Dwell

Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words

A. Verbs.

Yâshab ( יָשַׁב , Strong'S #3427), “to dwell, sit, abide, inhabit, remain.” The word occurs over 1,100 times throughout the Old Testament, and this root is widespread in other ancient Semitic languages.

Yâshab is first used in Gen. 4:16, in its most common connotation of “to dwell”: “Cain went out … and dwelt [NASB, “settled”; NIV, “lived”] in the land of Nod.…” The word appears again in Gen. 18:1: “He [Abraham] sat —in the tent door.” In Gen. 22:5, yâshab is translated: " Abide —ye here [NIV, “stay here”] with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship.…” The word has the sense of “to remain”: “Remain a widow at thy father’s house …” (Gen. 38:11), and it is used of God in a similar sense: “Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation …” (Lam. 5:19). The promise of restoration from captivity was: “And they shall build houses and inhabit them …” (Isa. 65:21).

Yâshab is sometimes combined with other words to form expressions in common usage. For example, “When he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom” (Deut. 17:18; cf. 1 Kings 1:13, 17, 24) carries the meaning “begins to reign.” “To sit in the gate” means “to hold court” or “to decide a case,” as in Ruth 4:1-2 and 1 Kings 22:10. “Sit thou at my right hand” (Ps. 110:1) means to assume a ruling position as deputy. “There will I sit to judge all the heathen” (Joel 3:12) was a promise of eschatological judgment. “To sit in the dust” or “to sit on the ground” (Isa. 47:1) was a sign of humiliation and grief.

Yâshab is often used figuratively of God. The sentences, “I saw the Lord sitting on his throne” (1 Kings 22:19); “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh” (Ps. 2:4); and “God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness” (Ps. 47:8) all describe God as the exalted Ruler over the universe. The idea that God also “dwells” among men is expressed by this verb: “Shalt thou [David] build me a house for me to dwell in?” (2 Sam. 7:5; cf. Ps. 132:14). The usage of yâshab in such verses as 1 Sam. 4:4: “… The Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubim,” describes His presence at the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle and the temple.

The word is also used to describe man’s being in God’s presence: “One thing have I desired of the Lord, … that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life …” (Ps. 27:4; cf. Ps. 23:6). “Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in …” (Exod. 15:17).

Shâkan ( שָׁכַן , Strong'S #7931), “to dwell, inhabit, settle down, abide.” This word is common to many Semitic languages, including ancient Akkadian and Ugaritic, and it is found throughout all levels of Hebrew history. Shâkan occurs nearly 130 times in Old Testament Hebrew.

Shâkan is first used in the sense of “to dwell” in Gen. 9:27: “… And he shall dwell in the tents of Shem.” Moses was commanded: “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exod. 25:8).

Shâkan is a word from nomadic life, meaning “to live in a tent.” Thus, Balaam “saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes” (Num. 24:2). In that verse, shâkan refers to temporary “camping,” but it can also refer to being permanently “settled” (Ps. 102:28). God promised to give Israel security, “that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more …” (2 Sam. 7:10).

The Septuagint version of the Old Testament uses a great number of Greek words to translate yâshab and shâkan. But one word, katoikein , is used by far more often than any other. This word also expresses in the New Testament the “dwelling” of the Holy Spirit in the church: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Eph. 3:17). The Greek word skenein —(“to live in a tent”) shares in this also, being the more direct translation of shâkan.— John 1:14 says of Jesus, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Book of Hebrews compares the tabernacle sacrifices of Israel in the wilderness with the sacrifice of Jesus at the true tabernacle: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell [ skenein ] with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God” (Rev. 21:3).

B. Noun.

Mishkân ( מִשְׁכָּן , Strong'S #4908), “dwelling place; tent.” This word occurs nearly 140 times, and often refers to the wilderness “tabernacle” (Exod. 25:9). Mishkân was also used later to refer to the “temple.” This usage probably prepared the way for the familiar term shhekinah , which was widely used in later Judaism to refer to the “presence” of God.

