Bible Dictionaries

Paul J. Achtemeier (ed.), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, HarperCollins, 1996.
the best one-volume Bible dictionary currently available, with brief articles, useful cross-references, and helpful additional bibliography;
typically presents the consensus opinions of modern scholarship, by SBL members; replaces the older Harpers Bible Dictionary (1985).

Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Baker Theological Dictionary of the Bible, Baker, 2000.
originally Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, the new BTDB contains some of the finest introductory literature on Biblical topics
by evangelical scholars currently available; up-to-date; concise.

David Noel Freedman (ed.), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, Eerdmans, 2000.
another excellent, recent one-volume Bible dictionary, with useful, up-to-date bibliography.

D. R. W. Wood, et al (eds.), New Bible Dictionary, Inter Varsity, 1996.
the evangelical standard; relatively up-to-date; third edition updates more than a hundred articles; accessible style and layout.

David Noel Freedman (ed.), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Doubleday, 1994. (six vols.)
the best, new multi-volume resource; also available on CD-ROM; expensive, but required resource for school-, seminary-, and
pastor-theologians' libraries.

George A. Buttrick (ed.), The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Abingdon, 1962. (four vols.)
an older but still excellent resource for many topics; and do not overlook
Keith Crim (ed.), The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Supplementary Volume, Abingdon, 1976.
for important, updated articles on several key topics.

see also

Geoffery W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Eerdmans, 1995. (four vols.)
the standard Bible encyclopedia; with in-depth treatments of several important introductory issues; replaces the older,
but still quite useful ISBE, James Orr (ed.), with contributions from Vos, Warfield, and other "heroes" of yesteryear; available on CD-ROM.

and

W. A. Elwell, J. D. Douglas, and T. E. McComiskey (eds.), Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Baker, 1997. (two vols.)
the new standard evangelical Bible encyclopedia; with concise treatments of serveral important topics.