לִשְׁכָּה (H3957) — Hebrew Lexicon

לִשְׁכָּה

𐤋𐤔𐤊𐤄

lishkâh

H3957 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain (uncertain, possibly 'to be set apart' or 'to store')

Definition

An enclosed or partitioned room within a larger building, typically found within the temple precincts or other significant public structures; used for diverse functions such as storage, meeting, administration, or occasionally lodging. The term usually connotes a designated space set apart from the main area, with a sense of official purpose or sanctity, especially in cultic or administrative settings.

Semantic Range

room, chamber, auxiliary room in a temple, storage chamber, council or administrative chamber, priestly or ritual chamber, occasionally lodging room

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology: Root uncertain; possibly related to the root נשׁך (n-sh-k), but this connection is not firmly established. The form and paralleling of נִשְׁכָּה (nishkah) suggest a derivative relationship, yet the underlying root meaning remains unclear. The term is attested primarily in post-exilic biblical texts, with no clear root attested elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historical & Contextual Notes: לִשְׁכָּה (lishkâh) appears almost exclusively in exilic and post-exilic literature, most notably in the priestly and administrative sections of the Hebrew Bible such as Ezekiel, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah. It refers to rooms or chambers within the Temple complex, usually along its courtyards or perimeter structures. These chambers served varying functions: storing offerings, priestly garments or sacred vessels; housing council meetings or preparing for rituals; in some cases, providing temporary lodging for priests or Levites. Some English translations render לִשְׁכָּה as 'chamber' or 'parlour,' but the latter does not reflect the institutional and cultic specificity of the term. In contrast to more generic terms for rooms (חֶדֶר, חדר), לִשְׁכָּה usually indicates a room with defined administrative or ritual purpose within the sanctuary's precincts. In the Second Temple period, the arrangement and designation of לְשָׁכוֹת (plural) were significant for the organization and daily functioning of the sanctuary, reflecting developments in the priestly hierarchy and temple administration. The term rarely appears outside this context, underscoring its technical, institutional connotation within Israelite and later Judean religious life. Later rabbinic literature preserves this technical sense, and in post-biblical Hebrew, 'lishkah' is often used for meeting rooms or council chambers in synagogues or communal buildings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a room in a building (whether for storage, eating, or lodging); chamber, parlour. Compare נִשְׁכָּה.

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Root Family

לשך (uncertain) (l-sh-k (uncertain)) — set-apart space, enclosed chamber, storage or official room

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H3957-04`	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֑וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers	15
`H3957-10`	לִשְׁכַּת֙	lishekat	`HNcfsc`	chamber	set-apart chamber of	5
`H3957-08`	לְשָׁכוֹת֙	leshakhot	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers	5
`H3957-12`	לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת	lishekhot	`HNcfpc`	chambers	set-apart chambers of	5
`H3957-02`	בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֡ת	belishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the chamber of	in the chamber of	3
`H3957-05`	הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה	halishekah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the chamber	the set-apart chamber	3
`H3957-06`	הַ/לִּשְׁכ֤וֹת	halishekhot	`HTd/Ncfpc`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers of	2
`H3957-11`	לִשְׁכָּ֑תָ/ה	lishekatah	`HNcfsa/Sd`	into the chamber	designated chamber	1
`H3957-07`	לְ/לִשְׁכַּ֛ת	lelishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	chamber-of	to the chamber-of	1
`H3957-13`	לשכות	lshkhvt	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers	1
`H3957-03`	בְּ/לִֽשְׁכֹ֣ת	belishekhot	`HR/Ncfpc`	in-chambers	in set-apart chambers of	1
`H3957-09`	לִשְׁכָּ֣ה	lishekah	`HNcfsa`	a chamber	designated chamber	1
`H3957-01`	בַּ/לְּשָׁכֹ֖ת	baleshakhot	`HRd/Ncfpa`	in the chambers	in the enclosed chambers	1
`H3957-17`	וְ/לִשְׁכָּ֣ה	velishekah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-a-chamber	set-apart chamber	1
`H3957-15`	וְ/הַ/לְּשָׁכ֥וֹת	vehaleshakhot	`HC/Td/Ncfpa`	and-the-upper-chambers	and the set-apart chambers	1
`H3957-14`	מִ/לִּשְׁכַּ֖ת	milishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	from the chamber of	from chamber-of	1
`H3957-16`	וְ/הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה	vehalishekah	`HC/Td/Ncfsa`	and-the-chamber	and the designated chamber	1