C. Participle.

Yâshab ( יָשַׁב , Strong'S #3427), “remaining; inhabitant.” This participle is sometimes used as a simple adjective: “… Jacob was a plain man, dwelling —in tents” (Gen. 25:27). But the word is more often used as in Gen. 19:25: “… All the inhabitants— of the cities.”

King James Dictionary

DWELL, pret. dwelled, usually contracted into dwelt. See Dally.

1. To abide as a permanent resident, or to inhabit for a time to live in a place to have a habitation for some time or permanence.

God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem.  Genesis 9 .

Dwell imports a residence of some continuance. We use abide for the resting of a night or an hour but we never say, he dwelt in a place a day or a night. Dwell may signify a residence for life or for a much shorter period, but not for a day. In scripture, it denotes a residence of seven days during the feast of tabernacles.

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days.  Leviticus 23 .

The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.  John 1 .

2. To be in any state or condition to continue.

To dwell in doubtful joy.

3. To continue to be fixed in attention to hang upon with fondness.

The attentive queen dwelt on his accents.

They stand at a distance, dwelling on his looks and language, fixed in amazement.

4. To continue long as, to dwell on a subject, in speaking, debate or writing to dwell on a note in music.

Dwell, as a verb transitive, is not used. We who dwell this wild, in Milton, is not a legitimate phrase.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Job 24:16 Matthew 6:19,20

God "dwells in light" ( 1 Timothy 6:16;  1 John 1:7 ), in heaven ( Psalm 123:1 ), in his church ( Psalm 9:11;  1 John 4:12 ). Christ dwelt on earth in the days of his humiliation ( John 1:14 ). He now dwells in the hearts of his people ( Ephesians 3:17-19 ). The Holy Spirit dwells in believers ( 1 Corinthians 3:16;  2 Timothy 1:14 ). We are exhorted to "let the word of God dwell in us richly" ( Colossians 3:16;  Psalm 119:11 ).

Dwell deep occurs only in  Jeremiah 49:8 , and refers to the custom of seeking refuge from impending danger, in retiring to the recesses of rocks and caverns, or to remote places in the desert.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( v. t.) To inhabit.

(2): ( v. i.) To abide as a permanent resident, or for a time; to live in a place; to reside.

(3): ( v. i.) To delay; to linger.

(4): ( v. i.) To abide; to remain; to continue.

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Psalm 91:1 (a) The word here indicates the manner of life of the believer who walks with GOD.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(expressed by various Hebrews and Gr. words often differently rendered, e.g. גּוּר , יָשִׁב , לוּן , שָׁכִן , זָבלִ ; Κάθημαι , Οἰκέω , Μένω , Σκηνόω ). It has been thought, both from Scripture and from profane authors, that the first abodes of men were caves and clefts in the rock; these abound to a remarkable degree in those countries which we know to have been the earliest peopled, and still serve as ordinary habitations. (See Cave). In succeeding ages they abode generally in tents, as the Arabs of the desert do to this day. The invention of these is ascribed to Jabal, the son of Lamech, who is termed "the father of such as dwell in tents" ( Genesis 4:20); though, from comparing this verse with the 17th, we may be led to suppose that men lived in houses of some kind before they lived in tents. SEE TENT.

