The SBL Handbook of Style prescribes different citation conventions for Bible encyclopedias and dictionaries than it does for theological lexicons and dictionaries.¹

Zotero can handle both citation types. To get the proper output, you need to

1. install a current version of the SBL citation style and
2. input information into your Zotero database properly.

1. Install a current version of Zotero’s SBL citation style.

You can install the “Society of Biblical Literature 2nd edition (full note)” directly from Zotero’s style repository. Or drop your email in the form below, and I’ll email you a copy of this style and a few others you might find helpful.

Output from this style, like all others, depends on the quality of the records in your Zotero database. But if you put information into the database correctly, this style will do a wonderful job. Your citations and bibliographies will reflect what SBL style requires.

2. Input information into your Zotero database properly.

Encyclopedias and Bible Dictionaries (§6.3.6)

What SBL Style Requires

When you cite Bible encyclopedias and dictionaries, SBL style wants an initial footnote to like

1. Krister Stendahl, “Biblical Theology, Contemporary,” IDB 1:418.

Subsequent references should use only the author’s surname, a shortened article title, and drop the dictionary title abbreviation. So, for those, you’ll have a citation like

3. Stendahl, “Biblical Theology,” 1:419.

And in the bibliography, you’ll have an entry for each individual article like

Stendahl, Krister. “Biblical Theology, Contemporary.” IDB 1:418–32.

How to Get What SBL Style Requires

To get this output from Zotero, use the “Dictionary Entry” resource type for each entry you want to cite. Then, fill out the resource metadata as usual. That’s all pretty straightforward except for the Dictionary Title and Extra fields.

Dictionary Titles

You can enter the full dictionary title (e.g., Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible) in the Dictionary Title field. SBL style citations and bibliographies never actually use this full title. But this way, you’ll have the full title ready for use with other styles that do (e.g., Chicago).

Extra

In the Extra field, enter container-title-short: followed by the dictionary’s abbreviation (e.g., IDB), if one exists.

The SBL Handbook of Style lists many common abbreviations. But as a group, the abbreviations it doesn’t list are also quite common. For those, you’ll consult the third edition of Internationales Abkürzungsverzeichnis für Theologie und Grenzgebiete (IATG).

Lexicons and Theological Dictionaries (§6.3.7)

For lexicons and theological dictionaries, things are a bit trickier because SBL style doesn’t treat all lexicons and theological dictionaries the same.

The SBL Handbook of Style §6.3.7 does discuss citing “An Article in a Lexicon or a Theological Dictionary.” But apparently, the section is intended to address only signed articles in lexicons and theological dictionaries.

Some works include only unsigned entries (e.g., BDAG, HALOT).² Others include both signed and unsigned entries (e.g., EDNT). So, you’ll want to use the citation method appropriate for the specific entry type that you’re citing within a given lexicon or theological dictionary.

What SBL Style Requires

With that distinction made, note that, for theological lexicons and dictionaries, the SBL Handbook of Style wants initial footnotes like

1. Hermann W. Beyer, “διακονέω, διακονία, κτλ,” TDNT 2:93.

Or if you’re citing only the article on one particular word in a larger group, you’ll have something like

1. Hermann W. Beyer, “διακονέω,” TDNT 2:81.

According to the Handbook, subsequent citations need to have the author’s surname and the lexicon or dictionary title but drop the article title. (This requirement is opposite of that for Bible encyclopedias and dictionaries.)

But SBL Press has now reversed this pattern so that signed lexicon or theological dictionary titles are cited in the same way as are encyclopedia and Bible dictionary articles.((” Citing Reference Works 3: Dictionaries (Word).”))

Thus, you’ll have a subsequent reference like

3. Beyer, “διακονέω,” 2:83.

Then, in the bibliography, you’ll give the individual article entry like

Beyer, Hermann W. “διακονέω, διακονία, κτλ.” TDNT 2:81–93.((” Citing Reference Works 3: Dictionaries (Word).”))

This method of reflecting lexicons and theological dictionaries in the bibliography again represents SBL Press adjusting the presentation of these types of sources to be more similar to encyclopedias and Bible dictionaries.((” Citing Reference Works 3: Dictionaries (Word).”))

Per the Handbook itself, you would only include only one entry in the bibliography for a whole theological lexicon or dictionary, no matter how many articles you cited from it.

By contrast, the full bibliography entry for the whole work (e.g., TDNT) should now only go in an abbreviation list, if you need to have one.((” Citing Reference Works 3: Dictionaries (Word).”))

How to Get What SBL Style Requires

There are a few different options for how to ask Zotero to produce this output. Different methods might work better in different situations, depending on whether the source has only unsigned entries, only signed entries, or some of both.

Only Unsigned Entries

If your source has only unsigned entries, you’ll probably be best off by having just the one Zotero record for the whole source.

Only Signed Entries or Both Signed and Unsigned Entries

If your source has only signed entries, you’ll probably be best off by having

• One Zotero record for each entry you cite and
• One Zotero record for the whole work, if you need this for the abbreviation list or for unsigned entries.

Setting up the Zotero records for signed entries is pretty straightforward. But setting up a record to cite unsigned entries requires some special steps.

Setting Up Zotero Records for Unsigned Entries

For unsigned entries, you won’t always need to cite the work with an abbreviation. But that will often be the case.

When it is, you can use the “Extra” field for that Zotero record to enter Annote: followed by how you want to cite the lexicon or dictionary overall.

For example, for the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, the corresponding abbreviation is EDNT. So in Zotero’s “Extra” field for that resource, can enter Annote: <i>EDNT</i>.

Zotero won’t do anything with what follows Annote: except use it exactly to cite your resource. So you have to include the <i> and </i> tags to tell Zotero you want the title abbreviation italicized, as SBL style requires.

When you initially cite an unsigned article, you can then choose the “sub verbo” locator type in the Zotero add citation dialog box so that you can enter the entry you’re citing from.

Using the Annote: variable to store the custom citation you need should then allow you to configure your footnotes one way while not affecting the formatting of the bibliography entry for that resource, should you need to include one there or in an abbreviation list.

Conclusion

As Zotero and SBL style continue evolving, the process for getting certain types of output will change as well.