Customer Reviews

Zondervan Expository Dictionary of Bible Words

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This book is a gem! It is less technical and comprehensive than others like it, but it does its job far better. Richards insightfully synthesizes word occurances to find how Scripture itself defines its own terms. Richards also gives short but well-informed theological ruminations that are always thought-provoking.

Much shorter than NIDOTTE for example, Richards often provides much better material. Compare NIDOTTE and Richards on "knowledge" (yada')---Richards packs more biblically-derived insight into one page than NIDOTTE does in five. Instead of chasing the goose through reams of disconnected data, Richards bags it. Consider the following quote from Richards on "knowledge":

"When Moses first confronted Pharaoh with God's demand to let Israel go, the Egyptian snorted in derision: 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go' (Ex 5:2). In a series of divine judgements, Pharaoh and the Egyptians experienced God's power. Reluctantly Pharaoh released Israel, only to change his mind. He sent his army to compel his slaves to return. But at the Red Sea, God announced that he would destory the Egyptian army: 'The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen' (Ex 14:18).
Here we see a significant interplay of the factors involved in knowing. Pharaoh had no acquaintance with the Lord. Thus Yahweh played no part in his thinking or planning. Yahweh's acts provided the king with a direct experience of his power. Now Pharaoh was forced to revise his view of the world and take God into account. But Pharaoh would not accept a universe in which Yahew was the ultimate reality. He acted against what he knew of God, and in the destruction of his army the Egyptian poeple saw clearly the result of a failure to truly 'know' God."

Its hard to find such astute observations in NIDOTTE.

I have no idea why this book isn't more well known. The late James Montgomery Boice (of Tenth Pres. fame)spoke very highly of it. Buy it and use it!

This book will greatly aid you in your study of the Bible. It is easy to understand and most useful. This Zondervan edition is out of print and very hard to find. The perfect item to collect and add to your personal library.