In biblical times, the concept of a "parlor" as understood in modern terms did not exist. However, the term "parlor" is used in some translations of the Bible to describe a room or area used for specific purposes, often related to hospitality or religious activities. The Berean Standard Bible does not specifically use the term "parlor," but the concept can be explored through various passages that describe similar spaces.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, rooms that might be considered parlors were often used for dining, meeting, or resting. For example, in Judges 3:20, Ehud visits King Eglon of Moab in his "cool upper room" , which could be likened to a private chamber or parlor where the king received guests. This room was significant as it was the setting for Ehud's assassination of Eglon, a pivotal moment in Israel's deliverance from Moabite oppression.

Another example can be found in 1 Samuel 9:22, where Samuel brings Saul into the "hall" or "banquet room" to dine with about thirty guests. This setting serves as a precursor to Saul's anointing as the first king of Israel, highlighting the importance of such spaces for significant social and religious events.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the concept of a parlor is more closely associated with the upper rooms used by early Christians for gatherings and worship. In Acts 1:13, the apostles gather in an "upper room" in Jerusalem after the ascension of Jesus. This room becomes a central location for prayer and decision-making, including the selection of Matthias as an apostle.

Similarly, in Acts 20:8, Paul preaches in an "upper room" in Troas, where believers had gathered to break bread. This setting underscores the communal and spiritual functions of such spaces in the early church, serving as places for teaching, fellowship, and worship.

Cultural and Religious Significance

Parlors or similar rooms in biblical times were often multifunctional, serving as places for hospitality, religious observance, and significant social interactions. They were typically located in the homes of wealthier individuals who could afford the space for such gatherings. These rooms were integral to the social and religious fabric of the community, providing a setting for both everyday life and extraordinary events.

In a broader theological context, these spaces reflect the biblical emphasis on hospitality, community, and the sacredness of gathering in the name of God. Whether in the Old Testament settings of kings and prophets or the New Testament gatherings of the early church, these rooms facilitated encounters with the divine and the unfolding of God's plan for His people.

The Home-Parlor.
... enter the parlor. With what solicitude, therefore, should Christian parents
guard their parlors from social corruption. They should ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter xxii the home-parlor.htm

At Home in Castile
... part in the daily morning prayer service in the helpers' sitting-room and the
after-supper service for patients and guests in the large parlors, enjoying to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hoskins/clara a swain md/at home in castile.htm

False Teachings of the Apostasy.
... a little town about twenty miles from Buffalo, growing out of a new money-making
scheme, introduced at a church social held there in the Lutheran church parlors ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter iii false teachings of.htm

The Sinner's Natural Power and Moral Weakness.
... The correct taste of community demands that by conventional laws he be excluded
from parlors, steamboat-cabins, first-class rail-cars, churches, and indeed all ...
/.../finney/sermons on gospel themes/xi the sinners natural power.htm

India's Ills and England's Sorrows
... are not reputable"it is a shame to speak even of the things that are done of them
in secret"are received into the drawing rooms and into the parlors of the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/indias ills and englands sorrows.htm

Faith
... In good company, in evangelical drawing-rooms, in pious parlors, in chapels and
vestries, they are tremendously religious; but if they are exposed to a little ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/faith.htm

Political Parties in Connecticut at the Beginning of the ...
... to be held that night, were confronted by the announcement that the refused address
would be given to all who cared to listen to it in the parlors of the White ...
/.../chapter xiv political parties in.htm

Centenary Commemoration
... Stanch churchmen in those days, if for any cause the parish church was closed on
Sunday, turned their parlors into chapels, and had in private the full morning ...
/.../centenary commemoration 2.htm

Parlors (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Parlors (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 28:11 Then
David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and ...
/p/parlors.htm - 6k

Parlor (5 Occurrences)

/p/parlor.htm - 9k

Parlour

/p/parlour.htm - 7k

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