Occurrences in Scripture

48 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H3957-11`	1 Samuel 9:22	לִשְׁכָּ֑תָ/ה	lishekatah	`HNcfsa/Sd`	into the chamber	designated chamber
`H3957-10`	2 Kings 23:11	לִשְׁכַּת֙	lishekat	`HNcfsc`	chamber	set-apart chamber of
`H3957-04`	Jeremiah 35:2	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֑וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	of the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-10`	Jeremiah 35:4	לִשְׁכַּ֗ת	lishekat	`HNcfsc`	chamber	set-apart chamber of
`H3957-10`	Jeremiah 35:4	לִשְׁכַּ֣ת	lishekat-2	`HNcfsc`	chamber-of	set-apart chamber of
`H3957-07`	Jeremiah 35:4	לְ/לִשְׁכַּ֛ת	lelishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	chamber-of	to the chamber-of
`H3957-02`	Jeremiah 36:10	בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֡ת	belishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the chamber of	in the chamber of
`H3957-10`	Jeremiah 36:12	לִשְׁכַּ֣ת	lishekat	`HNcfsc`	chamber	set-apart chamber of
`H3957-02`	Jeremiah 36:20	בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֖ת	belishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the chamber of	in the chamber of
`H3957-14`	Jeremiah 36:21	מִ/לִּשְׁכַּ֖ת	milishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	from the chamber of	from chamber-of
`H3957-08`	Ezekiel 40:17	לְשָׁכוֹת֙	leshakhot	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers
`H3957-08`	Ezekiel 40:17	לְשָׁכ֖וֹת	leshakhot-2	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers
`H3957-17`	Ezekiel 40:38	וְ/לִשְׁכָּ֣ה	velishekah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-a-chamber	set-apart chamber
`H3957-12`	Ezekiel 40:44	לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת	lishekhot	`HNcfpc`	chambers	set-apart chambers of
`H3957-05`	Ezekiel 40:45	הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה	halishekah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the chamber	the set-apart chamber
`H3957-16`	Ezekiel 40:46	וְ/הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה	vehalishekah	`HC/Td/Ncfsa`	and-the-chamber	and the designated chamber
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 41:10	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֜וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-05`	Ezekiel 42:1	הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה	halishekah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the chamber	the set-apart chamber
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 42:4	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֜וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-15`	Ezekiel 42:5	וְ/הַ/לְּשָׁכ֥וֹת	vehaleshakhot	`HC/Td/Ncfpa`	and-the-upper-chambers	and the set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 42:7	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֔וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 42:7	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֑וֹת	haleshakhot-2	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 42:8	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֗וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	of the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-13`	Ezekiel 42:9	לשכות	lshkhvt	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 42:9	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֣וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the-chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-08`	Ezekiel 42:10	לְשָׁכֽוֹת	leshakhot	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 42:11	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֗וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	Ezekiel 42:12	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֗וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	of the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-12`	Ezekiel 42:13	לִֽשְׁכ֨וֹת	lishekhot	`HNcfpc`	chambers	set-apart chambers of
`H3957-12`	Ezekiel 42:13	לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת	lishekhot-2	`HNcfpc`	chambers	set-apart chambers of
`H3957-12`	Ezekiel 42:13	לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת	lishekhot-3	`HNcfpc`	chambers	set-apart chambers of
`H3957-03`	Ezekiel 44:19	בְּ/לִֽשְׁכֹ֣ת	belishekhot	`HR/Ncfpc`	in-chambers	in set-apart chambers of
`H3957-08`	Ezekiel 45:5	לְשָׁכֹֽת	leshakhot	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers
`H3957-06`	Ezekiel 46:19	הַ/לִּשְׁכ֤וֹת	halishekhot	`HTd/Ncfpc`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers of
`H3957-06`	Ezra 8:29	הַ/לִּשְׁכ֖וֹת	halishekhot	`HTd/Ncfpc`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers of
`H3957-10`	Ezra 10:6	לִשְׁכַּ֖ת	lishekat	`HNcfsc`	the chamber of	set-apart chamber of
`H3957-12`	Nehemiah 10:38	לִשְׁכ֣וֹת	lishekhot	`HNcfpc`	storerooms	set-apart chambers of
`H3957-04`	Nehemiah 10:39	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֖וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	Nehemiah 10:40	הַ֠/לְּשָׁכוֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-02`	Nehemiah 13:4	בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֣ת	belishekat	`HR/Ncfsc`	over the chamber of	in the chamber of
`H3957-09`	Nehemiah 13:5	לִשְׁכָּ֣ה	lishekah	`HNcfsa`	a chamber	designated chamber
`H3957-05`	Nehemiah 13:8	הַ/לִּשְׁכָּֽה	halishekah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the chamber	the set-apart chamber
`H3957-04`	Nehemiah 13:9	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֑וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	1 Chronicles 9:26	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֔וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-01`	1 Chronicles 9:33	בַּ/לְּשָׁכֹ֖ת	baleshakhot	`HRd/Ncfpa`	in the chambers	in the enclosed chambers
`H3957-04`	1 Chronicles 23:28	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֔וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the-chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-04`	1 Chronicles 28:12	הַ/לְּשָׁכ֖וֹת	haleshakhot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the-chambers	the set-apart chambers
`H3957-08`	2 Chronicles 31:11	לְשָׁכ֛וֹת	leshakhot	`HNcfpa`	chambers	set-apart chambers

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