Customer Reviews

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: With Topical Index

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There are numerous Greek NT (New Testament) tools out there, but very few are helpful for lay believers who do not have the knowledge of the Greek. But Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary (VCED) is perfect for ALL believers. I have used it for 16 years thus far and still use it! Here are reasons for high recommendation:
1. You do NOT need Greek knowledge to use this book. It is that simple and arranged that way, using KJV of the Bible as the main text.
2. It explains KJV word in an original Greek in context. It provides the meaning of the word in a proper context of Greek background. For example: In English Bible, there is only one word for "love" but in NT Greek, there are four (two being used the mostly). Therefore VCED fills the gap between English Bible and Greek NT nicely and effectively.
3. It provides the definition of a word (KJV word) more accurately than the English dictionary because it uses Greek use of the word. For example: The word, "godliness (1Tim. 2:2)" in Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary is defined as "1: Divine 2: pious, devout -" but in VCED, it defines it as " 'to be devout,' denotes that piety which characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him." It provides fuller meaning of the word by explaining how the word is used in the NT.
4. It can be used with Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Every word is numbered with Strong's number so you can use it more efficiently.
5. This edition includes OT Dictionary as well. Although not written by Vine himself, it still is helpful, but is not as complete as Vine's NT.
6. This edition is clear in typeset (modernized). Previous editions were bad to read because of its old typeset.

Some Tips:
(a) If you want to use this book, you must have KJV of the Bible alongside VCED. All entries are given in KJV word.
(b) To save a step, you might want to consider using, "The New Enlgishman's Greek Concordance and Lexicon (Hendrickson Publisher)." It is also coded with Strong's number and uses KJV renderings of the verse.

All in all, it is an excellent tool for Bible Study. I heartily recommend it to all believers.

This is a classic, essential reference, right there with Strong's, and with good reason. If you don't have an expository dictionary of Bible words from the original languages, then you should start with this one. Some terms are discussed in depth, others more sparsely, but it gives you a good feel for the meaning of important terms.

As you become more comfortable with examining the meanings of the original Hebrew or Greek words, you may find yourself wanting more, and so there are other, more in-depth dictionaries available. But this is quite accessible and an excellent starting point. Vine's is also fairly denomination-neutral, being careful not to expound too much on opinion, but sticking to the business of objectively defining the word.

If you're looking for an expository dictionary and don't have one, this is the place to start.

I am a student of New Testament Greek. Researching in the Greek is one of my favorite things to do. My library is small, but includes some good research books. I must say at first that I thoroughly enjoy my Vine's.

I use Vine's everytime that I do research. It is a good resource and full of information. But I must caution those who intend to use this book w/out any knowledge of Greek, that you will have to put forth some effort into this book. At times there are words that come across, such as "passive use, middle intensive, conditional clause", which will only make sense if the reader understands Greek. I know of an English teacher who has a hard time w/ Greek...mainly because, for example, an infinitive in Greek is not the same as an infinitive in English. So understand that the labeling of words in Vine's is from a Greek standpoint.....not English.

In my studies I have discovered that many times Vine's is unable to ascertain the meaning/definition of the use of a word. It's use to me that is it has logically grouped words together, and summarizes (at best) the usage of the words in the New Testament. In my corresponding research w/ Kittel's and Colin Brown, I have found the groupings of Vine's to be somewhat consistent.

When I need a quick look at a word, I always go to Vine's. If I need in-depth study, I pull my other books out.

This book will be a huge benefit for anyone who serious studies the New Testament. I believe that those who do casual study will not gain the full use of this book.

For those who are looking for in-depth insight and knowledge into the use of Greek words and language will not find much benefit from this book. Those who do want to see the "richness" of the original text will need to embark on a life-long study of New Testament Greek.

