הֵיכָל

From the study of Psalm 79:1

Range of meaning

Hêḵāl comes through Akkadian ekallu, ultimately from Sumerian É.GAL, 'great house', meaning a palace. In Hebrew it means a royal palace (1 Kings 21:1; Isaiah 39:7), the temple as God's palace, or the main hall of the temple in front of the inner sanctuary (1 Kings 6:3–5). Qōdeš means holiness, the quality of being set apart for God, and also holy things and places. 'Palace of your holiness' is the normal Hebrew way of saying 'your holy palace'.

Against the English

'Your holy temple' (BSB, KJV, WEB, ESV, NIV) is accurate. It loses only the royal picture of a palace and the fact that 'holiness' belongs to God ('your holiness'), not just to the building.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same phrase, 'your holy temple', appears in Psalm 5:7 and 138:2 and in Jonah 2:4, 7. Ugaritic hkl is used for the palace of Baal, which was built for him once he had won kingship (the Baal Cycle).

From the study of Isaiah 6:1

Range of meaning

'Great house'. A king's palace (1 Kgs 21:1; Ps 45:15; Dan 1:4) or a god's temple. In Solomon's temple it was specifically the main hall (the 'nave'), between the porch and the innermost room, the Most Holy Place (1 Kgs 6:3, 5, 17). Also used of God's heavenly dwelling (Ps 11:4; 18:6).

Against the English

Every major version says 'temple'. That is accurate, but readers may picture the whole temple complex or a generic religious building. The Hebrew word equally means 'palace', and here it names the large hall where the throne scene happens.

How it drifted

English keeps 'temple' and 'palace' apart. Hebrew used one word for both because a god's house was understood as a royal residence.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word came into Hebrew from Akkadian ekallu, 'palace', which goes back to Sumerian É.GAL, 'great house'. Ugaritic texts use hkl for the palace of the god Baal.

From the study of Isaiah 44:28

Range of meaning

'Great house', borrowed through Akkadian ekallu from Sumerian É.GAL. It can mean a royal palace (1 Kings 21:1; Daniel 1:4), a temple as the god's palace, or, more narrowly, the large main hall of Solomon's temple (the 'holy place').

Against the English

'Temple' is accurate. The original word also carries the idea of a royal residence: the temple is the palace of Israel's divine King.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word is used for Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:3–5), for the sanctuary at Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:9) and for God's heavenly palace (Psalm 11:4; Isaiah 6:1).