---
product_id: 7419701
title: "Dictionary of Biblical Imagery"
price: "$124.81"
currency: USD
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reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/7419701-dictionary-of-biblical-imagery
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region: United States of America
---

# Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

**Price:** $124.81
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- **What is this?** Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
- **How much does it cost?** $124.81 with free shipping
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## Description

Christianity Today Book of the Year Explore the Rich Visual Language of the Bible Every reader of the Bible has encountered the powerful, comforting and sometimes puzzling imagery of Scripture. These concrete pictures like milk and honey, mountains and valleys, and covenants and feasts have hidden force and have struck sharp and lasting impressions on our minds. Their imprint has etched itself on the language and grammar of Christian faith and Western culture. Why then do traditional Bible dictionaries and reference works offer so little help to explorers of the Bible's galaxy of verbal pictures? They excel in describing the climate, borders and location of Galilee or Sinai.But they often overlook to the artistic expressions and musical meanings that echo from within the world of the biblical text. The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is the first contemporary reference work dedicated to exploring the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors and literary patterns found in the Bible. Moreover, it examines the Bible's universal archetypes, including the plot motifs and character types that recur throughout life, literature, and the Bible. Thisunique dictionary explores many ways in which the Word of God is dressed in clothes of everyday life by: tracing the trail of images from Eden to the New Jerusalem. capturing the plotted patterns of biblical narrative. surveying the imaged texture of each book of the Bible. This volume is an inviting, enlightening, and indispensable companion to the reading, study, contemplation, and enjoyment of the Bible.

Review: Mining Treasures of Biblical Imagery - Usually dictionaries are not my idea of leisure reading, but InterVarsity Press's Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is as at home on my bed stand as it is on my desk. From Head to Toe and Happiness to Hanging, the 980 pages between A-Aaron's rod and Z-Zion contain a wealth of information on the rich imagery and literary patterns of the Bible. So often we approach the Bible from a theological point of view, but God, in His multi-faceted wisdom and creativity, has given us His truth wrapped in dazzling layers of imagery, metaphor, and symbols that engage our affective, emotional faculties as well as our cognitive. He uses story and all its literary conventions to present situations to which our human spirits can relate and experience the lessons therein. His Word is replete with metaphors and motifs that appeal to our image-making faculties. Although aware of the power of pictures, most of us have only a cursory understanding of the layers of meaning they convey, whether universal or contextual. How is my body like a tent? My daughter like a corner pillar? My prayer like an arrow? We have many theological resources available to us, but until now, have had little to open the doors to the literary treasures of the Bible. Editors Ryken, Wilhoit, and Longman have provided us with an informative, engaging, and much needed biblical tool that "explores the patterns that the biblical writers have imposed on life, with a view toward understanding what those patterns clarify about life." This ambitious work speaks to a large audience. Clearly written, The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, will appeal to the lay reader, as well as the scholar. It will help preachers to enrich their presentations of the literal biblical text with a deeper understanding of the concrete images, themes and archetypes common to the human experience. And--a particular bonus to writers-- the treasure trove of plot structures, motifs, metaphors, and archetypes contained within these pages will provide writers with enough information and inspiration to sit right down and crank out that elusive masterpiece.
Review: High quality prose covers all 66 books of the Bible, and hundreds of literary themes. - Well edited so it reads as though written by one author. Solid evangelical Christian perspective will appeal to many Bible readers, and stimulate a casual reader to dig deeper into many sections of the New and Old Testaments. The breadth and depth of topics invites the perusing reader into extended study. Very well indexed for several thousand verses and hundreds of subjects. Useful 8 pp Introduction summarizes how this is eminently practical to: 1) improve the reader's grasp of the literal text, 2) improve our ability to interpret the figurative level of meaning, 3) see the unity and progression of the NT following from OT foreshadowings, 4) enable a study of Biblical images and motifs that help the reader bridge the gap between the Biblical times and our own world.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #111,860 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #45 in Christian Bible Dictionaries & Encyclopedias #136 in Dictionaries (Books) #200 in Christian Bible Exegesis & Hermeneutics |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 318 Reviews |

## Images

![Dictionary of Biblical Imagery - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Zc03xL2LL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mining Treasures of Biblical Imagery
*by M***N on June 3, 2011*

Usually dictionaries are not my idea of leisure reading, but InterVarsity Press's Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is as at home on my bed stand as it is on my desk. From Head to Toe and Happiness to Hanging, the 980 pages between A-Aaron's rod and Z-Zion contain a wealth of information on the rich imagery and literary patterns of the Bible. So often we approach the Bible from a theological point of view, but God, in His multi-faceted wisdom and creativity, has given us His truth wrapped in dazzling layers of imagery, metaphor, and symbols that engage our affective, emotional faculties as well as our cognitive. He uses story and all its literary conventions to present situations to which our human spirits can relate and experience the lessons therein. His Word is replete with metaphors and motifs that appeal to our image-making faculties. Although aware of the power of pictures, most of us have only a cursory understanding of the layers of meaning they convey, whether universal or contextual. How is my body like a tent? My daughter like a corner pillar? My prayer like an arrow? We have many theological resources available to us, but until now, have had little to open the doors to the literary treasures of the Bible. Editors Ryken, Wilhoit, and Longman have provided us with an informative, engaging, and much needed biblical tool that "explores the patterns that the biblical writers have imposed on life, with a view toward understanding what those patterns clarify about life." This ambitious work speaks to a large audience. Clearly written, The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, will appeal to the lay reader, as well as the scholar. It will help preachers to enrich their presentations of the literal biblical text with a deeper understanding of the concrete images, themes and archetypes common to the human experience. And--a particular bonus to writers-- the treasure trove of plot structures, motifs, metaphors, and archetypes contained within these pages will provide writers with enough information and inspiration to sit right down and crank out that elusive masterpiece.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ High quality prose covers all 66 books of the Bible, and hundreds of literary themes.
*by P***Y on February 8, 2022*

Well edited so it reads as though written by one author. Solid evangelical Christian perspective will appeal to many Bible readers, and stimulate a casual reader to dig deeper into many sections of the New and Old Testaments. The breadth and depth of topics invites the perusing reader into extended study. Very well indexed for several thousand verses and hundreds of subjects. Useful 8 pp Introduction summarizes how this is eminently practical to: 1) improve the reader's grasp of the literal text, 2) improve our ability to interpret the figurative level of meaning, 3) see the unity and progression of the NT following from OT foreshadowings, 4) enable a study of Biblical images and motifs that help the reader bridge the gap between the Biblical times and our own world.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic study book!
*by A***R on December 1, 2021*

Very edifying book. The thought put into each article is fantastic! I purchased this for a class but I’m extremely satisfied with that purchase. This will be a book that I reference routinely in my studies. The Bible is so full of imagery, both in word etymology/meaning and in God’s use of illustrative language. This book focuses primarily on the illustrative language but periodically brings in cultural context and grammar/etymology to reinforce some of the imagery. A fantastic book and a great buy! Also, I’ve yet to run across anything heretical in any of the articles (it’s written in article form, by the way), which is always a danger when discussing imagery.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
- Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: (A Comprehensive Bible Commentary on Old Testament Quotations, Allusions & Echoes That Appear from Matthew through Revelation)

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*Last updated: 2026-05-16*