מִשְׁכָּן
dwelling place
‘dwelling place’ is one of 3 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Absolute-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H4908 appears in the Book of Numbers — 35 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Numbers
- Numbers 1:50 מִשְׁכַּ֨ן הַ/מִּשְׁכָּן֙ לַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֖ן n c ms cs ptcl def.art + n c ms prep det + n c ms but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle, and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it.
- Numbers 1:51 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֗ן הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֔ן ptcl def.art + n c ms ptcl def.art + n c ms When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
- Numbers 1:53 לְ/מִשְׁכַּ֣ן מִשְׁכַּ֥ן prep + n c ms cs n c ms cs But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony."
- Numbers 3:7 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּֽן ptcl def.art + n c ms They shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
- Numbers 3:8 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּֽן ptcl def.art + n c ms They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
- Numbers 3:23 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֛ן ptcl def.art + n c ms The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
- Numbers 3:25 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֖ן ptcl def.art + n c ms The charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,
- Numbers 3:26 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֛ן ptcl def.art + n c ms and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.
- Numbers 3:29 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֖ן ptcl def.art + n c ms The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.
- Numbers 3:35 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֛ן ptcl def.art + n c ms The prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.
- Numbers 3:36 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֔ן ptcl def.art + n c ms The appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,
- Numbers 3:38 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֡ן ptcl def.art + n c ms Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
- Numbers 4:16 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּן֙ ptcl def.art + n c ms "The charge of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the charge of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings."
- Numbers 4:25 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּן֙ ptcl def.art + n c ms they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin that is above on it, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,
- Numbers 4:26 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֤ן ptcl def.art + n c ms and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatever shall be done with them. Therein shall they serve.
- Numbers 4:31 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֔ן ptcl def.art + n c ms This is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets,
- Numbers 5:17 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֔ן ptcl def.art + n c ms and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water.
- Numbers 7:1 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֗ן ptcl def.art + n c ms It happened on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them;
- Numbers 7:3 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּֽן ptcl def.art + n c ms and they brought their offering before Yahweh, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle.
- Numbers 9:15 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֔ן הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֔ן הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֛ן ptcl def.art + n c ms ptcl def.art + n c ms ptcl def.art + n c ms On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony: and at evening it was over the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until morning.
- Numbers 9:18 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֖ן ptcl def.art + n c ms At the commandment of Yahweh, the children of Israel traveled, and at the commandment of Yahweh they encamped. As long as the cloud remained on the tabernacle they remained encamped.
- Numbers 9:19 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֖ן ptcl def.art + n c ms When the cloud stayed on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of Yahweh, and didn't travel.
- Numbers 9:20 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֑ן ptcl def.art + n c ms Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of Yahweh they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of Yahweh they traveled.
- Numbers 9:22 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּן֙ ptcl def.art + n c ms Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year that the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, remaining on it, the children of Israel remained encamped, and didn't travel; but when it was taken up, they traveled.
- Numbers 10:11 מִשְׁכַּ֥ן n c ms cs It happened in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the cloud was taken up from over the tent of the testimony.
- Numbers 10:17 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֑ן הַ/מִּשְׁכָּֽן ptcl def.art + n c ms ptcl def.art + n c ms The tent was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tent, set forward.
- Numbers 10:21 הַ/מִּשְׁכָּ֖ן ptcl def.art + n c ms The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and [the others] did set up the tent against their coming.
- Numbers 16:9 מִשְׁכַּ֣ן n c ms cs [seems it but] a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tent of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;
- Numbers 16:24 לְ/מִשְׁכַּן prep + n c ms cs Speak to the congregation, saying, Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
- Numbers 16:27 מִשְׁכַּן n c ms cs So they got them up from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.
- Numbers 17:13 מִשְׁכַּ֥ן n c ms cs Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tent of Yahweh, dies: shall we perish all of us?
- Numbers 19:13 מִשְׁכַּ֤ן n c ms cs Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn't purifies himself, defiles the tent of Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet on him.
- Numbers 24:5 מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms How goodly are your tents, Jacob, Your tents, Israel!
- Numbers 31:30 מִשְׁכַּ֥ן n c ms cs Of the children of Israel's half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, [even] of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites, who keep the charge of the tent of Yahweh.
