Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary

To my delight, a local secondhand store recently had a used copy of the Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary in excellent condition, which I bought to aid research for my Bible Study discussion groups and also future writings. Before reviewing the book for you though, I wanted to be sure it’s still available, and yes, an updated version is.

The new edition has added a wealth of articles such as “Five Easy Steps to Better Bible Study” “Visual Survey of the Bible” with a number of subheadings, and a “Bible History Chart.” However, both editions have “An Index to Maps” as well as comprehensive explanations of the A to Z words.

Take Angels, for example. Are they really fluffy white, winged blondes? With the possible exception of seraphim or cherubim – no! More important, the entry for “Angel” says:

“ANGEL – a member of an order of heavenly beings who are superior to man in power and intelligence. By nature angels are spiritual beings. (Heb.1:14)… They are not, however, all-powerful and all-knowing….”

“When visible to human beings, angels consistently appear in human form…. They are charged with caring for… people and serving them in times of need…. They also guide and instruct good people…. Angels also protect the people of God…. They meet a wide variety of human needs, including relieving hunger and thirst… and overcoming loneliness and dread… They sometimes deliver the people of God from danger.”

In the entry for “Animals in the Bible,” there’s a chart entitled “How Versions of the Bible Sometimes Differ in Translation of Animal Names.” For example, Zephaniah 2:14 mentions a cormorant in the King James Version (KJV), a pelican in the New King James Version, a desert owl in the New International Version, and a horned owl in the Revised English Bible. Why? Since the Hebrew language omits vowels, translating a word might rely on the best guess of scholars, depending on the biblical context and other references. Also, animals alive in Bible times, such as lions, may now be extinct in the Holy Lands.

Nevertheless, the wild ox in Numbers 23:22, remains a wild ox in each translation mentioned in the chart, with the exception of the KJV where it’s called a unicorn!

That’s a great example because it shows how dramatically language and/or our mental picture of a word can change over time and, therefore, how helpful a Bible dictionary can be in helping us better comprehend what God’s Word actually meant – then and now.

Mary Sayler, ©2020, poet, writer, reviewer, who hopes more publishers will send new large print editions of the Bible as well as updated Bible resources to review on this blog

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, hardback

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