This is an excellent resource for someone new to doing word studies. It includes Strong's Concordance numbers for each word making it easy to differentiate between various meanings. You do not need to know the original language to find the original meaning. I use it in conjunction with either Strongs Exhaustive Concordance or with Zodhiates Word Study Bible. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to do further research and get more accurate information from their Bible study.

For the student who is just starting to seriously study the Word, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary should be the next book on your list to get after you have acquired Strong's Concordance and a Bible Dictionary. With those three volumes alone, you are quite able to dig in deeper into the meanings of important or unfamiliar words and concepts, and you are well on your way to having a solid foundation for your biblical study library.

This newer edition is not only re-typeset so that it looks more modern and is easier to read than older editions, but it also has a really great feature - the entires you are looking up are not written in the original languages - they are written in English! Unlike other lexicons which utilize entries only in the original tongue, Vine's does not even require you to be able to read the entry in a different language, so as soon as you get the book you can start looking up words and benefit from the wealth of information that is contained inside. The short articles give you a lot of "meaty" and useful information but do not get bogged down in a lot of technical jargon. For those who prefer looking up the original word, there is also a Greek word index (sorry no Hebrew) and several other helps, so it is really a win-win situation.

While the Word of God is divinely inspired, (Paul writes that all scripture is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and I firmly believe this), sometimes the modern translations loose the impact of the original Greek writing.

The New Testament has 4 seperate and distinct words that our English translations generically call "love". This shows us that when the scriptures are examined in the original meaning and context, they become even more powerful and instructive.

Vine's does an excellent job of providing the context of the word you are looking up, providing a thorough understanding of the exact meaning of the verse. This kind of knowledge will add power to your preaching, teaching, or personal study. I have found that doors to deeper understanding have been opened by seeing the information that this edition of Vine's provides. When used in concert with Strong's concordance, it is a powerful tool.

I heartily endorse this book. It should be used by every believer to discover for themselves the deeper things of God.

Vine's is a superb addition for any Bible student to have in their library. It is great in giving a brief and quick definition of the Greek and it basically sticks with Koine Greek instead of falling into the Classical Greek traps that have befallen other authors. It fails in being as useful for OT words, though. It is far from exhaustive in Hebrew definitions and another book should be consulted for this. I chose the Theological Wordbook of the OT, which gives longer definitions than necessary for most students, but is very well written.

The value of a one-stop Greek and Hebrew research tool is enormous. W. E. Vine and company have made an easy-to-use publication that will track many of the more asked-about words and phrases as read from the King James Version of the Bible. It is not exhaustive, but the material it contains for the words it does cover more than makes up for the price. It will perhaps surprise many students to discover that the way they traditionally view the word's meaning may be incorrect. Vine wanted to trace the word's original meaning and then examine how people changed it through time (such as the word "stauros" meaning "stake," not "cross," "Hallelujah" actually having the meaning of "Praise ye Jah," etc.). Since it is keyed into the Strong's Numbering System for tracking original word usage in the Bible's ancient manuscripts, it makes this fun and easy to use for the occasional student while powerful enough for the advanced user. This work definitely deserves a place on any Bible Student's shelves

I hate to give this dictionary only 2 stars because it has been the most helpful word study tool for those who do not know the original Biblical languages. But it has now been surpassed by

Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (William Mounce).

It is more accurate and thorough than Vine's.

Stephen D. Renn's Expository Dictionary of Bible Words and Lawrence Richards' New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words can also be helpful. But they are less thorough than Vine's, let alone Mounce's.

Other helpful tools for word study include:

Interlinear for the Rest of Us (William Mounce), which includes a Greek-English dictionary.

Word Study Greek-English New Testament (Paul McReynolds), which has a very useful concordance based on Greek words.

Next to an exaustive Strong's Concordance, Vine's is the most important stody tool in my arsenal. Actually, I consider the two to be one unit, as the Vine's is keyed to Stong's reference numbers; an excellent study system.

The price is a bit steep but considering the value it's had in my Bible studies over the years, I'd gladly pay more. It's a must have for all Bible studiers.