studybible-mcp

# Study Bible MCP Server A Bible study assistant for Claude that provides full scholarly lexicons (LSJ Greek, BDB Hebrew, Abbott-Smith NT Greek), morphologically-tagged biblical texts, cross-references, Theographic genealogy graphs, Aquifer Open Study Notes, a Bible dictionary, key theological terms, Ancient Near East cultural context, and hermeneutical methodology based on Fee & Stuart's "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth". ## Quick Start ### Claude Desktop 1. Open **Settings** → **Connectors** 2. Click **Add Custom Connector** 3. Paste: `https://studybible-mcp.fly.dev/sse` 4. Restart Claude Desktop That's it. No signup, no API keys, no downloads. ### Claude Code ```bash claude mcp add study-bible https://studybible-mcp.fly.dev/sse ``` ### ChatGPT (Developer Mode) 1. Open **Settings** → **Developer Mode** → enable it 2. Go to **Actions** → **Add MCP Server** 3. Enter URL: `https://studybible-mcp.fly.dev/mcp` ### Cursor / Windsurf / Cline Add to your MCP configuration (usually `.cursor/mcp.json`, `.windsurf/mcp.json`, or Cline settings): ```json { "mcpServers": { "study-bible": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://studybible-mcp.fly.dev/sse"] } } } ``` ### Install via pip / uvx (local stdio) ```bash pip install studybible-mcp studybible-mcp --transport stdio ``` Or run directly without installing: ```bash uvx studybible-mcp --transport stdio ``` ### Manual Config (Alternative) If you prefer editing config files directly: ```json { "mcpServers": { "study-bible": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://studybible-mcp.fly.dev/sse"] } } } ``` Config file locations: - macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` - Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` - Linux: `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` --- ## How It Works ### Architecture Overview ``` ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Claude Desktop │ │ Study Bible MCP Server │ │ or Claude Code │ │ (Fly.io) │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌───────────────┐ │ MCP │ ┌─────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ │ │ │ User asks a │──┼─────┼─▶│ MCP Server │─▶│ SQLite DB (359MB) │ │ │ │ Bible question│ │ │ │ (Python) │ │ │ │ │ └───────────────┘ │ │ └─────────────┘ │ • Lexicons (LSJ, │ │ │ │ │ │ │ BDB, Abbott- │ │ │ ┌───────────────┐ │ │ ▼ │ Smith, Strong's) │ │ │ │ Claude uses │◀─┼─────┼── Tool Results │ • Tagged NT + OT │ │ │ │ 18 tools to │ │ │ │ • Names + ACAI │ │ │ │ look up data │ │ │ │ • Morphology │ │ │ └───────────────┘ │ │ │ • Study Notes │ │ │ │ │ │ • Bible Dictionary │ │ │ │ │ │ • Key Terms │ │ │ │ │ │ • ANE Context │ │ │ │ │ │ • Embeddings │ │ │ │ │ └───────────────────┘ │ └─────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` When you ask Claude a Bible question: 1. Claude analyses your question and decides which tools to use 2. Claude calls the appropriate MCP tools (e.g., `lookup_verse`, `word_study`, `get_study_notes`) 3. The server queries the pre-built SQLite database 4. Results are returned to Claude 5. Claude synthesises the data into a helpful response See [ARCHITECTURE.md](ARCHITECTURE.md) for a full Mermaid flowchart of all 18 tools and how the agent chains them together. ### The Database The server includes a pre-built SQLite database (~600MB) containing: | Table | Rows | Content | |-------|------|---------| | `lexicon` | 19,391 | Greek (Full LSJ + Abbott-Smith NT) and Hebrew (Full BDB) word definitions with Strong's numbers | | `verses` | 31,280 | Every verse of the Bible with morphology tags | | `passages` | 5,290 | Verses grouped by ancient section markers | | `names` | 4,299 | Biblical people, places, and things | | `morphology` | 2,768 | Grammatical parsing code definitions | | `thematic_references` | 22 | Core theological theme cross-references | | `aquifer_content` | 102,673 | Study notes, dictionary articles, translation notes, key terms | | `acai_entities` | 3,175 | Rich entity annotations (people, places, groups, key terms) | | `ane_entries` | 87 | Ancient Near East cultural context entries across 12 dimensions | | `ane_book_mappings` | 314 | Maps ANE entries to biblical books and chapter ranges | | `verse_vectors` | 31,280 | OpenAI embeddings for semantic search | | `passage_vectors` | 5,190 | OpenAI embeddings for passage similarity | --- You can download the pre-built database directly: **[study_bible.db](https://studybible-mcp.fly.dev/download/study_bible.db)** (~600MB) --- ## Available Tools (18) ### Core Text & Language #### 1. `lookup_verse` Retrieve a verse with its original language text and word-by-word analysis. **When Claude uses it**: User asks about a specific verse, wants to see the Greek or Hebrew text, or asks about specific words in a passage. **What it returns**: English translation, original Greek/Hebrew text, word-by-word breakdown with Strong's numbers, morphological parsing, genre-specific interpretation guidance. **Example**: ``` User: "Look up Romans 8:28 with the Greek" Claude calls: lookup_verse(reference="Romans 8:28", include_original=true) Returns: - Verse text in English - Greek: πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν... - Word analysis: συνεργεῖ (G4903) = "works together" [V-PAI-3S] - Genre guidance: "Epistles - What problem was being addressed?" ``` #### 2. `word_study` Deep dive into a Greek or Hebrew word's meaning, usage, and etymology. Greek entries include both the full Liddell-Scott-Jones (LSJ) definition for classical breadth and the Abbott-Smith definition for NT-specific insight (with LXX/Hebrew equivalents, synonym discussions, and NT occurrence counts). Hebrew entries include the full Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) definition. **When Claude uses it**: User asks about the meaning of a Greek/Hebrew word, wants to understand different translations of a term, or asks about theological concepts (love, faith, grace). **What it returns**: Original word in Greek/Hebrew script, transliteration, Strong's number, brief definition, full LSJ or BDB scholarly definition, Abbott-Smith NT-focused definition (Greek words), LXX/Hebrew cross-references, synonym discussions, NT occurrence count, etymology, usage count, semantic range, related words, example passages. **Example**: ``` User: "What does 'agape' mean in Greek?" Claude calls: word_study(strongs="G26") Returns: - ἀγάπη (agapē, G26) - Brief Definition: "love, goodwill, benevolence" - Full LSJ Definition: [scholarly entry with classical and biblical usage] - Abbott-Smith Definition: [NT-focused entry with sense hierarchy] - LXX / Hebrew Equivalents: H0160 אַהֲבָה - Synonyms: SYN.: φιλία — love which chooses its object... - NT Usage: Occurs 116 times in the New Testament - Related words: ἀγαπάω (to love), ἀγαπητός (beloved) ``` #### 3. `search_lexicon` Search across Greek and Hebrew lexicons by English meaning. **When Claude uses it**: User wants to find the Greek/Hebrew word for an English concept, asks "How do you say X in Greek?", or is exploring related words. **Example**: ``` User: "What are the Greek words for 'love'?" Claude calls: search_lexicon(query="love", language="greek") Returns: - G26 ἀγάπη - divine, unconditional love - G5368 φιλέω - brotherly, affectionate love - G2309 θέλω - desire, wish ``` #### 4. `get_cross_references` Find passages related to a verse or theological theme. **When Claude uses it**: User asks "What other passages talk about X?", wants to see Scripture interpreting Scripture, or is studying a theological theme. **Built-in themes**: `salvation_by_grace`, `deity_of_christ`, `atonement`, `resurrection`, `holy_spirit`, `justification`. **Example**: ``` User: "What passages support salvation by grace alone?" Claude calls: get_cross_references(theme="salvation_by_grace") Returns: - Genesis 15:6 - Abraham believed, credited as righteousness - Romans 3:21-26 - Righteousness through faith in Christ - Ephesians 2:8-9 - Saved by grace through faith - Titus 3:5-7 - Not by works of righteousness ``` #### 5. `lookup_name` Get information about biblical people, places, and things, enriched with ACAI entity annotations (variant names, roles, reference counts, speech attributions). **When Claude uses it**: User asks "Who was X?", wants to know about a place's significance, or asks about relationships between biblical figures. **What it returns**: Original Hebrew/Greek form, type (person, place, thing), description, key references, relationships (father, mother, children), ACAI annotations (variant names, roles, verse reference count, attributed speeches). **Example**: ``` User: "Who was Abraham?" Claude calls: lookup_name(name="Abraham") Returns: - Type: Person - Original: