Difference between revisions of "Tent"

<p> [[Dwelling]] in tents was very general in ancient times among Eastern nations, &nbsp;Genesis 4:20; their way of life being pastoral, locomotion became necessary for pasturage, and dwellings adapted for such a life became indispensable, &nbsp;Isaiah 38:12 . The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in tents, &nbsp;Genesis 18:1 &nbsp; Hebrews 11:9; and on the exodus of the [[Israelites]] from Egypt, throughout their peregrinations until they obtained the promised land, and to some extent afterwards, they adopted the same kind of habitation. See [[Booths]] Hence the expression. "Every man to his tents, [[O]] Israel," etc., </p> <p> &nbsp; Judges 7:8 &nbsp; 2 Samuel 20:1 &nbsp; 2 Kings 8:21 . Indeed, the people of the East, men, women, and children, lived very much in the open air, as is obvious from the New [[Testament]] narratives. And the same is true of them at the present day. The Midianites, the Philistines, the Syrains, the descendants of Ham, the Hagarites, and the Cushanites are mentioned in [[Scripture]] as living in tents. But the people most remarkable for this unsettled and wandering mode of life are the Arabs, who from the time of [[Ishmael]] to the present have continued the custom of dwelling in tents. Amid the revolutions which have transferred kingdoms from one possessor to another, these wandering tribes still dwell in tents, unsubdued and wild as was their progenitor. This kind of dwelling is not, however, confined to the Arabs, but is used throughout the continent of Asia. The word tent is formed from the Latin, "to stretch;" tents being usually made of canvas stretched out, and sustained by poles with cords secured to pegs driven into the ground. The "nail of the tent" with which [[Jael]] pierced the head of [[Sisera]] was such a tent-pin, &nbsp;Judges 4:21 . See also &nbsp;Isaiah 33:20 &nbsp; 40:22 &nbsp; 54:2 . The house of God, and heaven, are spoken of in Scripture as the tent or tabernacle of Jehovah, &nbsp;Psalm 15:1 &nbsp; 61:4 &nbsp; 84:1 &nbsp; Hebrews 8:2 &nbsp; 9:11; and the body as the tabernacle of the soul, taken down by death, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:1 &nbsp; 2 Peter 1:13 . Says Lord Lindsay, "There is something very melancholy in our morning flitting. The tentpins are plucked up, and in a few minutes a dozen holes, a heap or two of ashes, and the marks of the camels' knees in the sand, soon to be obliterated, are the only traces left of what has been for a while our home." "Often," says M'Cheyne, "we found ourselves shelterless before being fully dressed. What a type of the tent of our body! Ah, how often is it taken down before the soul is made meet for the inheritance of he saints in light." A tent is also put for its inmates, &nbsp;Habakkuk 3:7 &nbsp; Zechariah 12:7 . </p> <p> [[Tents]] are of various colors; black, as tents of Kedar, &nbsp;Psalm 120:5 Song of &nbsp; Song of Solomon 1:5; red, as of scarlet cloth; yellow, as of gold shining brilliantly; white, as of canvas. They are also of various shapes; some circular, others of an oblong figure, not unlike the bottom of a ship turned upside down. In Syria, the tents are generally made of cloth of goats' hair, woven by women, &nbsp;Exodus 35:26 . Those of the Arabs are of black goats' hair. Some other nations adopt the same kind, but it is not common. The [[Egyptian]] and Moorish inhabitants of Askalon are said to use white tents; and D'Arvieux mentions that the tent of an [[Arab]] emir he visited was distinguished from the rest by its being of white cloth. An Arab sheikh will have a number of tents, of himself, his family, servants, and visitors; as in patriarchal times Jacob had separate tents for himself, for Leah, Rachel, and their maids, &nbsp;Genesis 31:33 &nbsp; Judges 4:17 . Usually, however, one tent suffices for a family; being divided, if large, into several apartments by curtains. </p>

<p> <em> 'Ôhel </em> ( '''''אֹהֶל''''' , Strong'S #168), “tent; home; dwelling; habitation.” Cognates of this word appear in Ugaritic, Phoenician, and Arabic. It appears about 343 times in biblical Hebrew and in all periods. </p> <p> First, this word refers to the mobile structure called a “tent.” This is its meaning in Gen. 4:20: “And [[Adah]] bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.” These are what nomadic [[Bedouins]] normally live in. “Tents” can also be used as housing for animals: “They smote also the tents of cattle [NASB, “those who owned”], and carried away sheep and camels in abundance …” (2 Chron. 