James Strong (1822–1894) was an influential nineteenth-century American academic, biblical scholar, and Methodist theologian. Born in New York, he dedicated his professional life to biblical lexicography and theological education. Strong served as a professor of exegetical theology at Drew Theological Seminary, where he became known for his rigorous academic standards and his commitment to Methodism. His work was characterized by a meticulous approach to biblical texts, aiming to make scriptural study more accessible to both laypeople and academic scholars.\n\nStrong is most famous for his monumental publication, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, which was first published in 1890 after decades of painstaking preparation. This massive reference work indexed every single word in the King James Version of the Bible, linking each English word back to its original Hebrew, Chaldee, or Greek root. The "Strong's numbers" system he created remains a foundational tool in biblical studies today, allowing readers without deep linguistic training to study the original languages of the biblical texts.\n\nIn addition to his famous concordance, Strong contributed to other major theological reference works, including the Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, which he co-edited. His legacy is defined by his tireless scholarship and his enduring contribution to the field of biblical concordance and lexicography, which continues to influence contemporary theological study and translation work.
