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 (1612) of Thomas Wilson.

Bible dictionaries of the 18th century

+ 18th centuryYearTitleEditorComments1722Dictionnaire historique, critique, chronologique, géographique et littéral de la BibleAugustin CalmetEnglish translation (1732, 3 vols.) 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 Beck1779A Dictionary of the BibleAlexander Macbean1784–5Scripture 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

+ 19th centuryYearTitleEditorComments1804Dictionary of the BibleJames Wood1805–08Geiriadur YsgrythyrolThomas Charles4 vols.1810Dictionary of the Holy BibleMiles Martindale2 vols.1815A Theological, Biblical, Ecclesiastical DictionaryJohn Robinson1816Biblical CyclopædiaWilliam Jones1817The Diamond Pocket Dictionary of the Holy BibleCatalogue EntryWilliam 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 Robinson1837Complete Index and Concise Dictionary of the Holy BibleJohn Barr1840Biblical and Theological DictionarySamuel Green?–1843The Bible CyclopædiaWilliam GoodhughWilliam Cooke Taylor2 vols.1845Cyclopaedia of Biblical LiteratureJohn Kitto2 vols. An abridged version was made by James Taylor, as the Popular Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature (1854).1845–53A Biblical DictionaryJames Austin Bastow3 Vols.1847The People's Dictionary of the BibleJohn Relly Beard1847A Concise Dictionary of the Holy BibleJames Covel1848Biblical CyclopaediaJohn Eadie1851A Biblical and Theological Dictionary, illustrative of the Old and New TestamentJohn Farrar1854A Bible DictionarySamuel Bulfinch Emmons1856A Dictionary of the most important names, objects, and terms found in the Holy ScripturesHoward Malcom1863Smith's Bible DictionaryWilliam Smith A Concise Dictionary of the Bible for the Use of Families and Students (1865) was abridged from this work by William Aldis Wright.1864–83Geiriadur Beiblaidd a DuwinyddolJohn Jones3 vols.1866Imperial Bible DictionaryPatrick Fairbairn1866Treasury of Bible KnowledgeJohn Ayre1867–81Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical LiteratureJames Strong and John McClintock10 vols.1867Smith's Comprehensive Dictionary of the BibleSamuel Weed Barnum1870The Household Bible DictionaryJames Aitken Wylie1870Beeton's Bible DictionarySamuel Orchart Beeton1871A 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 Apocrypha Charles BoutellReissued as Haydn's Bible Dictionary (1879), 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 (1901)1894–1912Dictionnaire de la BibleFulcran Vigouroux1897Easton's Bible DictionaryMatthew George Easton1898–1904Hastings' Dictionary of the BibleJames Hastings5 vols.1899–1903Encyclopaedia BiblicaThomas Kelly CheyneJ. Sutherland Black4 vols.

Bible dictionaries of the 20th century

+ 20th centuryYearTitleEditorComments Barnes's Bible Encyclopedia, Biographical, Geographical, Historical and Doctrinal 1903 Charles Randall Barnes Standard Bible Dictionary 1909 Melancthon Williams Jacobus, Jr. Temple Dictionary of the Bible 1910 William Ewing and John Ebenezer Honeyman ThomsonTemple Dictionary of the Bible (1910) archive.org. Ewing: Thomson: Universal Bible Dictionary 1914 Augustus Robert Buckland and Arthur Lukyn WilliamsUniversal Bible Dictionary (1914), archive.org. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 1915 James Orr A New Comprehensive Dictionary of the Bible 1922 Selah Merrill The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopaedia and Scriptural Dictionary 1922 Samuel FallowsThe Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopaedia and Scriptural Dictionary (1922);archive.org. Theological Word Book of the Bible 1951 Alan Richardson Harper's Bible Dictionary 1952 Madeleine S. and J. Lane Miller The New Bible Dictionary 1962 J. D. Douglas Second Edition 1982, Third Edition 1996 Dictionary of the Bible 1965 John L. McKenzie, SJ The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible 1970 Henry Snyder Gehman LDS Bible Dictionary 1979 Harper's Bible Dictionary 1985 Paul J. Achtemeier The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary 1987 Allen C. Myers Anchor Bible Dictionary 1992 Oxford Dictionary of the Bible 1996 W. R. F. Browning 2nd Edition 2009

Bible dictionaries of the 21st century New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (2008)

See also Bibliography of encyclopedias: religion

References Dictionaries, article by E. C. Richardson in The International standard Bible encyclopaedia (Volume 2) (1915) pp. 844–8; archive.org.

Notes