14:15). [[Soldiers]] lived in “tents” during military campaigns (1 Sam. 17:54). A “tent” was pitched on top of a house so everyone could see that [[Absalom]] went in to his father’s concubines (2 Sam. 16:22). This constituted an open rejection of David’s dominion and a declaration that he (Absalom) was claiming the throne. </p> <p> Second, the word is a synonym for “home, dwelling,” and “habitation.” This emphasis is especially evident in Judg. 19:9: “… Behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and tomorrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.” This meaning appears in the phrase “to your tents”: “We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel” (2 Sam. 20:1). The “tabernacle” (“tent”) of David, therefore, is his dwelling place or palace (Isa. 16:5). Similarly, the “tabernacle” (“tent”) of the daughter of [[Zion]] is Israel’s capital, or what [[Israel]] inhabits— [[Jerusalem]] (Lam. 2:4). </p> <p> Third, <em> 'ôhel </em> may represent those who dwell in the dwellings of a given area or who form a unit of people. Thus the “tents” of Judah are her inhabitants: “The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah” (Zech. 12:7; cf. Ps. 83:6). </p> <p> Bedouin “tents” today (as in the past) are constructed of strong black cloth of woven goat’s hair. They are shaped variously. The women pitch them by stretching the cloth over poles and tying it down with cords of goat’s hair or hemp. Wooden mallets are used to drive the tent pegs into the ground (Judg. 4:21). Sometimes the structure is divided in order to separate families or to separate animals from people (2 Chron. 14:15). The back of the “tent” is closed and the front open. The door is made by turning back the fold where the two ends of the cloth meet (Gen. 18:1). The “tent” and all its contents are transported on the back of a single pack animal. Richer people cover the floor with mats of various materials. A chief or sheikh may have several “tents”—one for himself and his guest(s), another for his wives and other females in his immediate family, and still another for the animals (Gen. 31:33). </p> <p> Before the construction of the tabernacle Moses pitched a “tent” outside the camp (Exod. 33:7). There he met with God. The “tent” outside the camp persisted as a living institution for only a short period after the construction of the tabernacle and before the departure from [[Sinai]] (Num. 11:16ff.; 12:4ff.). Eventually the ark of the covenant was moved into the tabernacle (Exod. 40:21) where the Lord met with Moses and spoke to Israel (Exod. 29:42). This structure is called the tent of meeting inasmuch as it contained the ark of the covenant and the tables of testimony (Num. 9:15). As the tent of meeting it was the place where God met with His people through Moses (or the high priest) and revealed His will to them (1 Sam. 2:22). </p>

<p> ''''''Ohel''''' , "tabernacle "; '''''Mishkan''''' , "dwelling"; '''''Sukkak''''' , "booth"; '''''Qubbah''''' , "recess" (&nbsp;Numbers 25:8). The characteristic dwelling of the keepers of cattle, the nomadic races, of whom [[Jabal]] was the father (&nbsp;Genesis 4:20). The stay of Israel in Egypt weaned them from tent life and trained them for their fixed home in Canaan. The pastoral tribes Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, still in part retained the tent life E. of [[Jordan]] (&nbsp;Joshua 22:8). The phrase "to your tents, O Israel," remained as a trace of the former nomadic state, when the nation was no longer so (&nbsp;1 Kings 12:16). [[Agriculture]] was sometimes associated with tent life, as in Isaac's case (&nbsp;Genesis 26:12), and probably in Heber's case (&nbsp;Judges 4:11-22). [[Hazerim]] (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 2:23) is not a proper name, but means nomadic "villages" or "enclosures," a piece of ground surrounded with a rude fence, in which tents were pitched and cattle tethered at night for safety from marauders; or as the Yezidee tent in Syria, a stone wall five feet high, roofed with goats' hair cloth raised on long poles. </p> <p> So Hazar-adder in the S. and Hazar-erran in the N. (&nbsp;Numbers 34:4; &nbsp;Numbers 34:9.) Some tents are circular, resting on one central pole; others square on several poles. The better kind are oblong, and divided by a curtain into an outer apartment for the males and an inner one for the females. [[Hooks]] are fixed in the poles to hang articles on (&nbsp;Isaiah 22:23-24). To the rain-proof goats' hair covering a cloth is sewn or twisted round a stick, to the ends of which are tied leather loops. </p> <p> To these loops one end of the tent ropes is fastened, the other being tied to a hooked sharp pin of wood which they drive into the ground with a mallet; such a nail and mallet Jael used (&nbsp;Judges 4:21). The patriarchs' wives had separate tents (&nbsp;Genesis 24:67; &nbsp;Genesis 31:33). The beauty of Israel's orderly and wide encampment by the four parallel brooks running westward into Jordan is compared to trees in rows in beautiful gardens, such as [[Balaam]] had seen along his own river [[Euphrates]] (&nbsp;Numbers 24:5-6). The quickness and ease with which tents can be struck, leaving their tenants without covering in the lonely desert, is Paul's image for the speedy dissolution of our mortal body, preparatory to our abiding resurrection home (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:1). </p>

<li> Heb. succah (&nbsp;2 Samuel 11:11 ), a tent or booth made of green boughs or branches (see &nbsp;Genesis 33:17; &nbsp;Leviticus 23:34,42; &nbsp;Psalm 18:11; &nbsp;Jonah 4:5; &nbsp;Isaiah 4:6; &nbsp;Nehemiah 8:15-17 , where the word is variously rendered). <p> [[Jubal]] was "the father of such as dwell in tents" (&nbsp;Genesis 4:20 ). The patriarchs were "dwellers in tents" (&nbsp;Genesis 9:21,27; &nbsp;12:8; &nbsp;13:12; &nbsp;26:17 ); and during their wilderness wanderings all Israel dwelt in tents (&nbsp;Exodus 16:16; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 33:18; &nbsp;Joshua 7:24 ). Tents have always occupied a prominent place in Eastern life (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:54; &nbsp;2 Kings 7:7; &nbsp;Psalm 120:5; &nbsp;Song of Solomon 1:5 ). Paul the apostle's occupation was that of a tent-maker (&nbsp;Acts 18:3 ); i.e., perhaps a maker of tent cloth. </p> <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton [[M.A., DD]]  Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Tent'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/t/tent.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> 1. The word commonly translated 'tent' <i> is ohel, </i> but it is often translated in the A.V. 'tabernacle,' and is used also for 'dwelling' or 'habitation,' as in &nbsp;Job 8:22; &nbsp;Psalm 91:10; etc. This word also shows that the goats' hair curtains formed 'the tent' of the tabernacle. See [[Tabernacle]] It was also 'a tent' that Moses pitched outside the camp, in &nbsp;Exodus 33:7 . See CAMP. </p> <p> 2. <i> mishkan </i> , rightly translated 'tabernacle' but is 'tent' in &nbsp;Song of Solomon 1:8 . </p> <p> 3. <i> sukkah </i> also translated 'tabernacle,' 'pavilion,' 'booth;' and only once 'tent.' 2 Sam. 11:11. </p> <p> 4. <i> qubbah, </i> occurring only in &nbsp;Numbers 25:8 . With the patriarchs their 'tent' was their dwelling place as far as they had any, easily moved from place to place as the cattle needed fresh pasture. On Israel entering the land the tents gave way to houses in the cities: as the Christian's 'tabernacle' will give place to the 'house' above. &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:1 . </p>

<p> Fig. 328—Arabian Tent </p> <p> The patriarchal fathers of the Israelites were dwellers in tents, and their descendants proceeded at once from tents to houses. We therefore read but little of huts among them; and never as the fixed habitations of any people with whom they were conversant. Tents were invented before the Deluge, and appear from the first to have been associated with the pastoral life, to which a movable habitation was necessary . The practice of the pastoral fathers was to pitch their tents near wells of water, and if possible, under some shady tree . The first tents were undoubtedly covered with skins, of which there are traces in the [[Pentateuch]] but nearly all the tents mentioned in Scripture were, doubtless, of goats' hair, spun and woven by the women ; such as are now, in Western Asia, used by all who dwell in tents; hence their black color . Tents of linen were, and still are, only used occasionally, for holiday or traveling purposes, by those who do not habitually live in them. The patriarchal tents were probably such as we now see in Arabia, of an oblong shape, and eight or ten feet high in the middle. They vary in size, and have, accordingly, a greater or less number of poles to support them—from three to nine. An encampment is generally arranged circularly, forming an enclosure, within which the cattle are driven at night, and the center of which is occupied by the tent or tents of the [[Emir]] or Sheikh. If he is a person of much consequence, he may have three or four tents, for himself, his wives, his servants, and strangers respectively. The two first are of the most importance, and we know that Abraham's wife had a separate tent . It is more usual, however, for one very large tent to be divided into two or more apartments by curtains. The [[Holy]] Tabernacle was on this model . </p>

