סֻכָּה (suk.kah)
suk.kah
booth
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 27 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sukkah refers to a temporary shelter, ranging from a simple hut made of woven branches to a dense thicket or lair. Its core meaning centers on impermanence and protection, describing structures that are hastily built rather than permanently established. This word appears in diverse contexts, from the livestock enclosures mentioned in Genesis 33:17 to the wild animal dens described in Job 38:40.
In religious and historical texts, sukkah carries significant weight as the primary term for the Feast of Tabernacles. Leviticus 23:34 and Nehemiah 8:15 command Israelites to dwell in these booths to remember their ancestors' time in the wilderness. The imagery evokes a reliance on divine provision rather than human fortification, a theme reinforced when Isaiah describes God’s presence as a protective canopy against storms in Isaiah 4:6.
The word’s flexibility allows it to describe both humble human dwellings and majestic poetic images of God’s shelter. In 2 Samuel 22:12, the psalmist uses related imagery to depict God’s majesty, while Jonah 4:5 highlights the plant’s role as a fleeting shade. This range underscores the biblical emphasis on trust in God as the ultimate refuge amidst life’s transient conditions.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sukkah describes a temporary shelter, often a simple hut or woven structure, standing in contrast to permanent stone houses. In ancient Israel, this was not just a building but a practice commanded during the Feast of Tabernacles. By living in these fragile structures for seven days, the people remembered their ancestors' journey through the wilderness after leaving Egypt. This act served as a physical reminder that their security did not come from strong walls or military power, but from God’s provision and care.
Even when used poetically, sukkah points to divine protection. Isaiah describes God’s presence as a pavilion against storms, offering shade from the heat and refuge from rain. This imagery invites us to view our own lives through a lens of trust rather than self-reliance. We are reminded that our time here is temporary, much like these booths, and our ultimate hope rests in a permanent shelter provided by God.
When life feels unstable or uncertain, this word offers comfort. It suggests that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but an opportunity to acknowledge our dependence on the Creator. Just as the Israelites gathered branches to build their shelters, we can gather moments of gratitude for God’s daily presence. This perspective helps us find peace in transient seasons, knowing that our true home is secure.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 27 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in <the>/ booths5×
- the/ booths3×
- in the/ booths3×
- booths3×
- <the>/ booths3×
- <the>/ Tabernacles3×
- shelters2×
- pavilion/ his1×
- like/ a shelter1×
- in <the>/ thicket1×
- and/ like/ a shelter1×
- and/ a shelter1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/סֻּכּֽוֹת\׃5×
- בַּ/סֻּכּ֗וֹת2×
- סֻכּוֹת֮1×
- סֻכֹּ֖ת1×
- סֻכֹּ֔ת1×
- סֻכָּתֽ/וֹ\׃1×
- סֻכָּ֗ה1×
- סֻכַּ֥ת1×
- סֻכּ֜וֹת1×
- סֻכּ֑וֹת1×
- כְּ/סֻכָּ֣ה1×
- וּ֝/כְ/סֻכָּ֗ה1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 23:43
that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in temporary shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’”
This verse explicitly links the practice of dwelling in sukkah to remembering God’s deliverance from Egypt, establishing its primary theological purpose as a memorial of divine provision.
-
Isaiah 4:6
There will be a pavilion for a shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a refuge and for a shelter from storm and from rain.
Here the term shifts from human construction to divine action, describing God Himself as the pavilion that provides shade and refuge from storm and rain.
-
Nehemiah 8:17
All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness.
This account shows the profound joy of the returned exiles who rebuilt their sukkah practice after centuries of neglect, highlighting the word’s role in communal identity and restoration.