אַבְרָהָם - Description, key references, family relationships - ACAI: Also known as "Abram", referenced in 275 verses, 52 attributed speeches ``` #### 6. `parse_morphology` Explain Greek or Hebrew grammatical parsing codes. **When Claude uses it**: User asks what a morphology code means or wants to understand verb tense, mood, voice. **Example**: ``` User: "What does V-AAI-3S mean?" Claude calls: parse_morphology(code="V-AAI-3S", language="greek") Returns: - Part of Speech: Verb - Tense: Aorist, Voice: Active, Mood: Indicative - Person: 3rd, Number: Singular ``` #### 7. `search_by_strongs` Find all verses containing a specific Strong's number. **When Claude uses it**: User wants to see how a word is used throughout Scripture or is doing a comprehensive word study. **Example**: ``` User: "Show me all the places where 'hesed' (H2617) appears" Claude calls: search_by_strongs(strongs="H2617", limit=20) Returns: - H2617 חֶסֶד (hesed) - "lovingkindness, steadfast love" - Genesis 24:12, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 23:6, Psalm 136... ``` ### Scholarly Commentary #### 8. `get_study_notes` Get scholarly study notes and translation notes for a Bible verse or chapter. **When Claude uses it**: User wants commentary on a specific verse, help explaining a difficult passage, or translation and cultural background notes. **What it returns**: Combined commentary from three sources: Aquifer Open Study Notes (66 books of concise verse-level scholarly commentary), unfoldingWord Translation Notes (translator-focused linguistic insights), and SIL Translator Notes (additional translation and cultural context). **Example**: ``` User: "What do the study notes say about John 3:16?" Claude calls: get_study_notes(reference="John 3:16") Returns: - Aquifer Open Study Notes: [verse commentary] - Translation Notes (UW): [linguistic insights] - Translation Notes (SIL): [cultural context] ``` #### 9. `get_bible_dictionary` Look up a topic in the Tyndale Bible Dictionary. **When Claude uses it**: User needs background information on a biblical topic, historical or cultural context, or a detailed article about a person, place, or concept. **What it returns**: Full dictionary article from a collection of 500+ topical articles covering biblical people, places, theological concepts, cultural practices, historical background, and archaeological findings. **Example**: ``` User: "Tell me about the Pharisees" Claude calls: get_bible_dictionary(topic="Pharisees") Returns: Full Tyndale Bible Dictionary article with historical background, beliefs, practices, and NT context. ``` #### 10. `get_key_terms` Look up a key theological term in the FIA Key Terms database. **When Claude uses it**: User wants a precise definition of a theological term, or needs to understand how a concept is used across Scripture. **What it returns**: Definition from a collection of 200+ carefully defined theological and biblical terms with biblical usage, cross-references, and translation guidance. **Example**: ``` User: "Define the term atonement" Claude calls: get_key_terms(term="atonement") Returns: FIA Key Terms definition with biblical usage, cross-references, and translation guidance. ``` ### Graph Knowledge (Theographic Bible Metadata) #### 11. `explore_genealogy` Trace family relationships (ancestors or descendants) for a biblical person using genealogical data for 1,100+ persons. **What it returns**: Family tree with generation numbers and relationship types, immediate family (spouse, siblings), Mermaid diagram. **Example**: ``` User: "Show me the family tree of David" Claude calls: explore_genealogy(person="David", direction="both", generations=5) Returns: Ancestor chain (Jesse → Obed → Boaz...), descendants, spouse(s), siblings, Mermaid flowchart diagram. ``` #### 12. `explore_person_events` Find all events a biblical person participated in, in chronological order. **What it returns**: Timeline of a person's life events with locations and approximate dates, Mermaid timeline diagram. #### 13. `explore_place` Explore the biblical history of a geographic location. **What it returns**: Events at the location, people born or who died there, coordinates, Mermaid network diagram. #### 14. `find_connection` Find the family relationship path between two biblical people. **What it returns**: Shortest relationship path