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WG: Tabernacle / Tent Dwelling

Overview

The σκηνή word family covers the concept of tent-dwelling and the portable sanctuary. In the NT, this cluster carries the theology of God's temporary, mobile dwelling — from the wilderness tabernacle through Christ's incarnation ("tabernacled among us," John 1:14) to the eschatological promise ("the tabernacle of God is with men," Rev 21:3). Distinguished from the ναός (temple/permanent sanctuary) word group by its emphasis on portability, temporariness, and incarnational presence.

Word Group Members

Hebrew OT Root

Strong's Word Transliteration POS Occurrences Role in Concept Library Entry
H7931 שָׁכַן shākan verb 123 The Hebrew root: to dwell/encamp; God's tent-dwelling among Israel H7931
H4908 מִשְׁכָּן mishkān noun 139 The Tabernacle itself; derived from shākan H4908-mishkan.md
H5521 סֻכָּה sukkah noun 29 Booth/hut; the structure built for the Feast of Tabernacles; also divine pavilion H5521-cukkah.md

Greek NT / LXX

Strong's Word Transliteration POS Occurrences Role in Concept Library Entry
G4633 σκηνή skēnē noun 20 The tent/tabernacle structure itself G4633
G4637 σκηνόω skēnoō verb 5 The action of dwelling in a tent G4637
G2681 κατασκηνόω kataskēnóō verb 4 LXX primary rendering of shākan (46x); NT: birds nesting, flesh resting in hope TODO(need G2681 study)
G4638 σκήνωμα skēnōma noun 3 The dwelling-place / act of encamping G4638
G4636 σκῆνος skēnos noun 2 The body as tent (figurative) TODO(need G4636 study)
G4639 σκιά skia noun 7 Shadow — the tabernacle as shadow of heavenly reality G4639
G3485 ναός naos noun 46 Overlapping — permanent sanctuary (vs. portable tent) G3485

Relationships

Semantic Distinction: skēnē vs. naos

  • σκηνή (skēnē) — tent, portable tabernacle; emphasizes temporariness and divine condescension (God dwelling with people in their wanderings)
  • ναός (naos) — inner temple sanctuary; emphasizes permanence and holy separation (the dwelling of deity)
  • In Rev 15:5 both words appear together: "the temple (naos) of the tabernacle (skēnē) of the testimony" — the permanent and portable concepts merged in the heavenly reality

Word Family Distinctions

  • σκηνή — the tent structure; used for the Mosaic tabernacle, literal tents, heavenly tabernacle
  • σκηνόω — to pitch a tent, dwell in a tent; John 1:14 "the Word tabernacled among us"
  • σκήνωμα — the dwelling itself or the state of dwelling; used for Peter's body (2 Pet 1:13-14) and God's dwelling (Acts 7:46)
  • σκῆνος — tent as metaphor for the body; exclusively figurative in NT (2 Cor 5:1, 4)
  • σκιά — shadow; appears alongside σκηνή in Hebrews (8:5; 10:1) to describe the earthly tabernacle as a shadow-copy of the heavenly

Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)

Word A Word B Shared Verses Typical Context
G4633 skēnē G4637 skēnoō 2x Rev 13:6; Rev 21:3 — tabernacle + dwell
G4633 skēnē G3485 naos 1x Rev 15:5 — "temple of the tabernacle"
G4633 skēnē G39 hagios 4x Heb 9 — the tabernacle and holy place
G4637 skēnoō G3485 naos 1x Rev 7:15 — dwelling + temple

Roles in the Concept

  • Structure (portable): σκηνή (skēnē) — the physical/spiritual tent-sanctuary
  • Action (dwelling): σκηνόω (skēnoō) — the act of tabernacling/encamping
  • State/Place (result): σκήνωμα (skēnōma) — the dwelling-place or state of encampment
  • Metaphor (body): σκῆνος (skēnos) — the body as a temporary tent
  • Relation (copy-to-original): σκιά (skia) — the earthly tabernacle as shadow of the heavenly
  • Overlap (permanent structure): ναός (naos) — the temple as permanent counterpart

Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together

  • Rev 21:3 — "the tabernacle (σκηνή) of God is with men, and he will dwell (σκηνόω) with them" — 2 group words; the eschatological climax of the tabernacle theme
  • Rev 13:6 — "to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle (σκηνή), and them that dwell (σκηνόω) in heaven" — 2 group words
  • Rev 15:5 — "the temple (ναός) of the tabernacle (σκηνή) of the testimony in heaven" — 2 group words; unique fusion of temple + tabernacle
  • Heb 8:2, 5 — "the true tabernacle (σκηνή)...shadow (σκιά) of heavenly things" — 2 group words; type-antitype framework
  • 2 Cor 5:1-4 — "our earthly house of this tabernacle (σκῆνος)...clothed upon...tabernacle (σκῆνος)" — body-as-tent metaphor
  • John 1:14 — "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (σκηνόω) among us" — incarnation as tabernacling

Generated from: search_strongs.py, strongs_translations.db, louw_nida.db Last updated: 2026-04-02

See Also