The art of multiplying stories in a building is very ancient, as we may gather from the construction of Noah's ark and the tower of Babel. The houses in Babylon, according to Herodotus, were three or four stories high, and those in Thebes, or Diospolis, in Egypt, four or five stories. They appear to have been low in Palestine in the time of Joshua; an upper story, although it may have existed, is not mentioned till a more recent age. Buckingham states that the houses at Mousul "are mostly constructed of small unhewn stones, cemented by mortar, and plastered over with mud, though some are built of burnt and unburnt bricks." Our Lord alludes to houses built of mud at the close of his sermon on the mount ( Matthew 7:26-27), which were ill calculated to resist the effects of the impetuous torrents that descended from the mountains of Palestine. In India, nothing is more common than for thieves to dig or break through these mud walls while the unsuspecting inhabitants are asleep, so as to plunder them. To similar depredations our Savior appears to allude when he exhorts his disciples not to lay up their treasure where thieves break through and steal ( Matthew 6:19-20). Job also seems to refer to the same practice ( Matthew 24:16). In the holes of these walls serpents sometimes conceal themselves, which is alluded to by the prophet Amos ( Amos 5:19). It appears from  Exodus 5:7, that in Egypt straw anciently entered into the composition of bricks; they were a mixture of clay, mud, and straw, slightly blended and kneaded together, and afterwards baked in the sun. Philo, in his Life of Moses, says that they used straw to bind their bricks. In the remains of Egyptian edifices, the straw still preserves its original color and is a clear proof that they were never burnt in stacks or kilns. Dr. Richardson found near the ruins of Tentyra huts built of sun- dried brick made of straw and clay. (See Dwelling).

God, it is said, "dwells in light," in respect to his independent possession of his own glorious attributes ( 1 Timothy 6:16;  1 John 1:7). He dwells in heaven in respect to his more immediate presence there ( Psalms 123:1). He dwells in his Church in the continued bestowal of his ordinances, and of his gracious supporting and comforting influences ( Psalms 9:11;  1 John 4:12). Christ dwelt among men in his state of humiliation on earth ( John 1:14). He dwells in our hearts by faith, he is united to us as our head; his righteousness is imputed to us, and applied to our consciences; his spirit and grace are fixed in our hearts; he loves and delights in us ( Ephesians 3:17-19). The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and sheds abroad his gracious influence (Romans 8, 9;  1 Corinthians 3:16;  2 Timothy 1:14). The Word of God dwells in us richly, when it is carefully studied, firmly believed, and diligently practiced ( Psalms 119:11;  Colossians 3:16). Wickedness, vengeance, or judgment is said to dwell in or upon a person or land when it long continues there ( Job 11:14;  Job 18:15;  Isaiah 32:16).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

dwel  :

(1) In the Old Testament "dwell" is a translation of 9 words, of which by far the most frequent is ישׁב , yāshabh , "to sit down," translated "dwell" over 400 times ( Genesis 4:20;  Joshua 20:4;  1 Chronicles 17:1 ,  1 Chronicles 17:4 ,  1 Chronicles 17:5 , etc.); also very frequently "sit," and sometimes "abide," "inhabit," "remain." Another word often rendered "dwell" is שׁכן , shakhan or שׁכן , shākhēn ("to settle down"), from which is derived the rabbinic word שׁכינה , shekhı̄nāh (literally, "that which dwells"), the light on the mercy-seat which symbolized the Divine presence ( Exodus 25:8 , etc.). In order to avoid appearing to localize the Divine Being, wherever God is said to "dwell" in a place, the Targum renders that He "causes His Shekinah to dwell" there.

(2) In the New Testament "dwell" most frequently stands for οἰκέω , oikéō , or one of its compounds; also σκηνόω , skēnóō , and (chiefly in the Johannine writings) μένω , ménō , which, however, is always translated "abide" in the Revised Version (British and American), and generally in the King James Version. Mention may be made of the mystical significance of the word in some New Testament passages, of the indwelling of the Father or of the Godhead in Christ ( John 14:10;  Colossians 1:19;  Colossians 2:9 ), of the believer in Christ ( John 6:56 the King James Version;   Ephesians 3:17 ), and in God ( 1 John 4:15 the King James Version; compare   Psalm 90:1;  Psalm 91:1 ), and of the Holy Spirit or God in the believer ( John 14:17; the King James Version  1 John 3:24;  1 John 4:15 f).