through parent, child, sibling, and partner relationships, Mermaid flowchart. **Example**: ``` User: "How are Ruth and Jesus related?" Claude calls: find_connection(person1="Ruth", person2="Jesus") Returns: Ruth → child → Obed → child → Jesse → child → David → ... → Jesus ``` #### 15. `people_in_passage` Find all people, places, and events mentioned in a Bible passage. **What it returns**: All entities mentioned in a chapter or verse according to Theographic Bible Metadata. ### Cultural Context #### 18. `get_ane_context` Retrieve Ancient Near East cultural and historical context that illuminates biblical passages. Covers 12 dimensions of ANE life across 9 time periods. **When Claude uses it**: User asks about cultural background, customs, practices, or worldview behind a passage; when understanding the original context would prevent modern misreadings. **What it returns**: Structured entries with title, summary, detailed explanation, ANE parallels from extra-biblical sources, interpretive significance, key references, and scholarly sources. **Dimensions**: Cosmology & Worldview, Religious Practices, Social Structure, Legal & Covenant, Political & Imperial, Economic Life, Literary Conventions, Warfare & Military, Daily Life & Material Culture, Death & Afterlife, Gender & Family, Education & Literacy. **Periods**: Patriarchal, Exodus/Conquest, Judges/Early Monarchy, United Monarchy, Divided Monarchy, Assyrian/Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman. **Example**: ``` User: "What's the cultural background behind Genesis 15 - the covenant ceremony?" Claude calls: get_ane_context(reference="Genesis 15:1", dimension="legal_covenant") Returns: - Suzerainty Treaty Forms: ANE covenant structure (preamble, stipulations, witnesses, curses/blessings) parallels Deuteronomy and Genesis 15 - Self-Maledictory Oath: Walking between animal halves = "may I become like these animals if I break this covenant" - ANE Parallels: Hittite suzerainty treaties, Mari covenant rituals - Interpretive Significance: God alone passes through the pieces, taking the covenant curse entirely upon himself ``` ### Hybrid Search #### 16. `graph_enriched_search` Combine passage lookup with graph context for the most comprehensive single-query view of a verse. **What it returns**: Verse text (English + original), all people/places/events mentioned, family relationships for each person mentioned. #### 17. `find_similar_passages` Discover semantically similar passages across the Bible using vector embeddings. **When Claude uses it**: User wants to find thematic connections not captured by explicit cross-references, or asks "What passages are similar to X?" **What it returns**: Similar passages ranked by semantic similarity (%), genre warnings, hermeneutical cautions. **Important**: Semantic similarity indicates shared vocabulary and concepts, but does NOT establish theological connection. The tool includes warnings to verify genre compatibility, authorial intent, and historical context. **Example**: ``` User: "Find passages similar to Daniel 7:7" Claude calls: find_similar_passages(reference="Daniel 7:7", limit=5) Returns: - Daniel 7:15-28 (70.0% similar) - interpretation of the vision - Revelation 9:17-21 (61.1% similar) - locusts with lion's teeth - Daniel 2:29-45 (60.8% similar) - Nebuchadnezzar's statue ``` --- ## How Users Interact ### Natural Language Queries Users don't need to know the tool names. They just ask questions: | User Question | Claude Uses | |--------------|-------------| | "What does John 3:16 say in Greek?" | `lookup_verse` | | "What's the Greek word for love?" | `search_lexicon` | | "Study the word 'agape'" | `word_study` | | "Who was Abraham?" | `lookup_name` | | "What other passages talk about grace?" | `get_cross_references` | | "Parse V-AAI-3S" | `parse_morphology` | | "Where else does G26 appear?" | `search_by_strongs` | | "What do the study notes say about Romans 8:28?" | `get_study_notes` | | "Look up 'covenant' in the Bible dictionary" | `get_bible_dictionary` | | "Define the key term 'atonement'" | `get_key_terms` | | "Show me David's family tree" | `explore_genealogy` | | "What events happened in Moses' life?" | `explore_person_events` | | "What's the history of Bethlehem?" | `explore_place` | | "How are Ruth and Jesus related?" | `find_connection` | | "Who are the people in