Dictionary of Bible Themes – 5578 tents
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5578 tents

5578 tents

A portable structure made of cloth or skins used mainly by nomads or semi-nomads. God’s tent or tabernacle is a meeting-place with him.

Tents as portable dwellings used especially by semi-nomadic peoples

They were living quarters for God’s people Ge 4:20 See also Ge 12:8; Ge 13:12; Ge 18:1; Ge 25:27; Nu 11:10; 1Sa 4:10; 2Sa 20:1; 1Ki 12:16

Sometimes women of distinction had their own tents Ge 24:67 See also Ge 31:33; Jdg 4:17-18

A tent housed the ark of God 2Sa 6:17 pp 1Ch 16:1 See also 2Sa 7:2; 1Ch 15:1; 2Ch 1:4

Tents associated with other peoples Jdg 6:5 See also Ge 9:27; Jdg 7:13; Hab 3:7

Kings and armies camped in tents Jdg 7:13 See also Nu 31:10; 2Ki 7:7-8

Tents for storage

1Sa 17:54 See also Jos 7:21-23

Tents were illustrative of a nomadic life

Jer 35:7; Heb 11:9-10 See also Ge 12:8; Ge 13:5,18; Ge 18:1-6; Ge 20:13; Ex 16:16; Ex 33:8,10; Nu 1:50

Tents sometimes associated with sin

Job 8:22 See also Ge 9:21 Noah’s drunkenness; Nu 16:26 the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; Jos 7:21-23 Achan’s sin; 1Ki 20:16; Job 4:21; Job 11:14; Job 12:6; Job 15:34; Job 18:6; Job 21:28; Job 22:23; Ps 84:10

The construction of tents

Tentmakers Ac 18:3

The materials used Ex 26:7 pp Ex 36:14 See also Ex 26:14-29 pp Ex 36:19-34

Tent pegs and ropes Ex 27:19 See also Ex 35:18; Ex 38:20,31; Ex 39:40; Nu 3:26,37; Nu 4:32; Jdg 4:21; Isa 22:25; Zec 10:4

Colours of tents SS 1:5 See also Ex 26:14

Pitching tents Jer 10:20 See also Ge 26:25; Ge 33:19; Jdg 4:11; 2Sa 16:22

The metaphorical use of tents

As an image of creation Ps 104:2 See also Ps 19:4

As a metaphor for death 2Co 5:1; 2Pe 1:13-14

God’s tent is a meeting-place with him

The tabernacle Ex 25:8-9 See also Ex 26:1-37; Ex 39:32

The Tent of Meeting Ex 27:21; Ex 33:7 See also Ex 28:43; Ex 29:10-11,30,44; Ex 33:11; Lev 1:1; Nu 1:1; Dt 31:14-15

God “tenting” with his people

Jn 1:14 See also Ex 25:8; Ex 29:45-46; Ex 40:34-38; Lev 26:11-12; Nu 5:3; Dt 12:11; Eze 37:27; 2Co 6:16; Rev 21:3

See also

5340house
5427nomads
6606access to God
7306ark of the covenant
7344curtain
7459tabernacle, in OT
7474Tent of Meeting

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