In biblical theology, the concept of a "dwelling-place" is rich with spiritual significance, symbolizing both the physical and spiritual habitation of God among His people. The term is used throughout Scripture to describe various forms of habitation, from the earthly to the divine.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the dwelling-place of God is initially associated with the Tabernacle, a portable sanctuary used by the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness. Exodus 25:8 states, "And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them." This sanctuary, or Tabernacle, was a tangible representation of God's presence with His people, signifying His desire to be near them and guide them.

The concept evolves with the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, which becomes the central place of worship and the dwelling-place of God's name. In 1 Kings 8:13 , Solomon declares, "I have indeed built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever." The Temple serves as a permanent dwelling-place for God, where His glory resides and where the Israelites come to offer sacrifices and worship.

New Testament Fulfillment

The New Testament reveals a profound shift in the understanding of God's dwelling-place. With the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God dwells among humanity in a new and intimate way. John 1:14 proclaims, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." Jesus, as the Word made flesh, embodies the presence of God, offering a direct and personal relationship with the divine.

Furthermore, the New Testament expands the concept of God's dwelling-place to include the hearts of believers. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16 , "Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" This indwelling of the Holy Spirit signifies that each believer becomes a living temple, a personal dwelling-place of God.

Eschatological Hope

The ultimate fulfillment of God's dwelling with His people is found in the eschatological vision of the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:3 offers a glimpse of this future reality: "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.'" This promise encapsulates the hope of eternal communion with God, where His presence is fully realized and His people dwell with Him forever.

Symbolism and Spiritual Application

The theme of dwelling-place carries deep spiritual implications for believers. It emphasizes the importance of seeking God's presence and cultivating a life that reflects His holiness. As God's dwelling-place, believers are called to live in a manner worthy of His presence, embodying His love, grace, and truth in their daily lives.

In summary, the biblical concept of a dwelling-place encompasses the historical, spiritual, and eschatological dimensions of God's relationship with His people. From the Tabernacle and Temple to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the promise of the New Jerusalem, the dwelling-place of God is a central theme that underscores His desire to be with His creation.2732. katoiketerion -- a habitation
... of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: katoiketerion Phonetic Spelling:
(kat-oy-kay-tay'-ree-on) Short Definition: a habitation, dwelling-place Definition: ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2732.htm - 6k

3438. mone -- an abiding, an abode
... abiding, an abode. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: mone Phonetic
Spelling: (mon-ay') Short Definition: lodging, dwelling-place, room Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3438.htm - 6k

4638. skenoma -- a tent
... 4638 -- properly, a pitched tent ("tabernacle," Ac 7:46); (figuratively) the physical
body, serving as God's vehicle (dwelling place) -- ie as believers live ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4638.htm - 7k

790. astateo -- to be unsettled, ie homeless
... Word Origin from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and histemi Definition to be unsettled,
ie homeless NASB Word Usage homeless (1). have no certain dwelling-place. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/790.htm - 6k

2682. kataskenosis -- a lodging
... a lodging. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: kataskenosis Phonetic
Spelling: (kat-as-kay'-no-sis) Short Definition: a dwelling-place Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2682.htm - 6k

3613. oiketerion -- a habitation
... Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: oiketerion Phonetic Spelling:
(oy-kay-tay'-ree-on) Short Definition: a dwelling-place, habitation Definition: ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3613.htm - 6k

3485. naos -- a temple
... himself resides. 3485 (from , "to dwell") -- properly, a (divine
dwelling-place); a (sacred abode), the place of . 3485 () refers ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3485.htm - 7k

2730. katoikeo -- to inhabit, to settle
... 2730 (from 2596 , ", according to," intensifying 3611 , "dwell, reside") -- properly,
settle as a permanent resident, ie in a () dwelling place as one's ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2730.htm - 8k

86. hades -- Hades, the abode of departed spirits
... 1 "not" and , "see") -- properly, the "unseen place," referring to the (invisible)
realm in which all the dead reside, ie the present dwelling place of all the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/86.htm - 7k

4908. mishkan -- dwelling place, tabernacle
... dwelling place, tabernacle. Transliteration: mishkan Phonetic Spelling: (mish-kawn')
Short Definition: tabernacle. ... dwelling place, habitation, tabernacle, tent. ...
/hebrew/4908.htm - 6k

4186. moshab -- a seat, assembly, dwelling place, dwelling ...
... a seat, assembly, dwelling place, dwelling, dwellers. Transliteration: moshab or
moshab Phonetic Spelling: (mo-shawb') Short Definition: dwellings. ...
/hebrew/4186.htm - 6k

4070. medor -- a dwelling place
... 4069, 4070. medor or medor or medar. 4071 . a dwelling place. Transliteration:
medor or medor or medar Phonetic Spelling: (med-ore') Short Definition: place ...
/hebrew/4070.htm - 6k

7675. shebeth -- seat, dwelling, place
... 7674, 7675. shebeth. 7676 . seat, dwelling, place. Transliteration: shebeth
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-beth) Short Definition: place. ...
/hebrew/7675.htm - 6k

2776. Cheres -- a mountain East of the Jordan, also dwelling place ...
... a mountain East of the Jordan, also dwelling place of the Amorites. Transliteration:
Cheres Phonetic Spelling: (kheh'-res) Short Definition: Heres. ...
/hebrew/2776.htm - 6k

