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לִשְׁכָּה

𐤋𐤔𐤊𐤄

lishkâh

H3957 noun

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "chamber" 48 occurrences

לִשְׁכָּה typically denotes an enclosed, partitioned room—often an auxiliary or official space in temple or administrative buildings. 'Chamber' preserves the sense of a distinct, sometimes formal or cultic room better than the more generic 'room' while remaining natural English. Using 'chamber' gives consistent, clear rendering across all occurrences.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

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.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain

Root uncertain (uncertain, possibly 'to be set apart' or 'to store')
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1002 בִּירָה the citadel
H105 אֲגַרְטָל bowls of
H1081 בַּלְאֲדָן Baladan
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3957-04 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֔וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers 15
H3957-08 לְשָׁכ֛וֹת leshakhot HNcfpa chambers set-apart chambers set-apart chambers 5
H3957-10 לִשְׁכַּת֙ lishekat HNcfsc chamber set-apart chamber of chamber of 5
H3957-12 לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת lishekhot HNcfpc chambers set-apart chambers of set-apart chambers of 5
H3957-02 בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֡ת belishekat HR/Ncfsc in the chamber of in the chamber of in the chamber of 3
H3957-05 הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה halishekah HTd/Ncfsa the chamber the set-apart chamber the set-apart chamber 3
H3957-06 הַ/לִּשְׁכ֤וֹת halishekhot HTd/Ncfpc the chambers the set-apart chambers of the set-apart chambers of 2
H3957-01 בַּ/לְּשָׁכֹ֖ת baleshakhot HRd/Ncfpa in the chambers in the enclosed chambers in the chambers 1
H3957-03 בְּ/לִֽשְׁכֹ֣ת belishekhot HR/Ncfpc in-chambers in set-apart chambers of in set-apart chambers of 1
H3957-07 לְ/לִשְׁכַּ֛ת lelishekat HR/Ncfsc chamber-of to the chamber-of the chamber of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

