www.alphadictionary.com

• tabernacle •

Pronunciation: tæ-bêr-næ-kêl • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A moveable dwelling or booth, a tent, a hut or lean-to. 2. (Tabernacle) A sacred moveable structure (tent) in which the Israelites transported the Ark of the Covenant. 3. (Tabernacle) A container or niche in a church or temple that holds holy objects, relics, or the Sacraments of the Eucharist. 4. A large church, a cathedral or temple.

Notes: Today's Good Word is another word most of us have the wrong idea about, probably because its meanings range wildly from the pedestrian to the sublime. Following the definitions above, you can see how it began referring to a tent, then came to mean the tent of the Ark of the Covenant, from there it went on to mean the location of things holy, from there to a permanent temple and, finally, to a cathedral. The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the Israelites' life in tents during their 40 years in the wilderness. You have your choice of adjectives: tabernaculous or tabernacular.

In Play: It may be too late to resurrect the original meaning of today's word but, since it remains in all dictionaries, let's at least keep it in mind: "Perhaps I should have said, 'Bring only what will fit in your tent' rather than 'what will fit in your tabernacle'." Today the most famous tabernacle is the Mormon Tabernacle, whose fame rests on its excellent choir. However, in The Scot Abroad, John Burton wrote as late a 1864: "Some of them...would as soon have sought Kamschatka, as a place wherein to pitch their tabernacle and pursue their fortune."

Word History: Today's Good Word was copied rather transparently from Latin tabernaculum "tent", a diminutive of taberna "hut". English also borrowed the descendant of taberna from Old French as tavern. The original root was trob-/treb- "dwelling". This root came to English as throp and, with metathesis, thorp " village, hamlet", which is found today in names like Oglethorp and Burnham Thorp, the birthplace of Lord Horatio Nelson, victor at the Battle of Trafalgar. The German and Dutch derivatives of the same underlying word are Dorf and dorp, both of which mean "village".

Dr. Beard: a great word and great definition of the word as a noun. Tabernacle is also a verb. It means to take up residence or to live with. Perry Lassiter may be able to tell us if and where tabernacle is used as a verb in the Bible. I can't find it. Concordances apparently do not worry about parts of speech.

I'm about to leave town for a few days, and can research it when I get back. Off the top of my head, John 1:14 says the word became flesh and dwelt among us in most translations. However, I have heard or read some translate the Greek word as "tabernacled among us." Not sure what the cross refrence to Hebrew would say, but will post more eventually.

My son in TX, Philip, had a commentary that confirmed my memory. The Greek word translated dwell is derived from a noun that means tent or tabernacle. Since John mentions glory in conjunction, this confirms he had the tabernacle in mind. In the OT the tabernacle is the place where God's presence or glory is revealed to Moses. I will double check a couple of authoritarian lexicons when I get home.

From the Gospel of John, I have seen in some
translations that: "The Word became Flesh,
and Tabernacled among us".

After having lived in the land of the Latter Day Saints, I've found it bemusing that their massive structures actually began, definition-wise, as tents. Is that evolution?

Or devolution?

Perspective is all.

When I was living in DC, they built a new temple on the
"beltway", the highway circling The District. For a time
the huge white structure with its golden statue on top
attracted much abuse. The radio morning status
on traffic updates would say things like "There's a huge
tie-up out near Oz, avoid the beltway". A rail trestle
over the beltway, for a long time had a graffiti painted
on it that said: "Free Dorothy".

I believe the Latter-day Saints usage of the word "tabernacle" in their buildings is in the sense of something that is "sacred" or "holy" as opposed to something like a tent that is movable. I remember hearing about all the hoopla surrounding the DC temple. Don't hear too much about it anymore.

The LDS threatened legal action to stop the
media and the references to Oz and the rail
trestle was repainted. But I've been gone from
DC quite a while now, so I don't know either.

For the LDS, the Tabernacle is the large auditorium in Salt Lake City. In all the significant ways, it is a tabernacle. I am not aware of another LDS Tabernacle. LDS Temples are located in many cities but they are for different purposes than their tabernacle.

In discussing a word, I am all for examining the religious aspects of the word. While we do not believe every religion, I am sure that the Alphas of Alpha Agora are above belittling any religion. Let us respect people's right to their religions.

Before the inclusion of this Good Word, I had assumed that the word was of Hebrew origin (or Aramaic, maybe). Especially with the LDS usage of it for the uber-temple in Salt Lake City.

At the same time, it makes me chuckle a little because it was not long ago that I first heard of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Yes, Brooklyn. I took it as a joke, until I looked into it. No joke. It's just as serious as the similarly anomalously-named Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra...

Again, friends, the LDS has temples and a tabernacle. They are not the same. They are very different.

As for the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, they are totally different, not related to the LDS at all. They are a great choir, coming from a person who belongs to a church with the greatest choir in the world.

I apologize. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir may just be the best choir in the world. If I were in New York, that's where I would be.