limits rather than silently copied into the site.
See Methodology for how the study layer is built, and Editorial policy for source, correction, and uncertainty standards.