4094b. medar -- dwelling place
... medar. 4095 . dwelling place. Transliteration: medar Short Definition: place.
Word Origin (Aramaic) from dur Definition dwelling place NASB Word Usage place ( ...
/hebrew/4094b.htm - 5k

4033. magor -- a sojourning place, dwelling place, a sojourning
... a sojourning place, dwelling place, a sojourning. Transliteration: magor or magur
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-goor') Short Definition: sojourning. ...
/hebrew/4033.htm - 6k

7258. rebets -- (place of) lying down, resting place, dwelling ...
... rebets. 7259 . (place of) lying down, resting place, dwelling place. Transliteration:
rebets Phonetic Spelling: (reh'-bets) Short Definition: place. ...
/hebrew/7258.htm - 6k

4583. maon -- dwelling, habitation
... Word Origin from un Definition dwelling, habitation NASB Word Usage den (1),
dwelling (3), dwelling place (4), habitation (6), haunt (4). ...
/hebrew/4583.htm - 6k

4585. meonah -- habitation
... Word Origin fem. of maon Definition habitation NASB Word Usage den (2), dens (4),
dwelling place (2), habitations (1). den, habitation, dwelling place, refuge. ...
/hebrew/4585.htm - 6k

His Dwelling-Place
... His Dwelling-Place. TSM Ephesians 3:17. Thou knewest not where to lay Thy head;
When over the twilight sea. The birds of the mountains homeward sped,. ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/his dwelling-place.htm

The Lord Our Dwelling Place
... Chapter 8 The Lord Our Dwelling Place. "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place
in all generations." ... How shall we describe this living dwelling place? ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 8 the lord our.htm

Demonstration xvii. --Of Christ the Son of God.
... For with His holy hands He fashioned them; and of His Spirit He breathed into
them, and a dwelling-place did He become unto them from of old. ...
/.../aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xvii of christ the son.htm

The "Demonstrations" of Aphrahat.
... And when his whole structure is raised up, consummated, and perfected, then he becomes
a house and a temple for a dwelling-place of Christ, as Jeremiah the ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/the demonstrations of aphrahat.htm

On the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle
... These words teach us three things, first, the overflowing Wisdom of Christ in the
words of the Master, secondly, the Dwelling-place of His inscrutable Being ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon i on the feast.htm

Whether Paradise was a Place Adapted to be the Abode of Man?
... But after sin, paradise was not occupied by man. Therefore if it were adapted as
a dwelling-place for man, it seems that God made paradise to no purpose. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether paradise was a place.htm

Both Covenants were Prefigured in Abraham, and in the Labour of ...
... For this reason, too, do these very men (the prophets) also pray to have a
dwelling-place in it, as Jeremiah says, "Who will give me in the desert the last ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxv both covenants were prefigured.htm

A Song of Deliverance
... is drawn, as if some panic fear had shot from its towers and shaken their hearts;
and a flight in wild confusion from the impregnable dwelling-place of the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/a song of deliverance.htm

The Temple and Its Dedication
... And now, in order that the palace crowning the heights of Mount Moriah might indeed
be, as David had so much desired, a dwelling place "not for man, but for ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 2 the temple and.htm

The Habitation of the Soul
... Thou hast been our Dwelling-place in all generations,' or as one of the other psalmists
has it, 'God is our Refuge and our Strength.' That thought was blessed ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the habitation of the soul.htm

Dwellingplace (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Dwellingplace (2 Occurrences). 1 Corinthians
4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst ...
/d/dwellingplace.htm - 7k

Dwelling-place (38 Occurrences)
Dwelling-place. Dwellingplace, Dwelling-place. Dwellingplaces . Multi-Version
Concordance ... Dwellingplace, Dwelling-place. Dwellingplaces . Reference Bible
/d/dwelling-place.htm - 17k

Jackals (20 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 9:11 I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwellingplace of jackals; and I
will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant. ...
/j/jackals.htm - 12k

Haunt (11 Occurrences)
... 10:22 The voice of news, behold, it comes, and a great commotion out of the north
country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwellingplace of jackals ...
/h/haunt.htm - 11k

Dwelling (340 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Acts 7:46 David obtained favour with God, and asked leave to provide
a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob. (WEY NAS NIV). ...
/d/dwelling.htm - 36k

Forgive (81 Occurrences)
... this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwellingplace; and when you hear,
forgive. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). 1 Kings ...
/f/forgive.htm - 33k

Uphold (30 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). 1 Kings 8:49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven,
your dwellingplace, and maintain their cause; (See NIV). ...
/u/uphold.htm - 14k

Lair (8 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Jeremiah 9:11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling-place of jackals;
and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant. ...
/l/lair.htm - 8k

Petitions (24 Occurrences)
... 6:21 Listen to the petitions of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they
shall pray toward this place: yes, hear from your dwellingplace, even from ...
/p/petitions.htm - 13k

Earth (10501 Occurrences)
... moon, or stars. Also, this world as the dwellingplace of mortals, in
distinction from the dwellingplace of spirits. 2. (n.) The ...
/e/earth.htm - 26k

What does the Bible say about the value of a secret place? | GotQuestions.org

What was the tent of meeting? | GotQuestions.org

What is a nomad? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus