Hebrew word · H3957

לִשְׁכָּה

lishkah

chamber

A room or hall attached to a sanctuary or public building. In practice it almost always means a side chamber in the temple courts, used for storing offerings and equipment, for lodging and working space for priests and Levites, for meetings, and sometimes as a family's or official's assigned room.

Appears 47 times in 41 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

room, chamber, hall, cell

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Jeremiah 35:4

Range of meaning

A room or hall attached to a sanctuary or public building. In practice it almost always means a side chamber in the temple courts, used for storing offerings and equipment, for lodging and working space for priests and Levites, for meetings, and sometimes as a family's or official's assigned room. Once it means a room at a local high place (1 Sam 9:22, where Samuel's guests eat).

Against the English

'Chamber' (KJV, BSB) and 'room' (WEB) are both fine. 'Chamber' can sound like a bedroom or a private apartment. These rooms were working spaces in a public religious complex, nearer to offices or vestries.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jeremiah 36:10 (the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan in the upper court, where Baruch reads Jeremiah's scroll), 36:12, 20–21 (the scribe's chamber in the palace); 2 Kgs 23:11; Ezra 8:29; 10:6; Neh 10:37–39; 13:4–9 (Tobiah moved into a temple storeroom); 1 Chr 9:26; 23:28; 28:12; Ezek 40:17, 38, 44–46; 42:1–13. Some scholars link the word to Greek leschē, 'meeting hall', but which language borrowed from which, or whether they are related at all, is debated (HALOT).

From the study of Ezekiel 42:13

Range of meaning

A room or hall attached to a sanctuary or official building. It was used for storage, for officials and for sacral meals. In 1 Sam 9:22 Samuel seats his guests in the lishkah at a sacrificial meal. Jer 35:2–4 mentions named chambers in Solomon's temple. Neh 13:4–9 describes a temple storeroom for grain, frankincense and vessels, which Tobiah misused and Nehemiah had purified.

Against the English

"Chambers" (BSB, KJV) or "rooms" (WEB). Both are fine. The modern word "chamber" can suggest a bedroom. These were large storage and dining blocks of several storeys.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Sam 9:22; 2 Kgs 23:11; Jer 35–36; Ezek 40:17, 38, 44–46; 1 Chr 9:26, 33; 28:12; Neh 10:37–39; 13:4–9. Some propose a link with the Greek lesche, "public hall or clubhouse", but this is uncertain.

From the study of Nehemiah 13:4

Range of meaning

A room or hall, especially one of the side-chambers built around a temple court. Such rooms served as storerooms for tithes and offerings (Neh 10:37–39; 12:44; 13:5), as rooms where priests ate holy food and changed vestments (Ezek 42:13–14), as quarters for temple staff (1 Chr 9:26–27, 33), and as private rooms of officials (Jer 35:4; 36:10; Ezra 10:6).

Against the English

"Chamber" (KJV) keeps the singular. BSB and NLT say "storerooms", and ESV, NASB, WEB and YLT say "chambers"/"rooms". The plural is an interpretation: it takes the singular as standing for the whole storage complex.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word appears mainly in late books (Chronicles, Ezra–Nehemiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah), which describe the Second Temple's or the ideal temple's ring of side-rooms. In the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation) Ezra–Nehemiah often renders it with words like gazophylakion (treasury) or pastophorion (side-chamber).

Where it appears

1 Samuel · 1

  1. 1 Samuel 9:22 לִשְׁכָּ֑תָה [the] room towards

    Then Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the hall, and seated them in the place of honor among those who were invited—about thirty in all.

2 Kings · 1

  1. 2 Kings 23:11 לִשְׁכַּת֙ [the] room of

    And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun.

1 Chronicles · 4

  1. 1 Chronicles 9:26 הַלְּשָׁכ֔וֹת the store-rooms

    But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God.

  2. 1 Chronicles 9:33 בַּלְּשָׁכֹ֖ת [were] in the rooms

    Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.

  3. 1 Chronicles 23:28 הַלְּשָׁכ֔וֹת the store-rooms

    but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,

    Here: The rooms built around the courts, used to store tithes, offerings, vessels and supplies, and as rooms for temple staff. Running them meant handling the temple's goods.

  4. 1 Chronicles 28:12 הַלְּשָׁכ֖וֹת the rooms

    The plans contained everything David had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things,

2 Chronicles · 1

  1. 2 Chronicles 31:11 לְשָׁכ֛וֹת rooms

    Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare storerooms in the house of the LORD, and they did so.

Ezra · 2

  1. Ezra 8:29 הַלִּשְׁכ֖וֹת the rooms of

    Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families.”

  2. Ezra 10:6 לִשְׁכַּ֖ת [the] room of

    Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Nehemiah · 7

  1. Nehemiah 10:37 לִשְׁכ֣וֹת [the] store-rooms of

    Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor.

    Here: Side rooms in the temple courts used to store produce and supplies. This is where the temple's food stores were held.

  2. Nehemiah 10:38 הַלְּשָׁכ֖וֹת the store-rooms

    A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.

  3. Nehemiah 10:39 הַ֠לְּשָׁכוֹת the store-rooms

    For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers stay. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.”

