In biblical terminology, the term "dweller" often refers to an inhabitant or resident of a particular place. This concept is significant in understanding the relationship between people and the land, as well as their spiritual and communal identities. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Bible, highlighting both physical and spiritual dimensions of dwelling.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "dweller" is "yashab," which means to sit, remain, or dwell. This term is frequently used to describe the inhabitants of a land or city. For example, in Genesis 13:12, we read about Abram and Lot: "Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, but Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom." Here, the term emphasizes the choice of residence and the implications of that choice.

The concept of dwelling is also tied to the promises of God. In Exodus 15:17, the Israelites are promised a dwelling place: "You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance—the place, O LORD, You have prepared for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, Your hands have established." This highlights the divine provision and the special relationship between God and His people.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the Greek word "katoikeo" is often used, meaning to inhabit or dwell. This term is used in both physical and spiritual contexts. For instance, in Acts 17:26, Paul speaks of God's sovereignty over the nations: "From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands."

The New Testament also expands the concept of dwelling to include the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:9, Paul writes, "You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you." This spiritual dwelling signifies a transformative relationship between believers and God, emphasizing the presence of God within the believer.

Theological Implications

Theologically, the concept of dwelling is rich with meaning. It signifies not only physical residence but also spiritual belonging and identity. The Bible often contrasts the temporary nature of earthly dwelling with the eternal dwelling promised by God. In Hebrews 11:9-10, the faith of the patriarchs is highlighted: "By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

The idea of dwelling also underscores the covenant relationship between God and His people. God's promise to dwell among His people is a recurring theme, as seen in Leviticus 26:11-12: "I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not despise you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people."

Conclusion

The biblical concept of "dweller" encompasses both the physical and spiritual dimensions of life. It reflects the human experience of living in a particular place while also pointing to the deeper spiritual reality of God's presence and promises. Through the lens of Scripture, dwelling is not merely about location but about relationship, identity, and divine purpose.(n.) An inhabitant; a resident; as, a cave dweller.3941. paroikos -- dwelling near, foreign
... 3941 (from 3844 , "close beside" and 3624 , "house") -- properly, someone living
close to others as a dweller, ie in a specific locale as a with limited rights ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3941.htm - 7k

2730. katoikeo -- to inhabit, to settle
... dweller, inhabitant. From kata and oikeo; to house permanently, ie Reside (literally
or figuratively) -- dwell(-er), inhabitant(-ter). see GREEK kata. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2730.htm - 8k

2043. Harari -- "mountain dweller," descriptive of two of David's ...
... "mountain dweller," descriptive of two of David's heroes. Transliteration: Harari
or Harari Phonetic Spelling: (hah-raw-ree') Short Definition: Hararite. ...
/hebrew/2043.htm - 6k

6716b. tsi -- (a wild animal) perhaps desert dweller
... 6716a, 6716b. tsi. 6717 . (a wild animal) perhaps desert dweller.
Transliteration: tsi Short Definition: creatures. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/6716b.htm - 5k

6521. perazi -- hamlet dweller
... 6520, 6521. perazi. 6522 . hamlet dweller. Transliteration: perazi Phonetic
Spelling: (per-aw-zee') Short Definition: country. Word ...
/hebrew/6521.htm - 6k

6728. tsiyyi -- wild beast of the desert, that dwell in inhabiting ...
... From the same as tsiyah; a desert-dweller, ie Nomad or wild beast -- wild beast
of the desert, that dwell in (inhabiting) the wilderness. see HEBREW tsiyah. ...
/hebrew/6728.htm - 6k

3427. yashab -- to sit, remain, dwell
... root Definition to sit, remain, dwell NASB Word Usage abide (5), abides (2), abode
(1), convened (1), dwell (61), dweller (1), dwelling (20), dwells (12 ...
/hebrew/3427.htm - 7k

7931. shakan -- to settle down, abide, dwell
... stay (1), staying (1). abide, continue, cause to, make to dweller, have
habitation, inhabit, lay, place,. A primitive root (apparently ...
/hebrew/7931.htm - 6k

2752. Chori -- inhab. of Edom, also the name of an Edomite, also ...
... Horims, Horites. From chowr; cave-dweller or troglodyte; a Chorite or aboriginal
Idumaean -- Horims, Horites. see HEBREW chowr. 2751, 2752. Chori. 2753 . ...
/hebrew/2752.htm - 6k

