What does אֹהֶל (ohel) mean in the Bible?
אֹהֶל (ohel): Portable dwelling that functions as visible marker of presence and belonging, especially in nomadic covenant community contexts
Hebrew · H168
אֹהֶל
A tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
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אֹהֶל H168
Pronunciation ohel
What does אֹהֶל (ohel) mean in the Bible?
אֹהֶל (ohel): Portable dwelling that functions as visible marker of presence and belonging, especially in nomadic covenant community contexts
Full entry for אֹהֶל (H168) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H168?
The BSB source-word alignment has 346 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the tent (74), to the tent (56), at the Tent (24), of the tent (18), in the tent (15).
Where does אֹהֶל (ohel) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Numbers (76), Exodus (62), Leviticus (44), Genesis (23).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the tent 74× Exodus 26:11, Exodus 28:43, Exodus 29:30, Exodus 29:44
to the tent 56× Genesis 18:10, Exodus 26:36, Exodus 29:4, Exodus 29:11
at the Tent 24× Numbers 3:25, Numbers 4:3, Numbers 4:4, Numbers 4:23
of the tent 18× Exodus 26:9, Exodus 26:12, Exodus 29:10, Exodus 30:16
in the tent 15× Genesis 18:9, Genesis 31:34, Exodus 27:21, Exodus 30:36
his tent 10× Genesis 9:21, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:3, Genesis 26:25
tent 9× Genesis 31:33, 2 Kings 7:8, 1 Chronicles 17:5, 2 Chronicles 1:3
for the tent 8× Exodus 26:7, Exodus 26:14, Exodus 36:14, Exodus 36:19
the tents 8× Numbers 16:26, 2 Chronicles 14:15, Job 12:6, Job 15:34
a tent 6× Judges 4:21, 2 Samuel 16:22, 1 Chronicles 15:1, 2 Chronicles 1:4
. . . 5× Joshua 3:14, Judges 8:11, 1 Kings 7:45, Psalms 132:3
my tent 5× Joshua 7:21, Job 19:12, Job 29:4, Jeremiah 10:20
their tents 5× Deuteronomy 11:6, 2 Kings 7:7, Jeremiah 6:3, Jeremiah 49:29
home 4× Judges 19:9, 1 Kings 8:66, 1 Kings 12:16, 2 Chronicles 10:16
in his tent 4× Joshua 7:22, Job 18:6, Job 18:15, Job 20:26
in tents 4× Genesis 4:20, Jeremiah 35:7, Jeremiah 35:10, Hosea 12:9
in their tents 4× Psalms 69:25, Psalms 78:55, Psalms 106:25, Jeremiah 37:10
of his tent 4× Genesis 18:1, Genesis 18:2, Job 18:14, Psalms 27:5
in the tents 3× Genesis 9:27, Psalms 78:51, Psalms 84:10
in your tent 3× Exodus 16:16, Psalms 15:1, Psalms 61:4
in your tents 3× Deuteronomy 1:27, Deuteronomy 33:18, Job 11:14
tents 3× Deuteronomy 5:30, Jeremiah 30:18, Daniel 11:45
to his home 3× 2 Samuel 18:17, 2 Samuel 19:8, 2 Kings 14:12
to his tent 3× Judges 20:8, 1 Samuel 4:10, 2 Samuel 20:1
to their tents 3× Numbers 11:10, Numbers 16:27, Judges 7:8
to your tents 3× Deuteronomy 16:7, 1 Kings 12:16, 2 Chronicles 10:16
[its] 2× 1 Kings 8:4, 2 Chronicles 5:5
And the tent 2× Exodus 26:13, Job 8:22
into the tent 2× Genesis 18:6, Exodus 18:7
on the Tent 2× Exodus 35:21, Lamentations 2:4
their homes 2× Joshua 22:6, Joshua 22:7
to his own home 2× 2 Samuel 20:22, 2 Chronicles 25:22
to their homes 2× 2 Kings 8:21, 2 Chronicles 7:10
your homes 2× Joshua 22:4, Joshua 22:8
your tent 2× Job 5:24, Psalms 91:10
- 1× Exodus 33:9
[resound] in the tents 1× Psalms 118:15
already in the tent 1× Numbers 19:14
and tent 1× Numbers 3:25
and tents 1× Genesis 13:5
and the tents 1× 2 Kings 7:10
and their tents 1× Judges 6:5
and then the tents 1× Genesis 31:33
are the tents 1× Job 21:28
At His tabernacle 1× Psalms 27:6
at home 1× Genesis 25:27
but the tent 1× Proverbs 14:11
called the Tent 1× 1 Chronicles 9:23
from [your] tent 1× Psalms 52:5
from tent 1× 1 Chronicles 17:5
from the Tent 1× Leviticus 1:1
from the tents 1× Malachi 2:12
from your tents 1× Job 22:23
her into the tent 1× Genesis 24:67
her tent 1× Judges 4:18
in a tent 1× Numbers 19:14
in his own tent 1× 1 Samuel 17:54
in their dwellings 1× 1 Chronicles 4:41
in their own homes 1× 2 Kings 13:5
like a tent 1× Isaiah 40:22
like the tents 1× Song Of Solomon 1:5
My tents 1× Jeremiah 4:20
of my house 1× Job 31:31
of tent-dwelling 1× Judges 5:24
of your tent 1× Isaiah 54:2
