How Do You Pronounce That Biblical Name? Bible Dictionaries To The Rescue!

Have you ever been reading the Bible only to come across an ancient biblical name that seems completely unpronounceable?  I have, and I'll tell you what I do -- I reach for one of my Bible dictionaries.  But these Bible dictionaries contain more than just a pronunciation guide -- they are actually like miniature Biblical Encyclopedias: they contain all sorts of information on the persons, places and teachings of the Bible.  Some Bible dictionaries are multi-volume in length and scope, similar to a Bible Encyclopedia -- other Bible dictionaries are handy one or two volume sets, a few are even in paperback form (which is very useful for taking to religious education classes or home study meetings).

A good example of a handy Bible dictionary is the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.  Published by Broadman and Holman, it is a Bible dictionary that has been around for some years -- yet it has been recently expanded and updated.  I like to use this Bible dictionary when I only need to do a quick lookup, and it uses a number of different Bible translations as well in its notes, so it is not tied down to any one translation in particular.  This Bible dictionary also has very thorough cross-references and a lot of pictures, maps and charts.  It also has short introductions and summaries to each of the books of the Bible.  This is a lot for a one volume Bible dictionary -- and it costs just under $30.

If you need to do more thorough and in-depth research, you will need a larger Bible dictionary.  My favorite is The Anchor Bible Dictionary.  This is a massive set -- 6 large volumes -- which contains thousands and thousands of pages covering hundreds and hundreds of subjects.  It is perhaps the standard Bible dictionary -- certainly nothing could be more comprehensive in scope and provide more detail than this set.  This Bible dictionary is not cheap -- the regular retail price is close to $400 -- but it is a tremendous investment.  I would encourage churches and schools, in particular, to purchase this set -- and of course it belongs on every minister's shelf.

A number of Bible dictionaries are specialized in their focus.  A good example of this would be Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.  This hardcover volume from Thomas Nelson Publishers is actually a combination of two previously published works: Vine's expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, and The Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament, written by Merril Unger and W. White. This Bible dictionary resource provides extensive discussions on the meanings of words in their original biblical languages.  This Bible dictionary is nice, however, because people who are not that familiar with the biblical languages can still use it to great profit.  This Bible dictionary normally retails for just under $40.

Of course, the prize in my library is the mammoth 10-volume Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited by G. Kittel.  This reference set was first published many years ago in German, and made available after that to English audiences in this translation.  It has never gone out of date, simply because of the detailed scholarship that stands behind it.  This Bible dictionary deals with 2,300 key words -- words which are of particular theological importance to the understanding and proper interpretation of the New Testament.  This set is for advanced users, who are familiar with and comfortable with the original languages of Scripture.  This set normally retails for around $700 -- and it is also included in a number of Bible software applications.

Our Privacy Policy