מִשְׁכַּב
𐤌𐤔𐤊𐤁
mishkab
H4903 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place of lying down; can refer to a physical bed, couch, or sleeping place, but also to a spot where an animal or person may rest or recline. In various contexts, mishkab is used literally for furniture intended for rest, sleeping, or reclining, and figuratively for sexual activity, particularly as an idiomatic reference to sexual intercourse ('lying with'). It may also denote a place of burial (i.e., a grave, particularly in poetic or euphemistic usage).
Semantic Range
bed, couch, sleeping place, place of rest, sexual intercourse, place of burial/grave, acts of lying down
Root / Etymology
From the root שָׁכַב (sh-k-b), meaning 'to lie down.' Mishkab is a noun form built on the pattern מִשְׁקָב, denoting the place or act of lying. The Aramaic term is closely related and shares the same root and core meaning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מִשְׁכַּב appears in both literal and figurative usages across biblical Hebrew. In narrative and legal contexts, it may refer to an actual bed or sleeping area (e.g., in bedrooms or tents), but is also used euphemistically for sexual acts ('lying with someone'), including in prohibitions regarding illicit or forbidden sexual relations (e.g., Leviticus). In some poetic or prophetic texts, it refers to the grave or a place of rest for the dead. English translations often render mishkab as 'bed,' but may obscure the sexual or funerary nuance present in Hebrew. In Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, mishkab retains its core meanings, generally without significant semantic shift. The term is distinct from related roots such as יָצֻעַ (yātsūa‘, 'divan, couch') or מִטָּה (mittah, 'bed, bier'), which may emphasize different furniture types or contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to מִשְׁכָּב; a bed; bed.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁכב (sh-k-b) — to lie down, recline, rest
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4903-03 |
מִשְׁכְּבִ֔/י | mishekevi | ANcmsc/Sp1cs |
my bed | my lying-place | 3 |
H4903-01 |
מִשְׁכְּבָ֖/ךְ | mishekevakhe | ANcmsc/Sp2ms |
your bed | your lying-place | 2 |
H4903-02 |
מִשְׁכְּבֵ֑/הּ | mishekeveh | ANcmsc/Sp3ms |
his bed | his lying-place | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4903-01 |
Daniel 2:28 | מִשְׁכְּבָ֖/ךְ | mishekevakhe | ANcmsc/Sp2ms |
your bed | your lying-place |
H4903-01 |
Daniel 2:29 | מִשְׁכְּבָ֣/ךְ | mishekevakhe | ANcmsc/Sp2ms |
your bed | your lying-place |
H4903-03 |
Daniel 4:2 | מִשְׁכְּבִ֔/י | mishekevi | ANcmsc/Sp1cs |
my bed | my lying-place |
H4903-03 |
Daniel 4:7 | מִשְׁכְּבִ֑/י | mishekevi | ANcmsc/Sp1cs |
my-bed | my lying-place |
H4903-03 |
Daniel 4:10 | מִשְׁכְּבִ֑/י | mishekevi | ANcmsc/Sp1cs |
my bed | my lying-place |
H4903-02 |
Daniel 7:1 | מִשְׁכְּבֵ֑/הּ | mishekeveh | ANcmsc/Sp3ms |
his bed | his lying-place |