A Trusted Companion to My Bible

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary

Author: Merrill F. Unger

Editor: R. K. Harrison

Published by Moody Publishers

Release Date: 05.01.2006

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian Bible Dictionary, Christian Bible Study

5 Stars!

This is a resource I will reach for year after year, thankful each time for the way it supports my love for God’s Word and my desire to understand it more faithfully.

Originally introduced in 1957 and now refined through decades of scholarship, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary contains more than 67,000 entries that illuminate the people, places, events, customs, doctrines, and objects of Scripture with clarity and precision. Updated by respected Bible authorities including Merrill F. Unger and editor R. K. Harrison, the dictionary stands as both a historical milestone and a living resource for today’s believer.

What makes this edition especially remarkable is its invitation to see the biblical world. Full-color photographs, detailed maps, charts, and illustrations draw the reader into the geography and culture of Scripture in a way that transforms study from abstract to tangible. Whether tracing the journeys of the apostles, understanding ancient practices, or exploring the origins of key theological terms, the reader is given tools for depth without distraction.

Though rooted in the New American Standard Bible, the dictionary’s extensive cross-referencing makes it richly usable alongside all major Bible translations, including the King James, New King James, and New International Versions. It is not confined to one stream of translation but serves the full body of Christ with thoughtful accessibility.

What I treasure most about this volume is its tactile and spiritual permanence. This is not a digital tool to be replaced by the next update. It is a lasting companion—a book that will bear the marks of years of study, margin notes, bookmarks, and prayerful pauses. It has already become a steady presence in my daily devotional and study rhythm, gently supporting my pursuit of understanding Jesus Christ and the Christian life with greater clarity and devotion.

This volume is preserved and renewed, anchored and freshly illuminated. At the same time, Scripture itself calls us to discernment. Every faithful student of the Word remembers that man is fallible, and every reference work—no matter how esteemed—must always be measured against the never-changing Word of God. This is not a weakness of the book, but a strength of biblical study. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary does not replace Scripture; it serves Scripture. It strengthens understanding while pointing the reader back to the authority of God’s truth.

This daily companion belongs in the hands of the lifelong student of God’s Word, the new believer seeking clarity, the teacher preparing lessons, the pastor researching deeper context, the curious reader desiring to understand what they read, and the family building a Christ-centered home library.

This full-color Bible dictionary is scholarly, accessible, beautiful, substantive, deep, and clear—a rare balance few reference works achieve with such grace and longevity.

I am genuinely grateful and deeply honored to be a member of the Moody Publishers Influencer Review Program, and to steward a resource of this caliber. The care, theological integrity, and excellence embodied in this work reflect the heart of Moody’s mission itself: to glorify God through the faithful handling of His Word.

I received a hardback edition of this resource from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review or paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. My review focuses on biblical faithfulness, clarity of message, and the ability of this work to offer insight into Scripture with accuracy and affection for Christ, ensuring transparency and a trustworthy reflection of its spiritual depth and value.

https://www.moody.pub/devotedtohope