- Numbers 31:47 מִשְׁכַּ֣ן n c ms cs even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who kept the charge of the tent of Yahweh; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
The Hebrew noun משכן centers on the idea of “dwelling place.” Older and newer Bibles part ways — “tabernacle” in the King James Version, “dwelling” (unfoldingWord Literal Text) in modern versions. See the renderings breakdown. It appears 129 verses across 14 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its common vocabulary. The word gravitates to Exodus (43%), then Numbers and Psalms. Not a single-sense word: explore its full sense range. For the data behind this summary, explore the sense tree and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H4908 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 129
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 129 distinct verses.
- 14 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 14 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #326
- by frequency
- Top 500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 326 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 129 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 129 distinct verses.
- Torah (Pentateuch) 94 verses · 73%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 23 verses · 18%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 12 verses · 9%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Tabernacle 102×, Over the tabernacle 4×, Dwellingplaces 3×
- American Standard Version: Tabernacle 94×, Tent 6×, Over the tabernacle 5×
- Berean Standard Bible: Tabernacle 100×, Dwellings 10×, Dwelling place 5×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Dwelling 95×, Dwelling of 12×, Dwellings 9×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H4908 across 139 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 13 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H4908 across 143 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 21 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H4908 across 134 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 14 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 5 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H4908 across 138 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 10 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
8 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 8 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. dwelling-place: מִשְׁכַּן־קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם Nu 16:24, 27 (P) [but here orig. מִשְׁכַּן י׳; v. Comm.]; poet. = tomb, Is 22:16. e.g. Numbers 16:24
- 2. elsewhere in sg. always of abode of י׳:
- a. in gen., of temple, קְדשׁ מ׳ ψ 46:5; מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶ֑ךָ 26:8; מ׳ שְׁמֶ֑ךָ 74:7. e.g. Psalms 46:5
- b. מִשְׁכַּן שִׁלוֹ 78:60. e.g. Psalms 78:60
- c. הַמּ׳ in P, of י׳’s ‘dwelling’ (Ex 25:9 RVm; rendered conventionally ‘tabernacle’), of planks lined with vari-coloured tapestry, with a ‘tent’ (אֹהֶל) over it, filled with כְּבוֹד י׳ Ex 40:34, 35; over it cloud שׁכן Nu 9:18, 22 (during the wanderings); its plan given by י׳ Ex 25:9; 26:30; disting. from אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, the ‘tent’ over it (cf. אֹהֶל 3), Ex 26:7, 12, 13; 36:14; 40:19; †מִשְׁכַּן י׳ Lv 17:4 (H), Nu 16:9; 17:28; 19:13; 31:30, 47; Jos 22:19 (v. also 1), 1 Ch 16:39; 21:29; 2 Ch 1:5; 29:6; †מ׳ הָעֵדֻת Ex 38:21; Nu 1:50, 53(×2); 10:11; מ׳ אהל מועד Ex 39:32; 40:2, 6, 29; 1 Ch 6:17, מִשְׁכַּן בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים v 33, נָשָׂא אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן 23:26; cf. מִשְׁכָּן (prob. gloss on אהל), 2 S 7:6 ‖ 1 Ch 17:5, + 76 times P. e.g. Exodus 25:9
- 3. pl. מִשְׁכָּנוֹת dwellings (only poet.):
- a. of Israel, Nu 24:5 (poem; ‖ אהלים), Je 30:18; Is 54:2 + 4 times; of other nations Je 51:30; Hb 1:6, cf. Ez 25:4 (v. supra); מ׳ עַוָּל Jb 18:21; מ׳ רשׁעים 21:28; of wild ass 39:6 (‖ בית); shepherds Ct 1:8; = tomb ψ 49:12 (cf. 1). e.g. Numbers 24:5
