Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary-Book Review

"The most courageous of the judges was Deborah, a woman who prevailed upon Barak

 to attack the mighty army of the Cananites (4:1-5:31)

-excerpt from the section on "Judges", page 644 in Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary



I was really excited when I saw this dictionary as one of my choices for review.   A new Bible study tool for my library!  My personal belief is the more we understand about the context, culture, and time period in which the Scriptures took place, the more we can understand God's Word.  In turn, this will increase our faith and enable us to receive everything God has for us in His Word.

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary is 1,132 pages of dictionary entries, maps, and photographs.  A sample of what you will find in this Bible study tool includes information about different Bible Translations, people, places, and things in the Bible, and Books of the Bible.  In the front of the book, you will find several times lines and a guide on how to make the most of this dictionary.

I really like this dictionary.  My first impression was about how heavy it was when I picked it up after it was delivered.  There is a wealth of information all compiled in one place. It is an excellent resource for Bible study, and I look forward to using it more in the future.

There are some amazing photographs in this dictionary.  They include:  a photograph of "Jaffa", the modern day Joppa, mentioned in Acts 10; a photograph of a reconstruction of the exterior and interior of a what a typical house would look like in Palestine during Old Testament time; a photograph of palm trees in South Palestine, of which the leaves were mentioned in John 12-these are just a few of the photographs you will see.

Another exciting aspect of this dictionary is that it includes study and teaching outlines to go with books of the Bible.  For example, the book of Esther is broken down into two parts and those parts are broken down into key points to give attention to in each book. 

 I am especially impressed about what a favorable view of women is taken.  The tone and words towards the sometime ignored gender is very honorable and uplifting. 

Here's an excerpt from the entry on the word "WOMAN" on page 1193:

Jesus lived and taught a better way-the way of love.  He invited women to accompany Him and His disciples on their journeys (Luke 8:1-3).  He talked with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well and led her to a conversion experience (John 4).  Jesus did not think it strange that Mary sat at His feet, assuming the role of a disciple; in fact, He suggested to Martha that she should do likewise (Luke 10:38-42).  Although the Jews segregated the women in both temple and synagogue, the early church did not separate the congregation by sex (Acts 12:1-17; 1 Cor. 11:2-16).

I recommend this dictionary to everybody.  It will deepen and enrich your study of the Bible.  It is a great resource for anybody, including homeschoolers.

My prayer is that you come to know Christ more fully as you study His Word. 

In Him,

Beth

To read a sample of the dictionary go here to amazon.

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for a review.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.