This Dictionary of Biblical Imagery was conceived as a reference book that would assist
readers, students and communicators of the Bible in exploring the fascinating and varied world of
the imagery, metaphors and archetypes of the Bible. It appeared that the conventional Bible dictionaries
and encyclopedias provided little help in this area. For those whose Bible’s were pencil-marked with
cross-references to images, motifs and other literary features, the lack of such a reference work seemed
like a crime-or a publisher’s opportunity!
From there the vision of the Dictionary grew to include articles on character
types, plot motifs, type scenes, rhetorical devices, literary genres and the individual books of the
Bible. In the end, some articles have sprawled across broad subject areas (such as "Animals"
or "Legal Images") and others are tightly focused (such as "Harp" or "Mustard
Seed"). Many articles are innovative and clearly distinguish this work from other Bible dictionaries
(such as "Well, Meeting at the" or "Cheat the Oracle"). And even where article entitled
"Wall" or "Tower" arouse a right-brained reader’s distaste for archaeological
description and detail, the emphasis is decidedly on the evocative dimensions of these subjects.
Despite approximately 850 articles, this Dictionary is not comprehensive. This
acknowledgment is testimony to the vast and varied sea of biblical imagery, and to the limited time and
energy of both editors and publisher. It is always a challenge to create a reference work in a field where
no predecessor has established a "canon" of entries. It can also be a delightful adventure
as the editors repeatedly encounter new vistas and angles of vision along the way-and try to help others
see them too. But after seven years of planning and labor-and a work much longer than originally projected-the
time has come to cease and desist and publish. We console ourselves in the generous thought that further
revisers can learn from our efforts and build on this foundation. We also believe that our readers, as
they work with this Dictionary, will see that they can launch out on their own and explore other
facets of biblical imagery.
From the first, the editors sought to bring together the talents and perspectives of both
literary and biblical scholars in a complementary marriage of expertise. But it quickly became apparent
that in order to produce a satisfying volume, the claims of individual authorship would need to be subsumed
under the editorial vision. So the decision was made in favor of a policy that would allow a free editorial
hand in shaping, rewriting and augmenting the article. Experience in creating reference works of this type
has shown that as the work progresses the editors themselves gain an ever deeper and broader view of the
subject. Lateral connections and new insights flourish as articles and pages compound. A policy was created
to allow this editorial vision to be fed back into the work. Thus the articles are unsigned (a list of
contributors may be found at the beginning of the book). Although some articles appear much as they were
originally authored, the vast majority of them have been worked over by several editorial hands, and they
are frequently lengthier than the originals. As a result, this Dictionary has become a highly
collaborative effort in which individual claims to authorship (not least those of the individual editors)
have been set aside in the interest of what we trust will be a valuable contribution to understanding and
enjoying the Bible. We offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to the approximately 150 contributors
who have labored to make this work a reality. But we also accept full responsibility for any deficiencies
in the final product.
The primary audience for this Dictionary is not scholars but laypeople. We have tried to
create a readable and interesting work, one that will not only serve as an indispensable reference tool
that augments conventional Bible dictionaries but will also open up new avenues of reading and appreciating
the Bible. This book, we hope, will unfold new perspectives for all students of the Bible, new approaches
for communicators of the Bible-including those in the fine arts-and heart -warming insights for devotional
readers of the Bible. If readers capture some measure of the joy we have experienced even in the midst of
our reading the proofs of this emerging book, we will have achieved our goal.
The Editors
Taken from "Dictionary of Biblical Imagery" edited by Tremper Longman III, Leland Ryken and
James C. Wilhoit. ©1998 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press,
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove,IL 60515. (www.ivpress.com)