- b. God’s abode in Zion Ez 37:27 ψ 132:5, 7, cf. 43:3; 84:2 (‖ חַצְרוֹת י׳). e.g. Ezekiel 37:27
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
n.m. Ex 26:6 dwelling-place, ‘tabernacle’;—מ׳ Ex 25:9 +; cstr. מִשְׁכַּן 38:21 +, etc.; pl. cstr. מִשְׁכְּנֵי ψ 46:6 (𝔊 Bae Du מִשְׁכָּנוֹ, מִשְׁכַּן י׳); sf. מִשְׁכְּנֵיהֶם Ez 25:4 (משׁכנתיהם, ‖ טִירוֹתֵיהֶם), מִשְׁכָּנוֹת Hb 1:6 ψ 132:5; cstr. מִשְׁכְּנוֹת 87:2 +, etc.;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from שכן (shâkan) (H7931) — to dwell.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
מַשְׁכָּן
- , v. מַשְׁכּוֹן
מִשְׁכֵּן
- (denom. of מַשְׁכּוֹן) to take a pledge; to seize, levy. B. Mets. 81ᵇ מִשְׁכְּנוֹ בשעת הלואתו he made him give a pledge at the time when the loan was transacted; מ׳ שלא בשעת וכ׳ he seized it (through court proceedings) after the transaction of the loan. Ib. 113ᵇ שליח ב"ד שבא למַשְׁכְּנוֹ when the court messenger comes to seize his goods. Shek. I, 3 את מי מְמַשְׁכְּנִין against whom was seizure (for the contribution of the half-Shekel) executed?—Y. ib. II, beg. 46ᶜ מכיון שב"ד ראויין למַשְכֵּן ולא מִישְׁכְּנוּ since the court had a right to seize and did not do so (because the claim was satisfied with another man’s money). Cant. R. to I, 4 (play on משכני, ib.) מַשְׁכֵּינְנִי אחריך נרוצה execute levy against me (take my sanctuary, v. מַשְׁכּוֹן), yet after thee we run. Ex. R. s. 35 אני נוטל … ומְמַשְׁכְּנוֹ בעדם I take a righteous man from them and seize him for their guilt; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְמוּשְׁכָּן; pl. מְמוּשְׁכָּנִים, מְמוּשְׁכָּנִין. Y. Shek. l. c. אין תורמין … ולא על הממ׳ in distributing the Temple contributions we do not take into account that which is being collected (and has not yet come in) or that which is to be obtained by seizure. Peah VIII, 8. B. Mets. 73ᵇ, v. next w.; a. e.
- to be seized. Ex. R. s. 51, beg. שנ׳ שתי פעמים וכ׳ it (the sanctuary) was twice seized for their sins, v. מַשְׁכּוֹן. Ex. R. s. 35; Tanḥ. Vayakh. 9 יהא המשכן מִתְמַשְׁכֵּן עליהם, v. מַשְׁכּוֹן. Ib. ויהיו מִתְמַשְׁכְּנִין וכ׳ and they (the righteous) will be seized &c. Num. R. s. 12 המשכן והמקדש יִתְמַשְׁכְּנוּ וכ׳ the Tabernacle and the Temple shall be seized &c.; a. fr.
מַשְׁכֵּן
- Targ. Y. Ex. XXII, 25. Targ. Job XXIV, 3; a. fr.—B. Mets. 68ᵃ מ׳ ליה פלניא וכ׳ (not משכון) A pledged his field to B, and then rented it from him. Ib. 73ᵇ top ר׳ מרי … מ׳ ליה וכ׳ a gentile gave his house (for occupation) as a pledge, and then sold it to &c. Ib. 113ᵃ אבל מַשְׁכּוּנֵי לא Ms. M. (ed. מַשְׁכְּנוֹ) but to take a pledge out of his house he (the messenger of the court) is not permitted; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְמַשְׁכַּן, f. מְמַשְׁכְּנָא. Koh. R. to III, 2, v. מְחַבַּלְתָּא. B. Mets. 73ᵇ אי הוה ידענא דממשכן וכ׳ Ms. F. (Ms. M. דמשכן, corr. acc.; ed. דהוה ממוּשְׁכָּן) if I had known that the house was pledged to you. Y. ib. VIII, end, 11ᵈ ביתיה הוות מְמַשְׁכְּנָה וכ׳ his house was pledged to &c.; a. e.
- to be given as a pledge; to be levied upon; to borrow on pledge. Targ. II Chr. XXV, 24 (h. text תערבות). Targ. Y. Deut. XV, 6; a. e.
מִשְׁכָּן
- dwelling, esp. the sanctuary of the desert, the Tabernacle. Erub. 2ᵃ, v. מִקְדָּשׁ. Num. R. s. 12; a. v. fr.—Pl. מִשְׁכָּנוֹת. Ib.; a. fr.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 53 distinct written forms H4908 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H4908, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Derived from this word
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 7 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 116 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 129 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Exodus 25:9
- Leviticus 8:10
- Numbers 1:50
- Joshua 22:19
- 2 Samuel 7:6
- 1 Chronicles 6:32
- 2 Chronicles 1:5
- Job 18:21
- Psalms 26:8
- Song of Solomon 1:8
- Isaiah 22:16
- Jeremiah 9:19
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