Romans 8?" | `people_in_passage` | | "Give me everything about Genesis 22:1" | `graph_enriched_search` | | "Find passages similar to Daniel 7" | `find_similar_passages` | | "What's the cultural context of Genesis 15?" | `get_ane_context` | ### Example Conversation **User**: "I'm studying Romans 5:8. What does Paul mean when he says God 'demonstrates' his love?" **Claude's internal process**: 1. Look up the verse: `lookup_verse(reference="Romans 5:8")` 2. Study the key word: `word_study(word="demonstrates")` → finds G4921 συνίστημι 3. Get study notes: `get_study_notes(reference="Romans 5:8")` 4. Check cross-references for context 5. Apply genre guidance (Epistles) **Claude's response**: > In Romans 5:8, Paul uses the Greek word **συνίστημι** (synistēmi, G4921), which means "to stand together, to commend, to demonstrate." This is a present tense verb, indicating ongoing action. > > The genre context is important here: Romans is an epistle, and Paul is building an argument. In the immediate context (Romans 5:1-11), he's explaining how we have peace with God through justification by faith. Verse 8 is his proof: God didn't wait for us to become worthy, but demonstrated his love "while we were still sinners." > > The word "demonstrates" carries the sense of proving beyond doubt - not just telling us about his love, but showing it through action (Christ's death). > > Related passages on God's love demonstrated through Christ: John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10. --- ## Example Questions Try asking Claude: ``` What does John 3:16 say in Greek? Break down the key words. ``` ``` Study the word 'agape' - how is it different from other Greek words for love? ``` ``` What's the context of Romans 8:28? Who is Paul writing to and why? ``` ``` Show me cross-references for Ephesians 2:8-9 on salvation by grace. ``` ``` Who was Melchizedek and why is he significant? ``` ``` Parse the verb morphology in Philippians 2:12 - "work out your salvation" ``` ``` What does the Hebrew word 'hesed' mean? Where is it used? ``` ``` Help me understand Revelation 13 - what are these beasts? ``` ``` What do the study notes say about John 1:1? ``` ``` Look up 'baptism' in the Bible dictionary. ``` ``` Show me David's family tree going back 5 generations. ``` ``` How are Abraham and Jesus connected genealogically? ``` ``` What events happened in the life of Moses? ``` ``` Find passages similar to John 3:16 - what other verses talk about God's love like this? ``` ``` What Old Testament passages connect to Daniel's vision of the Son of Man? ``` ``` What's the Ancient Near East background for the creation account in Genesis 1? ``` ``` Explain the cultural context of covenant-making in Genesis 15. ``` --- ## Hermeneutical Framework This isn't just a reference tool. It's designed to guide users toward sound biblical interpretation. ### The Problem It Solves Common interpretation errors include: - **Proof-texting**: Using isolated verses to support predetermined conclusions - **Allegorizing**: Finding hidden meanings not intended by the author - **Ignoring genre**: Reading poetry as prose or prophecy as history - **Ignoring context**: Ripping verses from their historical and literary setting - **Moralizing**: Reducing narratives to "be good like David" ### The Fee & Stuart Method The interpretive framework is based on **"How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth"** by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart - the standard textbook for biblical hermeneutics used in seminaries worldwide. **About the authors:** - **Gordon Fee** (1934-2022): New Testament scholar, professor at Regent College, author of major commentaries on 1 Corinthians, Philippians, and Pauline theology. One of the translators of the NIV and TNIV. - **Douglas Stuart**: Old Testament scholar, professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, author of commentaries on Hosea-Jonah, Exodus, and Old Testament hermeneutics. Their book (first published 1981, now in its 4th edition) has sold over a million copies and is used as the introductory hermeneutics text at most evangelical seminaries. It teaches readers to interpret Scripture according to its literary genre, historical context, and authorial intent - avoiding both wooden literalism and uncontrolled allegorizing. The server embeds genre-specific