Hebrew
שְׁכִינָה
shekhinah
The dwelling presence of God
A Hebrew term (post-biblical, but rooted in biblical imagery) for the visible, dwelling presence of God — manifested in the cloud over the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34), the glory in the temple (1 Kings 8:10), and supremely in Christ who 'dwelt among us' (John 1:14).
Shechinah (שְׁכִינָה) is a post-biblical Hebrew word derived from the verb shakhan ('to dwell, settle, abide'). The word itself does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, but the concept does. The Bible repeatedly describes God 'dwelling' among his people — in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8 — 'let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them'), in the cloud and pillar of fire, in the temple, and ultimately in Christ. Rabbinic Judaism developed 'Shechinah' as a way to speak of God's presence without using his name. The Greek New Testament word 'doxa' (glory) often carries Shechinah resonance. John 1:14 — 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [eskēnōsen, literally 'tabernacled'] among us' — is the supreme NT echo of Shechinah.
Though the word Shechinah is not in the Bible, the concept runs throughout. (1) The cloud at the Exodus. Exodus 13:21 — 'the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud... and by night in a pillar of fire.' God's manifest presence. (2) Sinai. Exodus 24:16 — 'the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai.' (3) The tabernacle. Exodus 40:34-35 — 'a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.' Moses could not enter. (4) The temple. 1 Kings 8:10-11 — at Solomon's temple dedication, 'the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.' (5) Departure from the temple. Ezekiel 10-11 describes the glory of the LORD departing from the temple before Babylon's destruction. (6) Return in Christ. John 1:14 — 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, (and we beheld his glory.)' Christ is the new tabernacle, the dwelling presence of God. (7) The church as temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16 — believers are God's temple, indwelt by the Spirit. The Shechinah comes to dwell in the gathered church. (8) The new creation. Revelation 21:3 — 'the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them.' The ultimate Shechinah.
“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”
“The cloud filled the house of the LORD... for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.”
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.”
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
God's dwelling presence is not abstract. It came to Israel in cloud and fire, to the temple in glory, supremely to humanity in Christ, and now to believers by the Spirit. Live in awareness of his presence. Honor your body and the church as his dwelling place (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Anticipate the day when 'the tabernacle of God is with men' fully (Revelation 21:3).
Shechinah is a Hebrew term (post-biblical) for the visible, dwelling presence of God. It is rooted in the biblical verb shakhan ('to dwell'). The Bible describes the glory of the LORD filling the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35) and the temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). Rabbinic Judaism used 'Shechinah' to speak of this presence. John 1:14 — Christ 'tabernacled' among us — is the supreme NT expression.
The word itself is not in the Hebrew Bible — it is a post-biblical rabbinic term. But the concept is thoroughly biblical: God's dwelling presence in cloud, fire, glory, tabernacle, temple, Christ, and his church. The word coined a name for what Scripture already described.
John 1:14 — 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [literally 'tabernacled,' eskēnōsen] among us, (and we beheld his glory).' The Old Testament's manifest glory of God in the tabernacle and temple is now incarnate in Christ. He is the dwelling of God with humans. Colossians 2:9 — 'in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.' Christ is the Shechinah.
Yes — through the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16 — 'ye are the temple of God, and... the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.' 1 Corinthians 6:19 — your body is 'the temple of the Holy Ghost.' The Old Testament Shechinah filled the tabernacle and temple; the New Testament Shechinah indwells believers individually and the church corporately. The dwelling presence is closer than ever.