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Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Hardcover)

by Leland Ryken (Editor), Jim Wilhoit (Editor), Tremper Longman (Editor), Colin Duriez (Editor), Douglas Penney (Editor), Daniel G. Reid (Editor)

4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
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: 1058 pages
Publisher: InterVarsity Press (November 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 (19 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,555 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#29 in Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > Religion

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Citations (learn more)

60 books cite this book:

Gentiles in the Gospel of Mark: Even the Dogs Under the Table Eat the Children's Crumb (Library of New Testament Studies) by Kelly R. Iverson on 4 pages
Set Apart: Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life by R. Kent Hughes on page 39, page 48, and page 74
The Lion, the Witch, and the Bible: Good and Evil in the Classic Tales of C.S. Lewis by Robert Velarde in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
A Reader's Guide Through the Wardrobe: Exploring C. S. Lewis Classic Story by Leland Ryken; Marjorie Lamp Mead on page 43, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Grasping God's Word by J. Scott Duvall on page 132, page 185, and Back Matter

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	92% buy the item featured on this page: Dictionary of Biblical Imagery 4.9 out of 5 stars (19) $29.70
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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 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

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.

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35 of 40 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)

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.

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19 of 22 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 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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tool!
This is one of the greatest investments I've made toward my personal Bible-study life. This tool provides incredible insight into the imagery used in the Bible that lead to many... Read more

Published 5 days ago by Mark Palompo

5.0 out of 5 stars Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
This is a great work. I am currently using it for my study of Song of Songs. I highly recommend it.

Published 1 month ago by James R. Carmichael, Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Teaching Reference
This book is EXCEPTIONAL! It is MUCH MORE than I had expected-over 1000 pages of fantastic information!!

GREAT teaching tool! Read more

Published 7 months ago by Sharon L. Pawlak

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference
The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is an excellent reference for obtaining expanded meanings of the different words and images of the Bible. Read more

Published on March 10, 2007 by Phoenix

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good
This is a very good reference book. I have a couple of seminary graduates that recommended it to me.

Published on March 8, 2007 by Shawn Tran

5.0 out of 5 stars Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
This is an excellent study guide to help the reader understand symbols and imagery in the Bible.

Published on March 8, 2007 by Karen A. Luzzo

5.0 out of 5 stars biblical understanding delight!!
a tremendous work of explaining the imagery found in the bible. The range of subjects are vast in scope. A must have reference resource for serious bible study. Read more

Published on February 24, 2007 by David Stump

5.0 out of 5 stars Reveals Fresh New Paradigms for understanding the Bible!
This book was one of the most unusual presents I have ever received. It was given to me by an individual who had enjoyed my teaching and thought I would find it helpful. Read more

Published on November 15, 2006 by Lola Audu

5.0 out of 5 stars The Word Blooms Purple
As an author and ministry speaker, I now reach for two main resources--the Bible and this dictionary. I've found, to my delight, that the Word blooms purple on its pages. Read more

Published on April 28, 2006 by L.L. Barkat

3.0 out of 5 stars Embarrassing First Impression
I became interested in this book through reading another book by one of the contributors, D. Brent Sandy--Plowshares and Pruning Hooks. Read more

Published on April 15, 2005 by Chaplain T. Jones

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