interpretation principles from this methodology: #### Core Principles 1. **Exegesis Before Application** - First discover what the text meant to its original audience - Then determine what it means for us today - Never jump directly to application 2. **Context is King** - Historical context: time, culture, author, audience, occasion - Literary context: genre, surrounding passages, book structure - A text without context is a pretext for a proof text 3. **Genre Determines Method** Different biblical literature requires different approaches ### Genre-Specific Guidelines #### Epistles (Letters) **Key principle**: Think contextually - what problem was being addressed? - Read the entire letter to understand the argument flow - Ask: What problem prompted this letter? - Pay attention to logical connectors (therefore, because, so that) - Distinguish between central argument and supporting points - Not every statement is universally prescriptive **Common errors**: - Taking verses out of their argumentative context - Ignoring the specific historical situation being addressed - Treating every instruction as a timeless command #### Old Testament Narratives **Key principle**: Three levels (meta, national, individual); descriptive not prescriptive - Narratives describe what happened, not necessarily what should happen - Three levels: God's universal plan, Israel's story, individual accounts - Characters are not always examples to follow - observe their flaws - The narrator rarely makes direct theological statements - God is the ultimate hero of every narrative **Common errors**: - Treating every character's action as a model to follow - Allegorizing details that are simply historical facts - Moralizing: "Be brave like David" without seeing God's work #### Gospels **Key principle**: Two-level documents (Jesus' original context + evangelist's purpose) - Consider both Jesus' original meaning and the Gospel writer's purpose - Each Gospel has a specific audience and theological emphasis - Account for the already/not-yet tension of the Kingdom - Compare parallel accounts to see each writer's emphasis **Common errors**: - Harmonizing too quickly without hearing each Gospel's voice - Ignoring Jesus' audience (Pharisees, disciples, crowds) - Applying teachings directly without considering the cross #### Parables **Key principle**: Find the main point; don't allegorize every detail - Identify the one or two main points - parables are not allegories - Consider the audience: Who is Jesus speaking to and why? - Look for cultural background that illuminates meaning - The unexpected twist often carries the main message **Common errors**: - Allegorizing every detail (the donkey represents X...) - Missing the shock value for the original audience - Creating theological systems from parabolic details #### Prophets **Key principle**: Covenant enforcement; check if "future" is now past - Prophets were covenant enforcement officers - calling Israel back - Most "predictions" were about events now in our past - The prophetic lawsuit pattern: accusation, judgment, hope - Distinguish near fulfillment from ultimate/eschatological fulfillment - Poetry and metaphor are the normal mode of prophetic speech **Common errors**: - Reading all prophecy as about the end times - Literalizing poetic and metaphorical language - Creating detailed end-times timelines from prophetic poetry #### Psalms **Key principle**: Poetry/prayer; understand the types (lament, thanksgiving, praise) - Psalms are inspired responses to God - poetry, not doctrine - Identify the type: Lament, Thanksgiving, Praise, Royal, Wisdom - Poetry uses metaphor, hyperbole, and parallelism - The emotions are real and God-given - even the difficult ones - Many psalms find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ **Common errors**: - Treating poetic expressions as doctrinal statements - Ignoring the emotional dimension - Literalizing metaphorical language #### Wisdom Literature **Key principle**: General truths, not guarantees; compare with full canon - Proverbs are general truths, not unconditional promises - Wisdom literature wrestles with life's complexity - Job and Ecclesiastes challenge simplistic interpretations - The fear of the Lord is the foundation of all wisdom - Compare individual proverbs with the full biblical witness **Common errors**: - Treating Proverbs as unconditional promises - Ignoring the dialogue format in Job (not all speeches are true) - Missing the "under the sun" perspective in Ecclesiastes #### Apocalyptic (Revelation) **Key principle**: Apocalyptic imagery; already/not yet eschatology - Apocalyptic is a literary genre with its own conventions - Symbols are stock imagery (beasts, numbers) with recognized meanings - The primary message is: God wins, evil is judged, Christ reigns - Read in light of OT prophets and the already/not yet tension - Multiple valid interpretive approaches exist **Common errors**: - Literalizing symbolic imagery (666 as a barcode) - Creating detailed chronological timelines - Missing the pastoral purpose: encouragement for suffering believers ### The Reasoning Pattern The server's hermeneutics module guides Claude through this sequence: 1. **IDENTIFY**: What biblical text(s) are relevant? 2. **GENRE**: What type of literature is this? 3. **CONTEXT**: Historical, literary, canonical 4. **CONTENT**: What does the text say? (Greek/Hebrew when helpful) 5. **CROSS-REFERENCES**: Scripture interprets Scripture 6. **APPLICATION**: Timeless principle behind temporal commands 7. **HUMILITY**: Acknowledge uncertainty where it exists --- ## Self-Hosting Want to run your own instance? See [docs/SELF_HOST.md](docs/SELF_HOST.md). Options: - Local Python development - Docker deployment - Your own Fly.io instance --- ## Project Structure ``` studybible-mcp/ ├── src/study_bible_mcp/ │ ├── server.py # MCP server (stdio + SSE transports) │ ├── database.py # SQLite queries (async) │ ├── tools.py # 18 tool definitions │ ├── hermeneutics.py # Genre detection & interpretation │ └── parsers/ │ ├── lexicon.py # TFLSJ, BDB, Abbott-Smith, TBESG, TBESH parsers │ ├── aquifer.py # BibleAquifer JSON parser │ ├── acai.py # ACAI entity annotation parser │ ├── ane_context.py # ANE cultural context parser │ ├── tagged_text.py # TAGNT/TAHOT morphology parsers │ └── proper_names.py # TIPNR name parser ├── scripts/ │ ├── download_stepbible.py # Download all source data (--aquifer flag) │ ├── build_database.py # Build SQLite database │ ├── generate_embeddings.py # Generate vector embeddings │ ├── import_theographic.py # Import Theographic graph data │ └── test_server.py # Manual test suite ├── tests/ │ └── test_tool_selection.py # Pytest: agent tool selection (71 tests) ├── prompts/ │ └── system_prompt.md # Full hermeneutical framework for agents ├── docs/ │ ├── SETUP.md # Quick setup guide │ └── SELF_HOST.md # Self-hosting instructions ├── ARCHITECTURE.md # Mermaid flowchart of all 18 tools ├── Dockerfile # Multi-stage build with database ├── fly.toml # Fly.io deployment config └── pyproject.toml ``` --- ## Data Sources ### STEPBible - Tyndale House, Cambridge Biblical text and brief lexicon data come from the [STEPBible project](https://www.stepbible.org/) ([GitHub](https://github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data)), developed by scholars at **Tyndale House, Cambridge** - one of the world's leading centres for biblical research. Licensed CC BY 4.0. | File | Description | Content | |------|-------------|---------| | **TFLSJ** | Full Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek Lexicon | 10,846 Greek words with full scholarly definitions | | **Abbott-Smith** | Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT (TEI XML) | 5,896 NT-focused entries with LXX cross-refs and synonym discussions | | **TBESG** | Tyndale Brief Lexicon - Greek (fallback) | 5,600+ Greek words with brief definitions | | **TBESH** | Tyndale Brief Lexicon - Hebrew (fallback) | 8,600+ Hebrew words with brief definitions | | **TAGNT** | Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (2 parts) | Every word of the Greek NT with morphology, Strong's numbers, glosses | | **TAHOT** | Translators Amalgamated Hebrew OT (4 parts) | Every word of the Hebrew OT with morphology, Strong's numbers, glosses | | **TIPNR** | Translators Proper Names | 4,299 biblical people, places, and things with references | | **TEGMC/TEHMC** | Morphology Codes | Grammatical parsing code definitions | ### BDB Hebrew Lexicon The full unabridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew lexicon (8,090 entries) comes from [eliranwong/unabridged-BDB-Hebrew-lexicon](https://github.com/eliranwong/unabridged-BDB-Hebrew-lexicon). The