What does שָׁכַן (šākan) mean in the Bible?
H7931 is a Hebrew verb for dwelling, settling, remaining, or causing someone or something to dwell. Exodus 25:8 joins Israel's sanctuary work to the LORD's gracious purpose to dwell among His people.
Hebrew · H7931
שָׁכַן
To reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)
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שָׁכַןH7931
Pronunciationšākan
What does שָׁכַן (šākan) mean in the Bible?
H7931 is a Hebrew verb for dwelling, settling, remaining, or causing someone or something to dwell. Exodus 25:8 joins Israel's sanctuary work to the LORD's gracious purpose to dwell among His people.
Reader summary
Full entry for שָׁכַן (H7931) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7931?
The BSB source-word alignment has 129 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include as a dwelling (7), dwell (6), will dwell (6), settled (4), to dwell (4).
Where does שָׁכַן (šākan) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 3:24. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (23), Isaiah (13), Jeremiah (13), Deuteronomy (12).
What This Word Actually Means
H7931 is a Hebrew verb for dwelling, settling, remaining, or causing someone or something to dwell. Exodus 25:8 joins Israel's sanctuary work to the Lord's gracious purpose to dwell among His people. Exodus 29:45 repeats that covenant presence, while Psalm 15:1 asks who may dwell on the Lord's holy mountain and answers in terms of truthful, just life. Isaiah 57:15 holds transcendence and nearness together: the high and exalted One also dwells with the contrite and lowly.
The verb can also describe people settling in land, remaining in a place, inhabiting a city, or the presence of glory. It does not guarantee safety, moral approval, ownership, permanence, or divine indwelling in every occurrence. H7931 helps teachers distinguish location from belonging and God's promised presence from human attempts to possess, manipulate, or exclude Him.
Book contextgrammaticalPastoral application
How the Bible Uses It
H7931 moves across human settlement, national inhabitation, sanctuary presence, divine glory, and poetic abiding. It joins place and relationship while requiring careful attention to subject, object, duration, covenant setting, and agency.
- Exod.25.8
And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.
The Lord commands a sanctuary so that He may dwell among Israel, making divine presence a gracious covenant purpose rather than Israel's architectural achievement.
- Exod.29.45
Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
God promises to dwell among the Israelites and be their God, placing dwelling within redemption, consecration, worship, and covenant relationship.
- Ps.15.1
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
The psalm asks who may dwell on God's holy mountain, then connects nearness with truthful, just, non-exploitative life rather than status alone.
- Isa.57.15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
The exalted and eternal Holy One also dwells with the contrite and lowly, joining divine majesty to restorative nearness rather than institutional prestige.
Book contextPassage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itas a dwelling7×Deuteronomy 12:5, Deuteronomy 14:23, Deuteronomy 16:2, Deuteronomy 16:6
dwell6×Numbers 5:3, Numbers 35:34, Psalms 37:3, Psalms 68:6
will dwell6×Psalms 16:9, Isaiah 13:21, Isaiah 33:16, Isaiah 34:11
settled4×Exodus 24:16, Numbers 9:17, Numbers 10:12, Isaiah 13:20
to dwell4×Job 11:14, Psalms 65:4, Zechariah 2:10, Zechariah 8:8
remained3×Numbers 9:18, Numbers 9:22, Judges 5:17
and dwell2×Psalms 37:29, Zechariah 8:3
And I will dwell2×1 Kings 6:13, Ezekiel 43:9
dwells2×Deuteronomy 33:28, Joel 3:21
He dwells2×Job 39:28, Isaiah 33:5
he will dwell2×Job 15:28, Jeremiah 17:6
I will dwell2×Ezekiel 43:7, Zechariah 2:11
may dwell2×Psalms 15:1, Psalms 85:9
O dwellers2×Jeremiah 49:16, Obadiah 1:3
Settle2×Genesis 26:2, Job 3:5
so that they may dwell in2×2 Samuel 7:10, 1 Chronicles 17:9
that He would dwell2×1 Kings 8:12, 2 Chronicles 6:1
they live2×Jeremiah 49:31, Micah 7:14
was living2×Genesis 14:13, Genesis 35:22
who dwells2×Isaiah 8:18, Joel 3:17
will dwell securely2×Psalms 102:28, Jeremiah 33:16
will inhabit2×Proverbs 2:21, Isaiah 32:16
you who dwell2×Isaiah 26:19, Jeremiah 51:13
[Egypt] will be inhabited1×Jeremiah 46:26
[Ishmael’s descendants] settled1×Genesis 25:18
{will} dwell1×Proverbs 1:33
a dwelling1×Deuteronomy 12:11
and camp1×Micah 4:10
and dwellers1×Isaiah 18:3
and find rest1×Psalms 55:6
and has come to dwell1×1 Chronicles 23:25
and I will let you live1×Jeremiah 7:3
and leave1×Psalms 7:5
and remained1×Judges 5:17