<p> ''''' tent ''''' ( אהל , <i> ''''' 'ōhel ''''' </i> ; σκηνή , <i> ''''' skēnḗ ''''' </i> ; <i> ''''' 'ōhel ''''' </i> is a derivative of אהל , <i> ''''' 'āhal ''''' </i> , "to be clear," "to shine"; hence, <i> ''''' 'ōhel ''''' </i> , "to be conspicuous from a distance"): In the great stretches of uncultivated lands in the interior of Syria or Arabia, which probably have much the same aspect today as in Abraham's time, it is an easy matter to espy an encampment of roving Bedouin, "a nation ... that dwelleth without care ... that have neither gates nor bars" (&nbsp; Jeremiah 49:31 ). The peaks of their black (compare &nbsp;Song of Solomon 1:5 ) goats' hair tents stand out in contrast against the lighter colors of the soil. </p> <p> There seems to be little doubt about the antiquity of the Arab tent, and one can rightly believe that-the dwelling-places of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and their descendants were made on the same pattern and of the same materials (&nbsp;Genesis 4:20; &nbsp;Genesis 9:27; &nbsp;Genesis 12:8; &nbsp;Genesis 13:3; &nbsp;Genesis 18:6; &nbsp;Genesis 31:25 , &nbsp;Genesis 31:30; &nbsp;Psalm 78:55; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:9 , etc.). Long after the children of Israel had given up their tents for houses they continued to worship in tents (&nbsp;2 Samuel 7:1-6; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 1:3 , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 1:4 ) (for the use of tents in connection with religious observances see Tabernacle ). </p> <p> The Arab tents (called <i> ''''' bait ''''' </i> <i> ''''' sha‛r ''''' </i> , "house of hair") are made of strips of black goats' hair cloth, sewed together into one large piece (see &GOATS' [[Hair]]; [[Weaving]] ). Poles are placed under this covering at intervals to hold it from the ground, and it is stretched over these poles by ropes of goats hair or hemp (compare &nbsp;Job 4:21; &nbsp;Isaiah 54:2; &nbsp;Jeremiah 10:20 ) "fastened to hard-wood pins driven into the ground (&nbsp;Isaiah 54:2; &nbsp;Judges 4:21; &nbsp;Judges 5:26 ). A large wooden mallet for driving the pegs is part of the regular camp equipment (&nbsp;Judges 4:21; &nbsp;Judges 5:26 ). The sides (curtains) of the tent (&nbsp;Isaiah 54:2 ) are made of strips of goats hair cloth or from mats woven from split cane or rushes (see Illustration, p. 2948). Where more than one family occupies the same tent or the animals are provided with shelter under the same roof (compare &nbsp;2 Chronicles 14:15 ), curtains of the same materials mentioned above form the dividing walls. A corner of the matting where two ends meet is turned back to form the door of the tent (&nbsp;Genesis 18:1 ). In the summer time the walls are mostly removed. New tents are not water-proof, and the condition of the interior after a heavy rain is not far from squalid. The tent material becomes matted by use, especially if wool has been woven into the fabric, and is then a better protection against the rain. It is the women's duty to pitch the tents. </p> <p> The poorer Arabs have no mats to cover the ground under their tents. [[Straw]] mats, goats' hair or woolen rugs (compare &nbsp;Judges 4:18 ), more or less elaborate as the taste and means of the family allow, are the usual coverings for the tent floor. The food supplies are usually kept in goats' hair bags, the liquids, as oil or milk products, in skins. One or two tinned copper cooking-vessels, a shallow tray of the same material, a coffee set consisting of roasting pan, mortar and pestle, boiling-pot and cups, make up the usual camp furniture. The more thrifty include bedding in their equipment, but this increases the difficulties of moving, since it might require more than the one animal, sometimes only a donkey, which carries all the earthly belongings of the family. A sheikh or chief has several tents, one for himself and guests, separate ones for his wives and female servants, and still others for his animals (compare &nbsp;Genesis 31:33 ). </p> <p> Other Hebrew words translated "tent" are forms of חנה , <i> ''''' ḥānāh ''''' </i> (&nbsp; Numbers 13:19; &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:53; &nbsp;2 Kings 7:16; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 31:2; &nbsp;Zechariah 14:15 ); סכּה , <i> ''''' ṣukkāh ''''' </i> (&nbsp;2 Samuel 11:11; &nbsp;2 Samuel 22:12 ); משׁכּנות , <i> ''''' mishkenōth ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Song of Solomon 1:8 ). </p> <p> Figurative : "Neither shall the [[Arabian]] pitch tent there" typified utter desolation (&nbsp; Isaiah 13:20 ). "Enlarge the place of thy tent ... stretch forth the curtains ... lengthen thy cords ... strengthen thy stakes" prophesied an increase in numbers and prosperity of God's people (&nbsp;Isaiah 54:2; compare &nbsp;Isaiah 33:20; &nbsp;Luke 16:9; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:4 ). Tent cords plucked up denoted death. (&nbsp;Job 4:21 ). &nbsp;Jeremiah 10:20 is a picture of a destroyed household as applied to Judah. [[Hezekiah]] in his sickness bewails that his dwelling (life) had been carried away as easily as a shepherd's tent is plucked up (&nbsp; Isaiah 38:12 ). Isaiah compared the heavens to a tent spread out (&nbsp;Isaiah 40:22 ). "They shall pitch their tents against her" i.e. they shall make war (&nbsp;Jeremiah 6:3 ). </p>