Dictionaries & Encyclopedias of the Bible

The Essential Bible Dictionary: Key Insights for Reading God’s Word

by Moises Silva

Publication year: 2017

If you are looking for a Bible study tool that is compact, easy to understand, and does not require a Bible degree to use, then the Essential Bible Dictionary is for you. In addition to defining words, places, people, and the many themes of the Bible, this concise reference work is visually stimulating, with full-color images and illustrations. Ideal for use in devotions or personal Bible study.

Macmillan Dictionary of the Bible

by Martin J Selman, Martin H Manser, Stephen Travis

Publication year: 1998

For anyone who wants a quick reference guide to the Bible. Entries consist of the main people, places, customs, religious and cultural aspects, events, and institutions of the Bible.

Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible

by Kevin J Vanhoozer, Craig G Bartholomew, Daniel J Treier, N T Wright

Publication year: 2014

The Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible is a groundbreaking reference tool that seeks first of all to marry the tasks of exegesis and theology with the goal of theological interpretation of Scripture.

Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions

by Bradford B Taliaferro

Publication year: 2013

“This encyclopedia is an up-to-date and comprehensive reference work that includes internet versions along with print versions and offers details not found in other reference works. Scripture samples, bibliographic entries, translator lists, revision connections, variations of the texts, word substitutions and source texts are just some of the information found in this work”–Provided by publisher.

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books

by Bill T Arnold, H G M Williamson

Publication year: 2005

The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books presents articles on numerous historical topics as well as major articles focused on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. Other articles focus on the Deuteronomistic History as well as the Chronicler’s History, the narrative art of Israel’s historians, innerbiblical exegesis, text and textual criticism, and the emergence of these books as canonical. One feature is a series of eight consecutive articles on the periods of Israel’s history from the settlement to the postexilic period, which forms a condensed history of Israel within the DOTHB.”. “Syro-Palestinian archaeology is surveyed in one article, while significant archaeological sites receive focused individual treatment. Other articles delve into the histories and cultures of the great neighboring empires – Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and Persia – as well as lesser peoples, such as the Ammonites, Edomites, Moabites, Philistines and Phoenicians. In addition there are articles on architecture, agriculture and animal husbandry, roads and highways, trade and travel, and water and water systems.” — Jacket.

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings

by Tremper Longman III, Peter Enns

Publication year: 2008

This volume provides an excellent set of articles related to the interpretation of the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Solomon), Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, 1 & 2 Chronicles and Job.

Dictionary of New Testament Background

by Craig A Evans, Stanley E Porter, Ginny Evans

Publication year: 2000

In a time when our knowledge of the ancient Mediterranean world has grown by leaps and bounds, this volume sets out for readers the wealth of Jewish and Greco-Roman background that should inform our reading and understanding of the New Testament and early Christianity. The Dictionary of New Testament Background takes full advantage of the flourishing study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and offers individual articles focused on the most important scrolls. In addition, the Dictionary encompasses the fullness of second-temple Jewish writings, whether pseudepigraphic, rabbinic, parables, proverbs, histories or inscriptions. Articles abound on aspects of Jewish life and thought, including family, purity, liturgy and messianism. The full scope of Greco-Roman culture is displayed in articles ranging across language and rhetoric, literacy and book culture, religion and cults, honor and shame, patronage and benefactors, travel and trade, intellectual movements and ideas, and ancient geographical perspectives.

Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels

by Joel B Green, Jeannine K Brown, Nicholas Perrin

Publication year: 2013

The second edition of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels is a thoroughly reconstructed and revised version of the critically acclaimed 1992 first edition. Since that groundbreaking volume was published, a wave of Jesus and Gospel scholarship has crested and broken on the shores of a new century. Jesus has been proposed as sage, shaman, revolutionary, marginal Jew, Mediterranean peasant or a prophet of Israel’s restoration. The non-canonical Gospels have been touted, examined and reassessed. There are revised understandings of historiography, orality, form criticism, empire and more. The second edition of the DJG amply weighs and assess the gains and shortcomings of this new scholarship. Here is a self-contained reference library of information and perspective essential to exploring Jesus and the Gospels. This volume bridges the gap between scholars and those pastors, teachers, students and interested readers who want thorough treatments of key topics in an accessible and summary format. Articles cover each Gospel, major themes in the Gospels, key episodes in the life of Jesus, significant background topics, as well as issues and methods of interpretation. Among other benefits, it allows multiple opportunities for each of the Gospels to be weighed and heard in its own voice. Bibliographies are full and up to date, putting readers in touch with the best work in the field. All of this allows the articles to serve as launching pads for further research. When the first edition of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels was published, it was immediately recognized as an innovative reference work. By taking a particular corpus of biblical books and exploring it with in-depth articles written by specialists in the field, it refashioned a staple reference genre. This dictionary model has now been applied to each segment of the biblical canon in successive volumes. Those who have enjoyed and benefitted from the wealth in the first edition will find the second edition an equally indispensable companion to study and research. Over ninety percent of the articles have been completely rewritten, and the rest thoroughly revised and updated. Here is the doorway into a reliable and comprehensive summary and appraisal of the last twenty years of Jesus scholarship. A new generation of scholars has opened the way to make this a Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels for the twenty-first century. — Publisher.

Dictionary of Paul and his Letters

by Gerald F Hawthorne, Ralph P Martin, Daniel G Reid

Publication year: 1993

Contains over two hundred alphabetically arranged articles on topics related to Pauline literature and theology, and includes cross-references, bibliographies, and subject and scripture indexes.

Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments

by Ralph P Martin, Peter H Davids

Publication year: 1997

A collection of articles that chronicle the first two centuries of the Christian era, focusing on the developments of early Christianity through A.D. 150 and the writings of the apostolic fathers.

A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible

by Leland Ryken

Publication year: 2014

To truly understand God’s Word, we must know both what it says (content) and how it says it (form). This accessible guide features over 250 alphabetically arranged entries explaining common literary forms found in the Bible. Each entry contains a succinct definition, helpful illustrations, and a representative list of passages where that particular literary form is present. More than merely a dictionary, this indispensable resource will help Bible readers better understand the underlying structure of Scripture-giving a clearer shape and deeper meaning to each and every page of God’s Word.

A Dictionary of Literary Symbols

by Michael Ferber

Publication year: 2007

This is the first dictionary of symbols to be based on literature, rather than universal psychological archetypes or myths. It explains and illustrates the literary symbols that we all frequently encounter, and gives hundreds of cross-references and quotations. The dictionary concentrates on English literature, but its entries range widely from the Bible and classical authors to the twentieth century, taking in American and European literatures.

Who’s Who in the New Testament

by Ronald Brownrigg

Publication year: 2002

Who’s Who in The New Testament is the most complete and detailed reference book of its kind. Paying close attention to the places linked with the major events of Jesus’s life, it provides over 300 extensive entries covering every major character of the New Testament in an easy to use A- Z layout. Each entry includes detailed biographical information and provides the historical, geographical and archaeological context.