and set up1×Joshua 18:1
and settle1×Jeremiah 48:28
and those who dwell in them1×Job 26:5
by way of the caravan1×Judges 8:11
dwell together1×Proverbs 8:12
dwelling1×Numbers 23:9
dwelt1×Psalms 120:6
encamped1×Numbers 24:2
had settled1×Exodus 40:35
have dwelt in the abode1×Psalms 94:17
He had pitched1×Psalms 78:60
He lies down1×Deuteronomy 33:20
he rests1×Deuteronomy 33:12
He settled1×Psalms 78:55
He who dwells1×Psalms 135:21
he will live1×Genesis 16:12
I dwell1×Isaiah 57:15
if I settle1×Psalms 139:9
inhabit1×Proverbs 10:30
made a dwelling1×Jeremiah 7:12
may dwell [there]1×Psalms 68:18
may he dwell1×Genesis 9:27
nest1×Psalms 104:12
nested1×Ezekiel 31:13
of Him who dwelt1×Deuteronomy 33:16
or lived in1×Jeremiah 50:39
remain1×Proverbs 7:11
resides1×Job 18:15
rest1×Deuteronomy 33:12
shall dwell1×Genesis 49:13
sleep1×Nahum 3:18
So I dwelt1×Job 29:25
so that I may dwell1×Exodus 25:8
so that I might dwell1×Exodus 29:46
so that they lived1×Job 30:6
so that you will abide1×Psalms 37:27
stands1×Joshua 22:19
stationed1×Genesis 3:24
taking shelter1×Ezekiel 17:23
that I live1×Psalms 120:5
Then I will dwell1×Exodus 29:45
then I will let you live1×Jeremiah 7:7
they settle down1×Job 37:8
they will dwell1×Isaiah 34:17
those who dwell1×Job 4:19
to settle1×Ezekiel 32:4
to settle you1×Numbers 14:30
to the home1×Job 38:19
where You dwell1×Psalms 74:2
which abides1×Leviticus 16:16
who dwell1×Jeremiah 25:24
who inhabits1×Isaiah 57:15
will nest1×Ezekiel 17:23
will settle1×Psalms 69:36
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 3:24וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩tostationedConjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularGenesis 9:27וְיִשְׁכֹּ֖ןtomay he dwellConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singularGenesis 14:13שֹׁכֵ֨ןtowas livingVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularGenesis 16:12יִשְׁכֹּֽן׃tohe will liveVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularGenesis 25:18וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּto[Ishmael’s descendants] settledConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralGenesis 26:2שְׁכֹ֣ןtoSettleVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularGenesis 35:22בִּשְׁכֹּ֤ןtowas livingPreposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructGenesis 49:13יִשְׁכֹּ֑ןtoshall dwellVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularExodus 24:16וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֤ןtosettledConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularExodus 25:8וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖יtoso that I may dwellConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 3:24
Aligned rows129
Books represented23
Genesis8Exodus5Leviticus1Numbers10Deuteronomy12Joshua2Judges32 Samuel11 Kings21 Chronicles22 Chronicles1Nehemiah1Job11Psalms23Proverbs5Isaiah13Jeremiah13Ezekiel6Joel2Obadiah1Micah2Nahum1Zechariah4
Source forms
יִשְׁכְּנוּ־5xyiš·kə·nū-Psalms 69:36, Proverbs 10:30, Isaiah 34:11, Isaiah 34:17
לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן5xlə·šak·kênNumbers 14:30, Deuteronomy 16:2, Deuteronomy 16:11, Deuteronomy 26:2
יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן3xyiš·kōnDeuteronomy 33:12, Psalms 16:9, Psalms 68:16
יִשְׁכָּן־3xyiš·kān-Numbers 9:17, Job 38:19, Proverbs 1:33
שֹׁכֵ֥ן3xšō·ḵênNumbers 5:3, Isaiah 57:15, Joel 3:21
שֹׁכֵ֖ן3xšō·ḵênNumbers 24:2, Isaiah 33:5, Joel 3:17
וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן2xway·yiš·kōnNumbers 10:12, 1 Chronicles 23:25
וְשָׁכַ֣ן2xwə·šā·ḵan2 Samuel 7:10, 1 Chronicles 17:9
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular17xGenesis 16:12, Genesis 49:13, Numbers 9:17, Numbers 9:18
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural11xPsalms 69:36, Psalms 102:28, Proverbs 2:21, Proverbs 7:11
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular10xGenesis 14:13, Numbers 5:3, Numbers 24:2, Numbers 35:34
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct8xNumbers 14:30, Deuteronomy 12:11, Deuteronomy 14:23, Deuteronomy 16:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular7xExodus 25:8, Exodus 29:45, 1 Kings 6:13, Ezekiel 43:9
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular7xJob 3:5, Job 18:15, Job 37:8, Isaiah 13:20
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct6xNumbers 9:22, 1 Kings 8:12, 2 Chronicles 6:1, Job 30:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular5xExodus 24:16, Numbers 10:12, Deuteronomy 33:28, 1 Chronicles 23:25
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Build communities where presence includes humility, protection, access, and truthful belonging rather than possession or exclusion.
