Tabernacle — Meaning in the Bible
The portable tent sanctuary Israel built in the wilderness, where God's presence dwelt among them. Also called the tent of meeting.
What it means
God told Moses to make a sanctuary "that I may dwell among them", following the pattern he showed him. The people gave materials and skilled workers such as Bezalel built it. Exodus 25:8–9Exodus 35:30–35Exodus 36:1–7
When it was set up, the cloud covered it and God's glory filled it. Its courts, holy place and most holy place shaped later temple worship. Exodus 40:34–38Exodus 26:33–34
Key passages
- Exodus 25:1–9 — Make me a sanctuary.
- Exodus 26:31–34 — The veil and the most holy place.
- Exodus 40:17–38 — The tabernacle set up and filled with glory.
- Numbers 9:15–23 — The cloud over the tabernacle guides Israel.
- John 1:14 — The Word "tabernacled" (lived) among us, in the Greek.
Original language
מִשְׁכָּן mish.kan
Hebrew · Strong’s H4908 · gloss: “tabernacle”
The Hebrew word mishkan, dwelling place. Exodus 25:9
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
How translations differ
- John 1:14 uses a Greek verb meaning "pitched his tent"; versions translate it "lived", "dwelt" or "made his dwelling". John 1:14
For children
The tabernacle was a special tent where God's people worshipped him while they travelled in the wilderness. Exodus 25:8–9
Study further
- Exodus 25–27 The plan.
- Exodus 40 Completed and filled with glory.
- Hebrews 9:1–12 Hebrews reflects on it.