This volume addresses the need for a systematic, annotated reference system to aid in the study and cross-referencing of biblical texts. The author, Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, utilizes a dispensationalist theological framework to organize the scriptures, providing a structured method for readers to navigate the complexities of the King James Version. By integrating a comprehensive concordance and a system of chain references, the work aims to clarify thematic connections across the Old and New Testaments.

Scholars and clergy often identify this edition as a significant historical tool for understanding the development of 20th-century American evangelical theology. Readers frequently note the density of the cross-referencing system, which serves as a foundational resource for those studying the specific interpretive tradition established by Scofield.