Books I Recommend

Books I Recommend:

These are some of my favorite Bible resources I've collected over the years -- the ones I personally use, enjoy reading and re-reading, have given as gifts, and worked to get into my church's lending library. I am an avid reader, but not everything I read lands on this list. If it is listed here, I truly do "recommend" this book to you . . . .

Halley's Bible Handbook -- this resource is strong on general Bible knowledge and cultural background information. This is a classic that has MUCH more in it than just book by book information. There are many essays, both at the beginning and the end of this book, that are packed with valuable insights, including Church History and How We Got Our Bible.

Douglass and Tenney Bible Dictionary -- any Bible dictionary is a good resource, but this one is my personal favorite. Even the pocket size is robust enough that you don't feel you've missed out on any learning.

Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary (abridged single volume or unabridged in 6 volumes) - this is the single BEST source I can recommend. Written in the late 1600's, it amazes me at how contemporary his insights can be. Henry never fails me, I thoroughly enjoy reading his work.

John MacArthur's One Volume Commentary -- MacArthur really enjoys digging into the original text and going word by word. He catches things that others regularly miss. You'll probably want a Hebrew - Greek dictionary to go along with this, but it isn't necessary (see Strong's).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible -- this book has each and every word in the KJV of the Bible listed with the original Hebrew or Greek word(s) and the meaning. I find this a great tool when I want a fresh look at a familiar verse.

Mounce's Expository Dictionary -- more user friendly than Strong's, but even "meatier". Mounce's doesn't list every word the way Strong's does, but he gives you a ton of more information for the ones he does list! The words are keyed to match with Strong's for easy cross-referencing.

Nave's Topical Bible -- this resource is for those times when you want to study by subject matter rather than by verse or paragraph. It can take you from Genesis to Revelation showing you each time the Bible talks about a particular subject.

Jan 18, 2012