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מִשְׁכָּן (mish.kan)

mish.kan

tabernacle

H4908 · Hebrew · Old Testament · 120 verses

H:N-M

Quick Reference

Language
Biblical Hebrew
Testament
Old Testament
Occurrences
120 verses
Root
—
Part of speech
H:N-M

Word Overview

The noun mishkan denotes a dwelling place, most famously referring to the portable sanctuary built by the Israelites during their wilderness journey. Derived from a root meaning "to settle" or "dwell," it describes a residence where God’s presence takes up permanent lodging among His people. While it can broadly mean any home or even an animal’s den, its primary biblical weight lies in describing the specific structure that housed the Ark of the Covenant.

In Exodus and Numbers, mishkan specifically identifies the tabernacle’s wooden framework rather than just the tent coverings. The text distinguishes these sturdy boards from the softer outer layers, emphasizing a permanent foundation for divine habitation. This technical usage appears in passages detailing the construction instructions, such as when Moses is told to make the tabernacle according to the pattern shown on the mountain (Exodus 25:9).

Psalms later expands this imagery, using mishkan to describe God’s dwelling in Jerusalem or Zion. By applying the same word used for a desert tent to the Temple in Jerusalem, the biblical writers connect the mobile presence of God with His fixed location in the holy city. This linguistic link reinforces the idea that God chooses to dwell among His people, whether in temporary shelters or established centers of worship.

Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).

What This Word Means for Your Faith

The word mishkan points to a place where God chooses to make His home among us. In the wilderness, this was not just a tent but a carefully built sanctuary where the presence of the Lord dwelt with Israel. It reminds us that the Creator of the universe desires intimacy with His people, choosing to dwell in their midst rather than remaining distant and unreachable.

This concept bridges the gap between the temporary and the permanent. While the structure was portable, its purpose was to establish a stable foundation for divine habitation. Today, this truth encourages believers that God is not confined to buildings or locations but seeks to reside within the community of faith and in the hearts of those who trust Him.

How it's translated

How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 120 verses where it appears, by frequency.

  • the/ tabernacle75×
  • [the] tabernacle of16×
  • for the/ tabernacle5×
  • [the] dwelling places of3×
  • [the] dwelling place of3×
  • of the/ tabernacle2×
  • dwelling place/ my2×
  • <to> the/ tabernacle2×
  • to/ dwelling place<s>/ his1×
  • tabernacle/ his1×
  • dwellings/ your1×
  • dwellings/ its1×

Forms in the text

The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.

  • הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֖ן20×
  • הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֔ן12×
  • הַ/מִּשְׁכָּֽן\׃10×
  • הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֛ן10×
  • מִשְׁכַּ֣ן9×
  • הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֑ן8×
  • הַ/מִּשְׁכָּן֙7×
  • מִשְׁכַּ֥ן5×
  • לַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֑ן4×
  • הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֗ן3×
  • מִשְׁכָּנִ֖/י2×
  • מִשְׁכַּ֖ן2×

Key Verses

  • Exodus 25:9
    According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its furniture, even so you shall make it.

    This verse establishes the tabernacle as a direct response to God's revealed pattern, showing that His dwelling place is designed according to His specific instructions.

  • Exodus 26:30
    You shall set up the tabernacle according to the way that it was shown to you on the mountain.

    Here the word emphasizes obedience to the heavenly vision, ensuring the physical structure aligns perfectly with what was shown on the mountain.

  • Exodus 36:8
    All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. They made them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

    This occurrence highlights the communal effort of skilled workers bringing God's dwelling into reality through their dedicated craftsmanship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does mishkan mean in the Bible?

Mishkan is a Hebrew noun that translates to tabernacle or dwelling place. It primarily refers to the portable sanctuary built by the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness, which housed the Ark of the Covenant and symbolized God's presence among His people.

How is mishkan different from other words for house?

While other Hebrew words can mean a general home or shelter, mishkan specifically denotes a sacred residence where God takes up lodging. It carries theological weight regarding divine habitation rather than just human living space.

Where does this word appear most often?

The term appears frequently in the books of Exodus and Numbers, particularly in the detailed instructions for constructing the sanctuary. It also appears in Psalms when referring to God's dwelling in Jerusalem or Zion.

Every Occurrence (120 verses across 13 books)

Exodus 55 verses
Exodus 25:9

According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its furniture, even so you…

Exodus 26:1

“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with…

Exodus 26:6

You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains to one another with the clasps. The tabernacle shall be a…

Exodus 26:7

“You shall make curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. You shall make eleven curtains.

Exodus 26:12

The overhanging part that remains of the curtains of the tent—the half curtain that remains—shall hang over the back of…

Exodus 26:13

The cubit on the one side and the cubit on the other side, of that which remains in the length of the curtains of the…

Exodus 26:15

“You shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.

Exodus 26:17

There shall be two tenons in each board, joined to one another: thus you shall make for all the boards of the…

Exodus 26:18

You shall make twenty boards for the tabernacle, for the south side southward.

Exodus 26:20

For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,

Exodus 26:22

For the far side of the tabernacle westward you shall make six boards.

Exodus 26:23

You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far side.

Exodus 26:26

“You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

Exodus 26:27

and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the…

Exodus 26:30

You shall set up the tabernacle according to the way that it was shown to you on the mountain.

Exodus 26:35

You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lamp stand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward…

Exodus 27:9

“You shall make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine…

Exodus 27:19

All the instruments of the tabernacle in all its service, and all its pins, and all the pins of the court, shall be of…

Exodus 35:11

the tabernacle, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;

Exodus 35:15

and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of…

Exodus 35:18

the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords;

Exodus 36:8

All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue,…

Exodus 36:13

He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was a unit.

Exodus 36:14

He made curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. He made them eleven curtains.

Exodus 36:20

He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.

Exodus 36:22

Each board had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the boards of the tabernacle this way.

Exodus 36:23

He made the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.

Exodus 36:25

For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards

Exodus 36:27

For the far part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.

Exodus 36:28

He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part.

Exodus 36:31

He made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

Exodus 36:32

and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for…

Exodus 38:20

All the pins of the tabernacle, and around the court, were of bronze.

Exodus 38:21

These are the amounts of materials used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted,…

Exodus 38:31

the sockets around the court, the sockets of the gate of the court, all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins…

Exodus 39:32

Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The children of Israel did according to all…

Exodus 39:33

They brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent, with all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars,…

Exodus 39:40

the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, and all…

Exodus 40:2

“On the first day of the first month you shall raise up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.

Exodus 40:5

You shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant, and put the screen of the door to the…

Exodus 40:6

“You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.

Exodus 40:9

“You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall make it holy, and all its…

Exodus 40:17

In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was raised up.

Exodus 40:18

Moses raised up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its…

Exodus 40:19

He spread the covering over the tent, and put the roof of the tabernacle above on it, as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Exodus 40:21

He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant, as…

Exodus 40:22

He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside of the veil.

Exodus 40:24

He put the lamp stand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:28

He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:29

He set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt…

Exodus 40:33

He raised up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses…

Exodus 40:34

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:35

Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh’s glory filled the…

Exodus 40:36

When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys;

Exodus 40:38

For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the…

Leviticus 4 verses
Numbers 34 verses
Joshua 2 verses
II Samuel 1 verse
I Chronicles 4 verses
II Chronicles 2 verses
Job 3 verses
Psalms 8 verses
Song of Solomon 1 verse
Isaiah 3 verses
Jeremiah 2 verses
Habakkuk 1 verse