over the tent 1× Exodus 40:19
regarding the Tent 1× Numbers 4:15
the dwellings [of the Hagrites] 1× 1 Chronicles 5:10
the tabernacle 1× 1 Kings 1:39
to his [own] tent 1× Exodus 33:10
to his own [home] 1× 1 Samuel 13:2
to join the tent 1× Exodus 36:18
to their [own] tents 1× Exodus 33:8
with a tent 1× 2 Samuel 7:6
with its tent 1× Exodus 35:11
your tents 1× Numbers 24:5
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:20 אֹ֖הֶל to in tents Noun - masculine singular Genesis 9:21 אָהֳלֹֽה׃ to his tent Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Genesis 9:27 בְּאָֽהֳלֵי־ to in the tents Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct Genesis 12:8 אָהֳלֹ֑ה to his tent Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Genesis 13:3 אָהֳלֹה to his tent Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Genesis 13:5 וְאֹהָלִֽים׃ to and tents Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural Genesis 18:1 הָאֹ֖הֶל to of his tent Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 18:2 הָאֹ֔הֶל to of his tent Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 18:6 הָאֹ֖הֱלָה to into the tent Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Genesis 18:9 בָאֹֽהֶל׃ to in the tent Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 4:20
Aligned rows 346
Books represented 26
Genesis 23 Exodus 62 Leviticus 44 Numbers 76 Deuteronomy 9 Joshua 12 Judges 13 1 Samuel 4 2 Samuel 7 1 Kings 10 2 Kings 7 1 Chronicles 11 2 Chronicles 12 Job 14 Psalms 18 Proverbs 1 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 9 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 1 Daniel 1 Hosea 2 Habakkuk 1 Zechariah 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
אֹ֣הֶל 53x ’ō·hel Exodus 28:43, Exodus 29:4, Exodus 29:10, Exodus 30:16
אֹ֥הֶל 39x ’ō·hel Exodus 29:11, Exodus 29:30, Exodus 29:32, Exodus 29:44
בְּאֹ֣הֶל 24x bə·’ō·hel Exodus 27:21, Exodus 30:36, Exodus 40:22, Exodus 40:24
אֹֽהֶל־ 12x ’ō·hel- Exodus 29:42, Exodus 40:6, Exodus 40:29, Leviticus 6:16
בְּאֹ֥הֶל 12x bə·’ō·hel Genesis 31:33, Numbers 4:3, Numbers 4:15, Numbers 4:23
הָאֹ֔הֶל 10x hā·’ō·hel Genesis 18:2, Exodus 26:36, Exodus 33:8, Exodus 36:37
הָאֹ֖הֶל 8x hā·’ō·hel Genesis 18:1, Genesis 18:10, Genesis 31:34, Exodus 26:11
הָאֹ֑הֶל 8x hā·’ō·hel Exodus 26:12, Exodus 26:13, Exodus 33:9, Exodus 33:10
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct 95x Exodus 28:43, Exodus 29:4, Exodus 29:10, Exodus 29:11
Article | Noun - masculine singular 41x Genesis 18:1, Genesis 18:2, Genesis 18:10, Genesis 31:34
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 39x Genesis 31:33, Exodus 27:21, Exodus 30:36, Exodus 40:22
Noun - masculine singular 29x Genesis 4:20, Leviticus 1:3, Leviticus 4:4, Leviticus 8:3
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 14x Genesis 9:21, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:3, Genesis 26:25
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 12x Judges 7:8, 1 Samuel 4:10, 1 Samuel 13:2, 2 Samuel 18:17
Noun - masculine plural construct 9x Numbers 16:26, 2 Chronicles 14:15, Job 15:34, Psalms 83:6
Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular 8x Genesis 18:6, Genesis 24:67, Exodus 18:7, Exodus 33:8
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Portable dwelling that functions as visible marker of presence and belonging, especially in nomadic covenant community contexts
Source Gloss
a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Portable dwelling that functions as visible marker of presence and belonging, especially in nomadic covenant community contexts
a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance) BDB: tent Usage: covering, (dwelling) (place), home, tabernacle, tent.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
tent
Showing 1 selected witness from 348 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אֹהֶל is built from this root:
אָהַל H166
Why This Word Matters
Recalls wilderness dependence. Hosea 12:7-14
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain