Summary
We find The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary to be a substantial, conservative reference work that has served pastors for decades. It offers a wide range of entries on people, places, customs, doctrines, and key biblical terms, often giving more than a brief definition, and regularly supplying the kind of background that helps us read a passage with clearer eyes.
We also appreciate its steady confidence in the reliability of Scripture. The tone is not speculative, and it generally aims to clarify rather than impress. For day to day ministry, that matters. When we are pressed for time and need quick orientation on a name, a place, or a theme, this dictionary usually gets us moving in the right direction.
Why Should I Own This Resource?
We should own this dictionary because it is built for practical use. The entries are typically direct, the cross referencing is helpful, and the scope is broad enough that we can consult it for both ordinary reading questions and sermon preparation.
We also find it useful for giving context without pushing us away from the text. Geography, ancient practice, and biblical history are treated as servants to interpretation, not substitutes for it. That makes it a good companion for pastors who want background help while keeping exegesis central.
We do want to use it with the same discernment we apply to any single volume reference work. Some entries, especially where interpretive frameworks come into play, may lean in a more conservative evangelical direction that will not always match every Reformed instinct. Even so, the overall stance is pastorally safe and the utility is real.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary as a strong, workmanlike tool for pastors and serious readers who want reliable definitions and helpful background in one substantial volume. It is not the only dictionary we should own, but it is a worthwhile one.
R.K. Harrison
R. K. Harrison was a British evangelical Old Testament scholar of the twentieth century, known for his conservative theological convictions and his defence of the historical reliability of Scripture.
Harrison continues to be valued for his intellectual seriousness and his refusal to concede the ground of Scripture to sceptical approaches. He wrote with clarity and restraint, aiming to strengthen confidence in the Bible rather than unsettle it. While some of his academic positions reflect debates of his own era, his overall posture remains one of careful scholarship in service of the church.
Notable works include Introduction to the Old Testament, Old Testament Times, and his contributions to The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary.