Biblical Studies

Bible Dictionaries

Bible dictionaries are a good starting point for many research questions.

• Dictionaries provide background information on the people, places, and things of the Bible.
• Dictionaries can be used for biblical theme questions, for example, the concept of covenant throughout Scripture.
• Many dictionary articles have a bibliography at the end of the article. These can be a good source for further research.

Concordances/Language Tools

Concordances list every word in the Bible in context.  They also typically give a Strong's or G/K (Goodrick-Kohlengerger) number to tell you which Hebrew or Greek word is behind the English translation. These numbers can then be used to look up the word in a more extensive work, such as New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis or the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theological and Exegesis. 

• Hebrew Language Tools
• Greek Language Tools

Bible Commentaries

Commentaries interpret passages in Scripture verse-by-verse. Commentaries will be the most common resource for exegesis questions. The level of detail will depend on the commentary’s purpose or intended audience.

Bible Atlases

Use Bible atlases to find maps and descriptions of places, dates, and events.

ATLA Religion Database

Scholarly journal articles are often some of the best places to get analysis and interpretation of a scripture passage. The ATLA Religion Database is the primary index for finding articles in the area of biblical studies. Be sure to take advantage of the Scriptures index to search for articles on a specific scripture passage.