48 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3957-11 1 Samuel 9:22 לִשְׁכָּ֑תָ/ה lishekatah HNcfsa/Sd into the chamber designated chamber designated chamber
H3957-10 2 Kings 23:11 לִשְׁכַּת֙ lishekat HNcfsc chamber set-apart chamber of set-apart chamber of
H3957-04 Jeremiah 35:2 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֑וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa of the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-10 Jeremiah 35:4 לִשְׁכַּ֗ת lishekat HNcfsc chamber set-apart chamber of chamber of
H3957-10 Jeremiah 35:4 לִשְׁכַּ֣ת lishekat-2 HNcfsc chamber-of set-apart chamber of chamber of
H3957-07 Jeremiah 35:4 לְ/לִשְׁכַּ֛ת lelishekat HR/Ncfsc chamber-of to the chamber-of the chamber of
H3957-02 Jeremiah 36:10 בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֡ת belishekat HR/Ncfsc in the chamber of in the chamber of in the chamber of
H3957-10 Jeremiah 36:12 לִשְׁכַּ֣ת lishekat HNcfsc chamber set-apart chamber of set-apart chamber of
H3957-02 Jeremiah 36:20 בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֖ת belishekat HR/Ncfsc in the chamber of 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 from the chamber of
H3957-08 Ezekiel 40:17 לְשָׁכוֹת֙ leshakhot HNcfpa chambers set-apart chambers set-apart chambers
H3957-08 Ezekiel 40:17 לְשָׁכ֖וֹת leshakhot-2 HNcfpa chambers set-apart chambers set-apart chambers
H3957-17 Ezekiel 40:38 וְ/לִשְׁכָּ֣ה velishekah HC/Ncfsa and-a-chamber set-apart chamber set-apart chamber
H3957-12 Ezekiel 40:44 לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת lishekhot HNcfpc chambers set-apart chambers of chambers of
H3957-05 Ezekiel 40:45 הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה halishekah HTd/Ncfsa the chamber the set-apart chamber the set-apart chamber
H3957-16 Ezekiel 40:46 וְ/הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה vehalishekah HC/Td/Ncfsa and-the-chamber and the designated chamber and the designated chamber
H3957-04 Ezekiel 41:10 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֜וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-05 Ezekiel 42:1 הַ/לִּשְׁכָּ֗ה halishekah HTd/Ncfsa the chamber the set-apart chamber the set-apart chamber
H3957-04 Ezekiel 42:4 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֜וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart 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 and the chambers
H3957-04 Ezekiel 42:7 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֔וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-04 Ezekiel 42:7 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֑וֹת haleshakhot-2 HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-04 Ezekiel 42:8 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֗וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa of the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-13 Ezekiel 42:9 לשכות lshkhvt HNcfpa chambers set-apart chambers set-apart chambers
H3957-04 Ezekiel 42:9 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֣וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the-chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-08 Ezekiel 42:10 לְשָׁכֽוֹת leshakhot HNcfpa chambers set-apart chambers set-apart chambers
H3957-04 Ezekiel 42:11 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֗וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-04 Ezekiel 42:12 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֗וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa of the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-12 Ezekiel 42:13 לִֽשְׁכ֨וֹת lishekhot HNcfpc chambers set-apart chambers of set-apart chambers of
H3957-12 Ezekiel 42:13 לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת lishekhot-2 HNcfpc chambers set-apart chambers of set-apart chambers of
H3957-12 Ezekiel 42:13 לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת lishekhot-3 HNcfpc chambers set-apart chambers of set-apart chambers of
H3957-03 Ezekiel 44:19 בְּ/לִֽשְׁכֹ֣ת belishekhot HR/Ncfpc in-chambers in set-apart chambers of in set-apart chambers of
H3957-08 Ezekiel 45:5 לְשָׁכֹֽת leshakhot HNcfpa chambers set-apart chambers set-apart chambers
H3957-06 Ezekiel 46:19 הַ/לִּשְׁכ֤וֹת halishekhot HTd/Ncfpc the chambers the set-apart chambers of the set-apart chambers of
H3957-06 Ezra 8:29 הַ/לִּשְׁכ֖וֹת halishekhot HTd/Ncfpc the chambers the set-apart chambers of the set-apart chambers of
H3957-10 Ezra 10:6 לִשְׁכַּ֖ת lishekat HNcfsc the chamber of set-apart chamber of chamber of
H3957-12 Nehemiah 10:38 לִשְׁכ֣וֹת lishekhot HNcfpc storerooms set-apart chambers of chambers of
H3957-04 Nehemiah 10:39 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֖וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-04 Nehemiah 10:40 הַ֠/לְּשָׁכוֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-02 Nehemiah 13:4 בְּ/לִשְׁכַּ֣ת belishekat HR/Ncfsc over the chamber of in the chamber of in the chamber of
H3957-09 Nehemiah 13:5 לִשְׁכָּ֣ה lishekah HNcfsa a chamber designated chamber a chamber
H3957-05 Nehemiah 13:8 הַ/לִּשְׁכָּֽה halishekah HTd/Ncfsa the chamber the set-apart chamber the set-apart chamber
H3957-04 Nehemiah 13:9 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֑וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-04 1 Chronicles 9:26 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֔וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-01 1 Chronicles 9:33 בַּ/לְּשָׁכֹ֖ת baleshakhot HRd/Ncfpa in the chambers in the enclosed chambers in the chambers
H3957-04 1 Chronicles 23:28 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֔וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the-chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-04 1 Chronicles 28:12 הַ/לְּשָׁכ֖וֹת haleshakhot HTd/Ncfpa the-chambers the set-apart chambers the set-apart chambers
H3957-08 2 Chronicles 31:11 לְשָׁכ֛וֹת leshakhot HNcfpa chambers set-apart chambers set-apart chambers
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