American Tract Society Dictionary of the Holy Bible

A Dictionary of the Holy Bible, for General Use in the Study of the Scriptures was published by the American Tract Society in 1859, edited by William W. Rand. The Society's purpose was the same as for its Family Bible: to put sound, plain information about the Bible into the hands of ordinary Christian families.

The SwordSearcher module contains 2,276 entries covering the people, places, things, customs, and doctrines of Scripture. The articles are short but not thin, and they are written from a warmly evangelical standpoint. The entry on faith is characteristic:

The assent of the understanding to any truth. Religious faith is assent to the truth of divine revelation and of the events and doctrines contained in it. This may be merely historical, without producing any effect on our lives and conversation; and it is then a dead faith, such as even the devils have. But a living or saving faith not only believes the great doctrines of religion as true, but embraces them with the heart and affections; and is thus the source of sincere obedience to the divine will, exhibited in the life and conversation. Faith in Christ is a grace wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, whereby we receive Christ as our Savior, our Prophet, Priest, and King, and love and obey him as such. This living faith in Christ is the means of salvation—not meritoriously, but instrumentally.

Among the Bible dictionaries in the library, this one is closest in size and manner to Easton's: a first place to look for a quick answer. Smith's and Fausset's go deeper, and the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and McClintock and Strong deeper still.

Every Scripture reference in the articles is linked, and so are the cross-references from one article to another. Because the entries are indexed by verse, the Verse Guide and Bible margin show which articles cite the passage you are reading.