BDB is the standard scholarly Hebrew-English lexicon, originally published in 1906 and still widely used in academic study. Public domain text. ### Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon G. Abbott-Smith's *A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament* (1922) provides NT-focused definitions that complement the broader classical coverage of LSJ. The TEI XML edition (5,896 entries) comes from [translatable-exegetical-tools/Abbott-Smith](https://github.com/translatable-exegetical-tools/Abbott-Smith). Public domain text. Abbott-Smith enriches 5,426 existing Greek entries with: | Field | Description | Coverage | |-------|-------------|----------| | **NT-focused definition** | Full definition with sense hierarchy | 5,871 entries | | **NT occurrence count** | Word frequency in the New Testament | 5,480 entries | | **LXX/Hebrew equivalents** | Hebrew words the Greek translates in the Septuagint | 3,317 entries | | **Synonym discussions** | Scholarly notes distinguishing related Greek words | 398 entries | ### BibleAquifer Scholarly commentary and reference content from [BibleAquifer](https://github.com/BibleAquifer) (CC BY-SA 4.0): | Resource | Description | Content | |----------|-------------|---------| | **Aquifer Open Study Notes** | Verse-level scholarly commentary | 66 books | | **Tyndale Bible Dictionary** | Topical articles | 500+ articles on people, places, theology, history, archaeology | | **UW Translation Notes** | unfoldingWord translator commentary | Linguistic insights for 49+ books | | **SIL Translator Notes** | SIL International translator notes | Translation and cultural context | | **FIA Key Terms** | Key theological terms | 200+ carefully defined terms with cross-references | ### ACAI Entity Annotations Rich entity annotations from [BibleAquifer/ACAI](https://github.com/BibleAquifer/ACAI) (CC BY-SA 4.0): | Type | Count | Content | |------|-------|---------| | People | ~2,500 | Family relationships, variant names, roles, speech attributions, verse references | | Places | ~400 | Geographic entities with biblical references | | Groups | ~200 | People groups, nations, tribes | | Key Terms | ~75 | Annotated theological concepts | ### Theographic Bible Metadata Graph data for genealogy, events, and places from [Theographic](https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata). Used by the `explore_genealogy`, `explore_person_events`, `explore_place`, `find_connection`, `people_in_passage`, and `graph_enriched_search` tools. ### Ancient Near East Context 87 structured entries covering 12 dimensions of ANE cultural and historical context across 9 time periods, with 314 book-chapter mappings. Data is stored in [`data/ane_context/`](data/ane_context/) as JSON files (one per dimension). Sources include Walton, Hallo, Matthews & Benjamin, Pritchard (ANET), and other standard ANE reference works. ### Vector Embeddings Semantic search uses OpenAI's `text-embedding-3-small` model via [sqlite-vec](https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec) for the `find_similar_passages` tool. --- ## Contributing Contributions welcome! Especially: - Additional thematic cross-references - Improved genre detection - New translation support - Better morphology parsing - Documentation improvements --- ## License MIT License. See [LICENSE](LICENSE). Data from STEPBible is licensed under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Data from BibleAquifer and ACAI is licensed under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). --- ## Acknowledgments - [STEPBible](https://www.stepbible.org/) for the freely available biblical data - [BibleAquifer](https://github.com/BibleAquifer) for study notes, dictionary, translation notes, and key terms - [eliranwong](https://github.com/eliranwong/unabridged-BDB-Hebrew-lexicon) for the unabridged BDB Hebrew lexicon - [translatable-exegetical-tools](https://github.com/translatable-exegetical-tools/Abbott-Smith) for the Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon TEI XML edition - [Theographic](https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata) for genealogy and event graph data - Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart for the hermeneutical framework in "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" - The MCP community for the protocol and tooling