  4. Nehemiah 13:4 בְּלִשְׁכַּ֣ת over [the] store-room of

    Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God

    Here: A side-room of the temple complex, used for storage, lodging of temple staff or meetings. The Hebrew is singular, "the chamber", though it may stand for the whole storage complex. The preposition bə- here means "over" or "in charge of".

  5. Nehemiah 13:5 לִשְׁכָּ֣ה a room

    and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

    Here: One of the side-chambers built into the temple courts. These rooms served as storerooms, offices and meeting rooms for temple staff. This one was the storehouse for offerings and tithes.

  6. Nehemiah 13:8 הַלִּשְׁכָּֽה׃ the room

    And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

  7. Nehemiah 13:9 הַלְּשָׁכ֑וֹת the store-rooms

    Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.

Jeremiah · 8

  1. Jeremiah 35:2 הַלְּשָׁכ֑וֹת the rooms

    “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them to one of the chambers of the house of the LORD to offer them a drink of wine.”

  2. Jeremiah 35:4 לִשְׁכַּ֗ת לִשְׁכַּ֣ת לְלִשְׁכַּ֛ת [the] room of, <to> [the] room of

    and I brought them into the house of the LORD, to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.

    Here: A side room built into the temple courts. These rooms were used for storage, for lodging and duties of temple staff, and as meeting rooms. This one belonged to a named group.

  3. Jeremiah 36:10 בְּלִשְׁכַּ֡ת in [the] room of

    From the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, which was in the upper courtyard at the opening of the New Gate of the house of the LORD, Baruch read from the scroll the words of Jeremiah in the hearing of all the people.

  4. Jeremiah 36:12 לִשְׁכַּ֣ת [the] room of

    he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.

  5. Jeremiah 36:20 בְּלִשְׁכַּ֖ת in [the] room of

    So the officials went to the king in the courtyard. And having stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, they reported everything to the king.

  6. Jeremiah 36:21 מִלִּשְׁכַּ֖ת from [the] room of

    Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing beside him.

Ezekiel · 23

  1. Ezekiel 40:17 לְשָׁכוֹת֙ לְשָׁכ֖וֹת rooms

    Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement,

  2. Ezekiel 40:38 וְלִשְׁכָּ֣ה and a room

    There was a chamber with a doorway by the portico in each of the inner gateways. There the burnt offering was to be washed.

  3. Ezekiel 40:44 לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת rooms of

    Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two chambers, one beside the north gate and facing south, and another beside the south gate and facing north.

  4. Ezekiel 40:45 הַלִּשְׁכָּ֗ה the room

    Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple,

  5. Ezekiel 40:46 וְהַלִּשְׁכָּ֗ה and the room

    and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”

  6. Ezekiel 41:10 הַלְּשָׁכ֜וֹת the rooms

    and the outer chambers was twenty cubits wide all around the temple.

  7. Ezekiel 42:1 הַלִּשְׁכָּ֗ה the room

    Then the man led me out northward into the outer court, and he brought me to the group of chambers opposite the temple courtyard and the outer wall on the north side.

  8. Ezekiel 42:4 הַלְּשָׁכ֜וֹת the rooms

    In front of the chambers was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long. Their doors were on the north.

  9. Ezekiel 42:5 וְהַלְּשָׁכ֥וֹת and the rooms

    Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building.

  10. Ezekiel 42:7 הַלְּשָׁכ֔וֹת הַלְּשָׁכ֑וֹת the rooms

    An outer wall in front of the chambers was fifty cubits long and ran parallel to the chambers and the outer court.

  11. Ezekiel 42:8 הַלְּשָׁכ֗וֹת the rooms

    For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those facing the temple were a hundred cubits long.

  12. Ezekiel 42:9 הַלְּשָׁכ֣וֹת the rooms

    And below these chambers was the entrance on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

  13. Ezekiel 42:10 לְשָׁכֽוֹת׃ rooms

    On the south side along the length of the wall of the outer court were chambers adjoining the courtyard and opposite the building,

  14. Ezekiel 42:11 הַלְּשָׁכ֗וֹת the rooms

    with a passageway in front of them, just like the chambers that were on the north. They had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions.

  15. Ezekiel 42:12 הַלְּשָׁכ֗וֹת the rooms

    And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, there was a door in front of the walkway that was parallel to the wall extending eastward.

  16. Ezekiel 42:13 לִֽשְׁכ֨וֹת לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת לִֽשְׁכ֣וֹת [the] rooms of, [are] [the] rooms of

    Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.

    Here: Rooms in the temple complex used for storage, meeting and sacred meals. These are the large multi-storey blocks described in 42:1–12.

  17. Ezekiel 44:19 בְּלִֽשְׁכֹ֣ת in [the] rooms of

    When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.

    Here: 'In the chambers of', the side rooms of the temple complex. Ezekiel 42:13–14 describes these rooms: there priests eat the most holy offerings and leave their vestments.

  18. Ezekiel 45:5 לְשָׁכֹֽת׃ rooms

    An adjacent area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide shall belong to the Levites who minister in the temple; it will be their possession for towns in which to live.

  19. Ezekiel 46:19 הַלִּשְׁכ֤וֹת the rooms of

    Then the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate into the holy chambers facing north, which belonged to the priests, and he showed me a place there at the far western end

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.