Lexical Summary skénóma: Tent, Tabernacle, Dwelling Original Word: σκῆνωμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tabernacle. From skenoo; an encampment, i.e. (figuratively) the Temple (as God's residence), the body (as a tenement for the soul) -- tabernacle. see GREEK skenoo HELPS Word-studies 4638 skḗnōma – properly, a pitched tent ("tabernacle," Ac 7:46); (figuratively) the physical body, serving as God's vehicle (dwelling place) – i.e. as believers live as sojourner-travelers ("pilgrims") with the Lord in this life, through faith (2 Pet 1:13,14). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom skénoó Definition a tent NASB Translation dwelling (2), dwelling place (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4638: σκήνωμασκήνωμα, σκηνώματος, τό (σκηνόω), a tent, tabernacle: of the temple as God's habitation, Acts 7:46 (Psalm 14:1 Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s 4638 sketches the picture of a movable “dwelling-place,” a word that Scripture employs both for the portable sanctuary of Israel and, by deliberate extension, for the human body. In every occurrence the emphasis falls on temporariness: a tent that serves its purpose for a season, awaiting a more permanent habitation provided by God. Biblical Usage • Acts 7:46 recalls David, who “found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob” (Berean Standard Bible). Stephen’s speech situates Israel’s account in a chain of divine accommodations—from the wilderness tabernacle to David’s yearning for a temple—underscoring God’s gracious willingness to dwell among His people even in makeshift housing. Historical Background The tabernacle introduced at Sinai (Exodus 25–40) provided Israel with a visible, mobile sign of divine presence. Long after the permanent temple stood in Jerusalem, Jews in the dispersion still spoke of the tabernacle with reverence, recognizing it as a symbol of God’s pilgrim people. New-Covenant writers inherit this imagery, now reading it through the lens of Christ’s incarnation (“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” John 1:14) and through the expectation of resurrection. Theological Themes 1. Transience versus permanence. Earthly tents anticipate an enduring structure: “If the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Christological Threads Jesus fulfills the tabernacle motif by embodying the presence of God among men. The temporary dwelling foreshadows His bodily presence on earth and looks forward to His bodily resurrection, the firstfruits of a restored creation. Eschatological Hope Revelation 21:3 looks ahead: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is among men.” The provisional tent becomes a perfected, unbreakable communion where God’s people enjoy resurrected bodies in a renewed cosmos. Peter’s confidence in laying aside his tent rests on that same certainty. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Perspective on suffering: bodily frailty is real yet momentary. The three appearances of 4638, though few, weave together the storyline of Scripture—from wilderness camp to apostolic witness—with a unified call to live as hopeful pilgrims, certain that God’s final dwelling with His people is both promised and assured. Forms and Transliterations σκηνωμα σκήνωμα σκήνωμά σκηνωμασι σκηνώμασι σκηνώμασί σκηνώμασιν σκηνώματα σκηνώματά σκήνωματα σκηνωματι σκηνώματι σκηνώματί σκηνωματος σκηνώματος σκηνώματός σκηνωμάτων σκήπτρα σκήπτρον σκήπτρου σκήπτρω skenoma skēnōma skḗnoma skḗnōma skenomati skenṓmati skēnōmati skēnṓmati skenomatos skenṓmatós skēnōmatos skēnṓmatósLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 7:46 N-ANSGRK: ᾐτήσατο εὑρεῖν σκήνωμα τῷ οἴκῳ NAS: that he might find a dwelling place for the God KJV: to find a tabernacle for the God INT: asked to find a tabernacle for the house [of the God] 2 Peter 1:13 N-DNS 2 Peter 1:14 N-GNS Strong's Greek 4638 |
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