Bible Dictionaries - What They Are and How To Use Them

By Bob P Anderson

Welcome to another article in our series entitled"Essential Tools For Bible Study"
In this article we will take up the next study tool in an effective Bible study library…Bible Dictionaries.

What are Bible Dictionaries? Well, have you ever used a "regular" dictionary? You simply look up a word (which is listed alphabetically) and the dictionary will give you information on the various shades of meaning of the word, where that word comes from, examples of its usage in a sentence, etc.

A Bible Dictionary is a lot like dictionaries you already know about - except that the entries (words) are words that might be meaningful for the study of the Bible. A Bible Dictionary has entries for Biblical people (like David, Abraham, Moses, Jesus) - Biblical places (Jerusalem, Rome, Babylon, etc) - Biblical concepts (like faith, repentance, sacrifice) - Biblical events (like the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonian Exile, the Resurrection of Jesus) - and other types of information may be presented as well: outlines of Bible books, pictures, charts, diagrams, and the like. The entries are usually brief - especially if the dictionary is only one volume - so if you need more in-depth information, you need to check a Bible Encyclopedia, which is a lot like a Bible Dictionary, except that the entries are more lengthy and may also include lists of other references to consult on the subject (Bibliographies).

Why use a Bible Dictionary (or Bible Encyclopedia)? Its primary use is in researching specific Biblical subjects. A good Bible Dictionary will give you the essential facts, presented briefly; the Bible Encyclopedia will usually provide much more detail. Many commentaries and study Bibles may only deal with certain topics/subjects in passing. When you need to explore a topic in more detail, consult a dictionary or encyclopedia entry on the subject. For example: perhaps you are studying the opening chapters of Genesis, and are wondering: just where was Eden located? Pull down your Bible Dictionary or Encyclopedia and look up the words "Eden", "garden", "paradise".
Your Bible Dictionary might even explore whether or not Eden was a real place!

To choose a good Bible Dictionary/Bible Encyclopedia you should consider the following:

++REPUTATION: What is the reputation (reliability) both of the contributors as well as the publisher? What do you know of them? What is their theological point-of-view? Has the publisher released other reputable reference tools?

++RECENCY: When was this reference first published? If it was first released many years ago, has it been revised? You need a reference tool that presents the most up-to-date information

++REFERENCES: Does this tool have Bibliographies that point you to more information on a subject? Do they quote (or cite) an adequate amount of Bible passages for you to investigate?
Does it have indexes that cross-reference subjects to more than one location in the book?

++RELEVANCY: Is this tool the right one for your needs? Enough detail - without being overwhelming? Does it require pre-requisite knowledge (such as Greek or Hebrew)? Is it a tool for scholars or specialists? Is it written from a particular perspective, or with a particular audience in mind?

There are several types of Bible Dictionaries/Encyclopedias:

Single-volume references: These are convenient to use (and less expensive) but far less detailed than multi-volume works.

Multi-volume references: Much more detailed and authoritative, the best of these put vast resources of Bible scholarship at your fingertips.

Hebrew/Greek Lexicons: These explain the meanings of specific words in the original languages of Scripture. While some can be used profitably by beginners, most require some knowledge of the original languages, as the words will be listed according to the alphabets of those languages, in their special scripts. If you don't know those (at a minimum) you won't even be able to look up the word.

Theological Dictionaries: These focus on words that have important theological or doctrinal meanings. Some of them require knowledge of the original languages, some do not. As you might expect, these dictionaries often reflect particular interpretations of the Bible, so investigate the focus and theological orientation before you buy/use. (Remember our rule from the first lesson? INVESTIGATE!)

Specialized Dictionaries: These deal with specialized subjects - ancient or Church history, Archaeological finds, worship and liturgy. They provide great detail but are much more restricted in their focus.

Some popular choices in Bible Dictionaries/Encyclopedias would include (but not be limited to) the following:

1. The New Bible Dictionary (Inter-Varsity Press, 1982). This is a very good one-volume Bible Dictionary, written from an Evangelical perspective. Many British scholars provided material for this dictionary; often those of us in the USA are not familiar with them, but can gain significant insights nevertheless.

2. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Harper, 1996). Also a one-volume Bible Dictionary, written from a less conservative point-of-view.

3. The Anchor Bible Dictionary (Doubleday, 1992) - Don't be confused by the title, this reference is the best general, multi-volume Bible Encyclopedia in print. In my opinion, it is also the most scholarly. If you want only one of these types of resources, and want the best, this is what you should purchase. Conservatives note: if you use this resource, be aware that it will not necessarily endorse your viewpoints.

4. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Eerdmans, 1979-1988). It is much like the Anchor Bible Dictionary, but written from an Evangelical point-of-view. It is in 4 volumes.
Although it reflects my personal views more than the Anchor BD, I am still a great fan of the latter.

I think that a Bible Dictionary/Encyclopedia is so essential, that I will leave you with this recommendation: purchase a Bible Dictionary or Bible Encyclopedia before you purchase any other resource (except a Bible, of course) --- and purchase a multi-volume set if you can.
Whenever I am studying a Bible passage, concept, place or person, I always research from a Bible Encyclopedia, and I never fail to gain new insights.

Build that Bible study library -- and use it!

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Copyright Information
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Copyright 2006 Robert P. Anderson

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Article submitted by Bob Anderson, Lead Writer and Researcher at Potomac Writing Service. Website address: http://potomac-writing-service.com