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skhvnwma (17 times); and in the Vulg. by tabernaculum. A second name ‘tent,’

lh,a&o , H185, is more definite, and describes the characteristic dwelling of the

wilderness, though it was used also in later times (Ps. 15:1; 27:4). This name is used sometimes alone (Ex. 26:9, 11 ff., 36; 33:7 ff.; 36:18 f., 37; 39:33, 38; Num. 9:17; 18:3; Deut. 31:15), but more frequently in combination with other words (‘the tent of meeting,’ ‘the tent of the witness’ [testimony]). The ‘habitation’ (‘dwelling’) and the ‘tent’ are clearly distinguished (Ex. 26:7; 35:11; 36:14; Num. 9:15). The ‘tent’ was over the ‘dwelling,’ as its ‘covering’ (Num. 3:25), so that we find the phrase ‘the tabernacle (dwelling) of the tent of

meeting’ (Ex. 39:32; 40:2, 6, 29 d[e/m lh,ao $ K'v]mi : comp. Apoc. 15:5 oJ nao;"

th'" skhnh'" tou' marturivou ). Unhappily the LXX. rendered lh,a&o , H185 in the

same way as $ K;vmi ( skhnhv nearly 140 times, and by skhvnwma 44 times);

and in this it was followed by the Vulgate which gives for the most part tabernaculum for both. The word tentorium , which is elsewhere used for ‘tent,’ and not unfrequently for the tents of the people in the narrative of the Exodus (Num. 1:53; 2:3, 27, & c.), is used in the Vulgate in connexion with the Tabernacle for the ‘curtains’ (Ex. 26:2), for the ‘screen’ at the entrance of the Tent (Ex. 26:36 f.; 35:15; 36:37; 39:38, & c.), for the ‘hangings’ and the ‘screen’ of the court (Ex. 27:9 ff., 16; 35:17; 38:9 ff.; 39:39 f., & c.). Once only

it is used for the sacred lh,a&o , H185 (Ex. 33:8), and once for the sacred

$ K;v]mi , H5438 (Num. 9:15). The name ‘palace’ ( lk;yhe , H2121) belongs to a

later time (1 Sam. 1:9; 3:3); but ‘house’ ( tyIB&' , H1074) is used of the

Tabernacle (Ex. 23:19), as it is used of the tents of the patriarchs (Gen.

27:15; 33:17; : yhiløa‘h; tyBe 1 Chron. 6:33).

More commonly, however, the Tabernacle is described by a compound title. The simple terms ‘habitation’ and ‘tent’ are defined by the addition of some other word as ‘witness’ (testimony) or ‘meeting’; and these two designations express two distinct aspects of the Tabernacle.

( b ) The title ‘the tent of witness’, tdU[eh; lh,ao , is rare. It occurs Num.

9:15 (LXX. to;n oi\kon tou' marturivou ); 17:7 f. (22 f.) ( hJ skhnh; tou' mart .); 18:2

( hJ sk. t. m. ). We find also ‘the habitation (tabernacle) of witness,’ tdU[eh;

$ K'v]mi , Ex. 38:21; Num. 1:50, 53; 10:11 ( hJ sk. t. m. ). The Vulgate rendering of

both phrases, except in the last place (which has tabernaculum foederis ), is

tabern. testimonii. The sense of the titles is fixed by the use of tWd[e , H6343

in other connexions; ‘the ark of the witness’ ( tWd[eh; $ /ra} ) Ex. 25:22; 26:33 f.;

30:6, 26 (LXX. hJ kibwto;" tou' marturivou , Vulg. arca testimonii [ testamenti

30.26]); the ‘tables of the witness’ ( tWd[eh; t/jlu ) Ex. 31:18; 34:29 (LXX. aiJ

plavke" [ tou' marturivou ], Vulg. tabulae testimonii ); and ‘the veil of the witness’

( tdU[eh; tk,roP; ) Lev. 24:3 (Vulg. velum testimonii ). The ‘witness’ was the

revelation which God had made of His will expressed in ‘the ten words’ (Ex. 25:16, 21). Comp. Ex. 16:34; 27:21; 40:20; Lev. 16:13; Num. 17:4-10. This ‘witness’ was the solemn declaration of the claims and nature of God, who took up His dwelling in the midst of Israel (Lev. 19:2). The Tent under which He dwelt had this enshrined in it to determine its character. So it was that this

Tabernacle was specially called a ‘holy place,’ a ‘sanctuary’ ( vD:q]mi , H5219

LXX. aJgivasma, to; aJgiasthvrion, to; hJgiasmevnon, ta; a{gia , Vulg. sanctuarium.


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