Dictionary of Biblical Imagery [Hardcover]

Leland Ryken (Editor), James C. Wilhoit (Editor), Tremper Longman III (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 1998

A Christianity Today 1999 Book of the Year! Every reader of the Bible has encountered the powerful, comforting and sometimes puzzling imagery of Scripture. These concrete pictures with their hidden force have struck sharp and lasting impressions on our minds. Their imprint has etched itself on the language and grammar of Christian faith and Western culture. Why then do traditional Bible dictionaries and reference works offer so little help to explorers of the Bible's galaxy of verbal pictures? They excel in describing the climate, borders and location of Galilee or Sinai. But they are often blind to the artistic expressions and deaf to the musical meanings that echo from within the world of the biblical text. The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is the first contemporary reference work dedicated to exploring the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors and literary patterns found in the Bible. More than that, it examines the Bible's universal archetypes or master images--including the plot motifs and character types that recur throughout life, literature and the Bible. This unique dictionary explores the dazzling variety in which the Word of God comes dressed in clothes of everyday life. It traces the trail of images from Eden to the New Jerusalem. It captures the plotted patterns of biblical narrative. It surveys the imaged texture of each book of the Bible. In short, The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is an inviting, enlightening and indispensable companion to the reading, study, contemplation and enjoyment of the Bible.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1079 pages
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press; 1st edition (November 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830814515
• ISBN-13: 978-0830814510
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #242,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Innovative companion to commentaries and bible dictionaries, June 19, 2002

By 

Gontroppo "Music and Theology Lover" (Bathurst, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Hardcover)

This is a terrific book. It is different from any other biblical studies resource I have seen. It covers ground that is not really treated in such depth in other aids.

You do still need to use standard bible dictionaries and commentaries, in my opinion. But, used in conjunction with them, it is going to really open up the Bible for you.

I am disappointed that the editors decided that they would not let you know who wrote the various articles. Their argument is that their editorial work has not left the research done by the various contributors unchanged, and that it would be misleading to append a given contributor's name to an entry, when they have often extensively revised that entry. I feel they should have let us know about their editorial work, AND shown the contributors' names at the end of each entry.

The articles dealing with the imagery in each biblical book are very helpful. Here is an example of what you will find:

The article on Colossians gives some insights into the purpose of Paul's letter, the image of the cosmic Christ, the motifs of knowledge and fullness in Colossians and the metaphorical use of circumcision.

Many of the images referred to in each article on Bible books are also given more in-depth treatment in individual articles.

This book is one of the most interesting aids to biblical study I have seen. Highly recommended.

If you would like to purchase the work at a bargain price, Amazon also sells the Essential IVP Reference Collection CD ROM, which contains this great work, and 17 other helpful biblical resources. In some ways, the electronic version is more useful than the book.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone with a Bible should own this book..., February 1, 2003

By 

C. Stubblefield (Towson, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Hardcover)

This is a very extensive, yet concise topical dictionary that explores the countless metaphors and images so prevelant in the Bible. It is amazing how much God used symbolism to represent Himself or His promises, and most people (including the OT Jews) never caught it.

One point of interest to me was the meaning behind the lampstand God had Moses contruct. Most people overlook the details God gave concerning it's construction and what it referred to, but not this book...

If you are a fan of the IVP series that includes such volumes as "Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels," "Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments," "Dictionary of Paul and His Letters," you will thoroughly enjoy this reference book.

53 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Commentaries and Study Bibles, Step Aside. The Bible is Back, October 18, 2000

By 

Christopher C. Alsruhe (Baltimore, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Hardcover)

Put your commentaries at the bottom of the pile. Put your study Bibles (God's Word with man's opinions presumptiously slipped in with it) with your commentaries. Here is a book that uses the Bible to interpret the Bible (which commentaries rarely do). This book is an objective approach to Bible interpretation, using scriptures throughout the Bible in their context to determine the meaning of Bible words as the Bible defines them--Scripture defining Scripture. The book deals with figures of speech, figures of association, metonymy, synechdoche, metaphors and similies, cultures, writing techniques, and far more. It is written clearly and concisely, with much detail. It reads dynamically and even devotionally. It is written at a level for any person who wants to study the Bible seriously and correctly without being a heavy theological work. This book is not written as a commentary on Bible texts, but is a resource to help you let the Bible be it's own commentary. When I use this book which, again, uses scripture to explain scripture, I rarely use a commentary. With this book, I can study the Bible on my own (which is what God primarily intends) and use the book as a scripture resource to help determine what concepts are imbedded in the text by the use of certain words and writing techniques. Commentaries are okay when one gets stuck in their thought processes or when they need a nudge of what a text may be saying. Commentaries can help us think in new directions and think "out of the box." But commentaries must only be used to spur one on. They must not be used to just lift an answer from someone and just blindly use it, thus taking the easy way out and putting blind trust in someone else just because they have an education. But this dictionary isn't a commentary. It reads very openly and is self discerning because it is so Bible based. It recognizes that the first rule of Bible interpretation is the Bible contexts themselves. Buy one. Use it. You won't be needing your commentaries too much because you'll have a major tool that will help you seek God for yourself and what He is saying in His Word to you, not what someone else thinks you need to hear. This book allows you to be personal with God in His Word. So open your Bible, place this help with you, and learn more easily what God is saying.