List of Bible dictionaries


A Bible dictionary is a reference work containing encyclopedic entries related to the Bible, typically concerning people, places, customs, doctrine and Biblical criticism. Bible dictionaries can be scholarly or popular in tone.
The first dictionary of the Bible in English was the Christian Dictionarie of Thomas Wilson.

Bible dictionaries of the 18th century

YearTitleEditorComments
1722Dictionnaire historique, critique, chronologique, géographique et littéral de la BibleAugustin CalmetEnglish translation as An historical, critical, geographical, chronological and etymological dictionary of the Holy Bible, by John Colson and Samuel d'Oyly.
1769A Dictionary of the Holy BibleJohn Brown of HaddingtonWelsh translation by James Rhys Jones as Geiriadur Beiblaidd, 1869–70.
1770Vollständiges Biblisches WörterbuchJacob Christof Beck
1779A Dictionary of the BibleAlexander Macbean
1784–5Scripture LexiconPeter Oliver: might be Peter Oliver, or a Birmingham preacher of the same name according to James Darling, Cyclopaedia bibliographica.
From 1797Dictionary of the Bible, translation from CalmetAnonymous, Charles TaylorLater as Calmet's Dictionary of the Holy Bible, American edition enlarged by Edward Robinson.

Bible dictionaries of the 19th century

YearTitleEditorComments
1804Dictionary of the BibleJames Wood
1805–08Geiriadur YsgrythyrolThomas Charles4 vols.
1810Dictionary of the Holy BibleMiles Martindale2 vols.
1815A Theological, Biblical, Ecclesiastical DictionaryJohn Robinson
1816Biblical CyclopædiaWilliam Jones
1817The Diamond Pocket Dictionary of the Holy BibleWilliam GurneyThe 1829 American edition by Archibald Alexander comments that the book was found to be an abridgement of Brown's work; and Alexander made a fresh version. Welsh translation 1835 by Isaac Jones.
1831Theological and Biblical DictionaryRichard WatsonBased on conservative authorities.
1833Dictionary of the Holy BibleEdward Robinson
1837Complete Index and Concise Dictionary of the Holy BibleJohn Barr
1840Biblical and Theological DictionarySamuel Green
?–1843The Bible CyclopædiaWilliam Goodhugh
William Cooke Taylor		2 vols.
1845Cyclopaedia of Biblical LiteratureJohn Kitto2 vols. An abridged version was made by James Taylor, as the Popular Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature.
1845–53A Biblical DictionaryJames Austin Bastow3 Vols.
1847The People's Dictionary of the BibleJohn Relly Beard
1847A Concise Dictionary of the Holy BibleJames Covel
1848Biblical CyclopaediaJohn Eadie
1851A Biblical and Theological Dictionary, illustrative of the Old and New TestamentJohn Farrar
1854A Bible DictionarySamuel Bulfinch Emmons
1856A Dictionary of the most important names, objects, and terms found in the Holy ScripturesHoward Malcom
1863Smith's Bible DictionaryWilliam SmithA Concise Dictionary of the Bible for the Use of Families and Students was abridged from this work by William Aldis Wright.
1864–83Geiriadur Beiblaidd a DuwinyddolJohn Jones3 vols.
1866Imperial Bible DictionaryPatrick Fairbairn
1866Treasury of Bible KnowledgeJohn Ayre
1867–81Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical LiteratureJames Strong and John McClintock10 vols.
1867Smith's Comprehensive Dictionary of the BibleSamuel Weed Barnum
1870The Household Bible DictionaryJames Aitken Wylie
1870Beeton's Bible DictionarySamuel Orchart Beeton
1871A Bible dictionary for the use of all readers and students of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the books of the ApocryphaCharles BoutellReissued as Haydn's Bible Dictionary, named for Joseph Timothy Haydn.
1885Cursus Scripturæ SacræKarl Josef Rudolph Cornely et al.
1894The Sunday School Teacher's Bible ManualRobert HunterAs Cassell's Concise Bible Dictionary
1894–1912Dictionnaire de la BibleFulcran Vigouroux
1897Easton's Bible DictionaryMatthew George Easton
1898–1904Hastings' Dictionary of the BibleJames Hastings5 vols.
1899–1903Encyclopaedia BiblicaThomas Kelly Cheyne
J. Sutherland Black		4 vols.

Bible dictionaries of the 20th century

YearTitleEditorComments
Barnes's Bible Encyclopedia, Biographical, Geographical, Historical and Doctrinal1903Charles Randall Barnes
Standard Bible Dictionary1909Melancthon Williams Jacobus, Jr.
Temple Dictionary of the Bible1910William Ewing and John Ebenezer Honeyman Thomson
Universal Bible Dictionary1914Augustus Robert Buckland and Arthur Lukyn Williams
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia1915James Orr
A New Comprehensive Dictionary of the Bible1922Selah Merrill
The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopaedia and Scriptural Dictionary1922Samuel Fallows
Theological Word Book of the Bible1951Alan Richardson
Harper's Bible Dictionary1952Madeleine S. and J. Lane Miller
The New Bible Dictionary1962J. D. DouglasSecond Edition 1982, Third Edition 1996
Dictionary of the Bible1965John L. McKenzie, SJ
The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible1970Henry Snyder Gehman
LDS Bible Dictionary1979
Harper's Bible Dictionary1985Paul J. Achtemeier
The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary1987Allen C. Myers
Anchor Bible Dictionary1992
Oxford Dictionary of the Bible1996W. R. F. Browning2nd Edition 2009

Bible dictionaries of the 21st century

  • ''New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible''