G4633 — σκηνή (skēnē)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G4633
Original: σκηνή
Transliteration: skēnē
Pronunciation: skay-nay'
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Root: Related to σκῆνος (skēnos, G4636) — a tent, temporary shelter
Occurrences: 20 in NT
First Occurrence: Matt 17:4 — "let us make here three tabernacles"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

A tent or cloth hut (literally or figuratively); used of the Mosaic tabernacle, the heavenly sanctuary, tents for dwelling, and pagan shrines.

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - 007.002 — Buildings (Domain 007: Constructions) - Glosses: tent, tabernacle tent - Other words in domain: ναός (naos, temple), οἶκος (oikos, house), σκήνωμα (skēnōma, dwelling), σκηνοποιός (skēnopoios, tentmaker), παρεμβολή (parembolē, camp)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [007] Constructions

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
tabernacle	15	75%
tabernacles	4	20%
habitations	1	5%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Hebrews	10	3.3
Acts	3	0.3
Revelation	3	0.7
Luke	2	0.2
Matthew	1	0.1
Mark	1	0.1

Hebrews dominates with 50% of all occurrences, reflecting the epistle's sustained exposition of the tabernacle/sanctuary system. The Synoptic occurrences cluster at the Transfiguration (Matt 17:4, Mark 9:5, Luke 9:33). Absent from John, the Pauline epistles, and the General epistles (except Hebrews).

Semantic Categories¶

1. The Mosaic/Wilderness Tabernacle¶

Acts 7:44 — "Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness"
Heb 8:5 — "Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle"
Heb 9:2 — "there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick"
Heb 9:6 — "the priests went always into the first tabernacle"
Heb 9:21 — "he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels"

2. The Structural Divisions (First / Second Compartment)¶

Heb 9:2 — "the first [tabernacle], wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary"
Heb 9:3 — "after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all"
Heb 9:6 — "priests went always into the first tabernacle"
Heb 9:8 — "the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing"

3. The Heavenly/Greater Tabernacle¶

Heb 8:2 — "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man"
Heb 9:11 — "a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands"
Rev 15:5 — "the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened"

4. God's Eschatological Dwelling¶

Rev 21:3 — "the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them"
Rev 13:6 — "to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven"

5. Literal Tents / Temporary Shelters¶

Matt 17:4 / Mark 9:5 / Luke 9:33 — "let us make three tabernacles" (Transfiguration)
Heb 11:9 — "dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob"
Luke 16:9 — "they may receive you into everlasting habitations"

6. Messianic/Prophetic Restoration¶

Acts 15:16 — "I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down" (quoting Amos 9:11)

7. Pagan Shrine¶

Acts 7:43 — "ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch" (quoting Amos 5:26)

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
ποιέω (poieō)	G4160	7x	"make a tabernacle/tabernacles" (Matt 17:4; Heb 8:5)
Μωσῆς (Mōsēs)	G3475	5x	Moses and the tabernacle (Acts, Hebrews)
ἅγιος (hagios)	G39	4x	"holy place" / sanctuary context (Heb 9)
πρῶτος (prōtos)	G4413	3x	"the first tabernacle" (Heb 9:2, 6, 8)
οὐρανός (ouranos)	G3772	3x	heavenly tabernacle (Heb 9:11; Rev)
θεός (theos)	G2316	3x	"tabernacle of God" (Rev 21:3)
τύπος (typos)	G5179	3x	"according to the pattern" (Heb 8:5)

Word Family / Cognates¶

G4636 σκῆνος (skēnos) — tent, temporary residence; used figuratively for the human body (2 Cor 5:1, 4); 2 occurrences
G4637 σκηνόω (skēnoō) — to tent, encamp, dwell; "the Word...dwelt (eskēnōsen) among us" (John 1:14); 5 occurrences
G4638 σκήνωμα (skēnōma) — a dwelling, encampment; the Temple as God's residence (Acts 7:46); the body as a tent (2 Pet 1:13-14); 3 occurrences
G4639 σκιά (skia) — shadow; used in Heb 8:5 and 10:1 alongside tabernacle language ("shadow of heavenly things"); 7 occurrences

Synonyms¶

G4638 σκήνωμα (skēnōma) — dwelling place; the nearest cognate noun for residence/tabernacle
G4634 σκηνοπηγία (skēnopēgia) — tabernacles / booth-feast; shares the tent/booth field
G3542 νομή (nomē) — pasture, ranging-place; habitation-space vocabulary returned by search_relationships.py
G5131 τράγος (tragos) — he-goat; returned by search_relationships.py in the tabernacle/sanctuary field

Antonyms¶

G68 ἀγρός (agros) — field, open country; contrasts with tented or built shelter space

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ναός (naos)	G3485	both refer to God's dwelling	naos = inner sanctuary/temple building; skēnē = tent/portable tabernacle
σκήνωμα (skēnōma)	G4638	both "tabernacle"	skēnōma = the act/place of dwelling (figurative); skēnē = the structure itself
σκῆνος (skēnos)	G4636	both "tabernacle" in KJV	skēnos = exclusively figurative (the body as tent); skēnē = the actual tent/tabernacle

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	LXX Frequency	Notes
אֹהֶל (ʼohel)	H168	230x (primary)	Tent — the most common Hebrew word behind σκηνή in LXX
מוֹעֵד (moʻed)	H4150	138x	Appointed meeting — "tabernacle of the congregation" (ohel moʻed)
מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan)	H4908	88x	Dwelling/tabernacle — the Mosaic sanctuary as God's residence
סֻכָּה (sukkah)	H5521	20x	Booth/hut — Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth)

The LXX uses σκηνή broadly for both ʼohel (the tent structure) and mishkan (the dwelling/abode), collapsing a Hebrew distinction: ʼohel emphasizes the physical tent, while mishkan emphasizes the indwelling presence.