tabernacle
mish.kan denotes the constructed worship tent and, in other settings, dwellings or encampments.
The term most often identifies the constructed worship tent, named with its coverings, boards, furnishings, entrance, and service. In plural forms it can designate dwellings, tents, or encampments in broader domestic or national settings; one verse also speaks of a divine dwelling being upon a people.
Senses in use
-
The constructed worship tent · dominant
The singular noun identifies the structure being made and assembled: in Exodus 26:1 the APB renders instructions for curtains, and Exodus 26:15 names boards for it. In Exodus 40:2 the construct form occurs in the command to erect it, while Exodus 40:29 places the altar at its entrance; 1 Chronicles 23:26 refers to carrying it and its service articles.
-
Dwellings, tents, or encampments · occasional
Plural forms occur for places people inhabit or establish. In Ezekiel 25:4 the APB renders the clause about people settling encampments and placing tabernacles; Habakkuk 1:6 concerns possessing dwellings not their own. Isaiah 32:18 places the term within a description of secure dwellings, and Jeremiah 51:30 speaks of dwellings set on fire.
-
A dwelling upon the people · rare
In Ezekiel 37:27, a singular construct form occurs in the statement, rendered by the APB as “my tabernacle will be upon them,” followed by “I will be their God and they will be my people.” The clause presents the term as a dwelling associated directly with the people rather than as a listed physical component or ordinary habitation.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the singular worship-structure occurrences as “tabernacle,” including clauses about its construction, entrance, and service. In plural habitation contexts it varies among “tabernacles,” “dwellings,” “dwelling places,” and “encampments”; these are verse-level renderings rather than definitions.