- Speak of God's nearness to displaced people without minimizing their need for safe housing, legal protection, and stable community.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that H7931 always means a permanent, peaceful, or divinely approved settlement.
- Do not claim that a worship space compels God's presence or proves the faithfulness of those who control it.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Dwelling that establishes presence; God's šākan signifies covenantal residence, not mere temporary occupation.
Strong'sH7931
Lexical occurrences129 versesWord forms3 forms74 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkProverbs 10:30Source Gloss
to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Dwelling that establishes presence; God's šākan signifies covenantal residence, not mere temporary occupation.
to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively) BDB: settle down Usage: abide, continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-er), have habitation, inhabit, lay, place, (cause to) remain, rest, set (up).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups3Aligned forms74
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense70×
ImperfectDeut 33:12 · Gen 16:12 · Gen 49:13 · Isa 33:16 · Jer 23:6 · Job 38:19 · Job 39:28 · Judg 5:17 · Num 9:17 · Num 9:18 · Num 23:9 · Prov 1:33 · Ps 15:1 · Ps 16:9 · Ps 65:5 · Ps 68:1738×
Participle activeDeut 33:16 · Gen 14:13 · Isa 26:19 · Isa 33:5 · Isa 57:15 · Jer 49:16 · Jer 51:13 · Job 4:19 · Joel 4:17 · Joel 4:21 · Mic 7:14 · Num 5:3 · Num 24:2 · Num 35:34 · Obad 1:3 · Ps 135:2118×
PerfectDeut 33:12 · Deut 33:20 · Exod 40:35 · Josh 22:19 · Judg 5:17 · Prov 8:12 · Ps 120:5 · Ps 94:17 · Ps 120:6 · Ps 68:7 · Ps 74:211×
Sequential imperfectGen 26:2 · Ps 37:32×
CohortativePs 139:91×
Pielintensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action2×
PerfectJer 7:12 · Ps 78:602×
Hiphilcausative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action2×
JussiveJob 11:14 · Ps 7:62×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
righteous person's permanent, stable residence or abiding state
Showing 1 selected witness from 129 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׁכַן is built from these roots:
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.
For the Preacher and Teacher
H7931 binds together the ordinary act of inhabiting a place and the extraordinary biblical claim that the holy God chooses to dwell among His people. In Exodus, sanctuary construction serves that divine purpose, but the narrative never presents craftsmanship as a technique for capturing God. The Lord who redeemed Israel gives the pattern, consecrates worship, and defines the relationship.
Settlement texts use the same verb for peoples inhabiting lands and cities, which means dwelling can be stable or contested, righteous or corrupt, welcomed or imposed. Psalm 15 turns the question of dwelling near God toward truthful speech, justice, neighbor protection, and freedom from exploitative gain. The psalm is not a merit ladder for the self-righteous; it exposes the character appropriate to covenant nearness.
Isaiah 57 intensifies the theological tension: the One who inhabits eternity also dwells with contrite and lowly people to revive them. Divine height is not aloofness, and divine nearness is not endorsement of pride. H7931 therefore helps churches examine belonging and presence carefully. A community may occupy a building without practicing hospitality, and a displaced believer may know God's nearness without possessing secure land.
Teachers should celebrate God's initiative to dwell with His people, resist territorial or institutional entitlement, and protect those whose right to remain is threatened by coercion.
Anchor passage
Isa.57.15
Doctrinal connections
- Exodus 25:8 makes God's dwelling among Israel the stated purpose of the sanctuary command.
- Exodus 29:45 places divine dwelling within redemption, consecrated worship, and the covenant confession that He is their God.
- Psalm 15:1 connects dwelling on God's holy mountain with truthful, just, and non-exploitative covenant life.
- Isaiah 57:15 joins God's eternal exaltation to reviving presence with contrite and lowly people.
- Settlement uses of H7931 show that inhabiting a place involves social, political, and moral questions beyond mere location.
- The canonical movement toward God's dwelling with humanity culminates in Christ and new creation without erasing earlier contexts.
H7931 is a verb whose stems and syntax can express dwelling, settling, remaining, or causing to dwell. The subject, location phrase, covenant frame, and verbal form identify whether the emphasis is residence, continuation, installation, or divine presence.
From Old to New Testament
John speaks of the Word dwelling among us, apostolic writings describe God's presence among His people, and Revelation announces God's dwelling with humanity. These developments belong to the wider canonical trajectory while each Hebrew occurrence remains governed by its own covenant and literary setting.
Canonical parallelPastoral application