8453. toshab -- a sojourner
... manner. Or toshab (1 Kings 17:1) {to-shawb'}; from yashab; a dweller (but not
outlandish (nokriy)); especially (as distinguished from a native citizen (active ...
/hebrew/8453.htm - 6k

All Mankind Guilty; Or, Every Man Knows More than He Practises.
... the objector, does not possess the metaphysical conception of God as a Spirit, and
of all his various attributes and qualities, like the dweller in Christendom ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/all mankind guilty or every.htm

The Power of Ambition.
... Hastings, Dict. Bible II, 526-535. Prin. of Politics Ch. II. Now as the boys grew
Esau became a skilful hunter, but Jacob was a quiet man, a dweller in tents. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kent/the making of a nation/study vi the power of.htm

"Above the Sun. "
... history. Now the contrast"vain ye listen for one jarring note to fall; For
each dweller in that scene's in perfect harmony with all. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jennings/old groans and new songs/above the sun.htm

Jacob and Esau
... He was a plain man"what we call a still, solid, prudent, quiet man"and a dweller
in tents: he lived peaceably, looking after his father's flocks and herds ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon vi jacob and esau.htm

Simeon
... "It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before
he had seen the Lord's Christ!" He is like a dweller of the spiritual world ...
//christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/simeon.htm

The Boyhood of Jesus.
... lived in the city of Nazareth, and so the words of the old prophets were true, that
Jesus, the Savior of the World, should be a Nazarene, or dweller in Nazareth ...
/.../anonymous/wee ones bible stories/the boyhood of jesus.htm

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
... the woman is, in her own domain, Gevirah and Gevereth, the mistress (as frequently
in the history of Sarah and in other passages), or else the dweller at home ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 9 mothers daughters and.htm

The First Games
... The nightingale, the singing-bird beyond all others, so difficult to tame, is the
honoured guest, the privileged dweller in these rustic cages. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/iv the first games.htm

The New Name.
... nature. No dweller in this planet can imagine a method of embodying truth
that shall be purer, loftier, truer to the truth embodied. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/the new name.htm

At the Well
... Here Philistine, Damascene, Ninevite and Babylonian had halted; here Egyptian,
Bedouin, Arabian and the dweller of the desert had paused. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxxvii at the well.htm

Dweller (13 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) An inhabitant; a resident; as, a cave dweller.
Multi-Version Concordance Dweller (13 Occurrences). ...
/d/dweller.htm - 10k

Dwellers (12 Occurrences)

/d/dwellers.htm - 9k

Rocks (48 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 49:16 Thy terribleness hath lifted thee up, The pride of thy heart, O dweller
in clefts of the rock, Holding the high place of the height, For thou ...
/r/rocks.htm - 21k

Nehelamite (4 Occurrences)
... 29:24, 31, 32). The word means "dweller of Nehelam," but no such
place-name is found in the Old Testament. Its etymology, however ...
/n/nehelamite.htm - 89k

Naamathite (4 Occurrences)
... na'-a-ma-thit, na-am'-a-thit (na`amdthi, "a dweller in Naaman"; ho M(e)inaion basileus):
The description of Zophar, one of Job's friends (Job 2:11; Job 11:1 ...
/n/naamathite.htm - 8k

Nested (3 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 22:23 O dweller in Lebanon, making a nest among cedars, How gracious hast
thou been when pangs come to thee, Pain -- as of a travailing woman. ...
/n/nested.htm - 7k

Overseership (1 Occurrence)
... Acts 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his homestead become desolate,
and let there be no dweller in it; and, Let another take his overseership ...
/o/overseership.htm - 6k

Jashobeam (3 Occurrences)
...Dweller among the people; or to whom the people turn, the Hachmonite (1 Chronicles
11:11), one of David's chief heroes who joined him at Ziklag (12:6). He was ...
/j/jashobeam.htm - 10k

Jobab (9 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Dweller in the desert. (1.) One of the sons of
Joktan, and founder of an Arabian tribe (Genesis 10:29). ...
/j/jobab.htm - 10k

Languishes (11 Occurrences)
... Hosea 4:3 Therefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the
beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the ...
/l/languishes.htm - 9k

Who were the Horites in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is a pagan? What is paganism? | GotQuestions.org

Are any mythological creatures mentioned in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Dweller: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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