Page 32 - BV13

This is very important. The word "Shekinah" (Sh'khinah) was coined from verbal cognates
(related words) in the Bible which describe the "presence" of YEHOVAH in a certain locality.
The verbal cognates are used extensively to describe the "Shekinah" appearances. The word
"Shekinah" itself is not found in the Biblical texts, but the concept clearly is. The word most cer-
tainly is derived from "shakan," and whoever first used the word "Shekinah" coined it as a sub-
stantive (noun form) from the verbal forms used to describe the "abiding, dwelling, or habitation"
of the physical manifestations of God described in Exodus 24:16, 40:35 and Numbers 9:17-18 --
and various other places where "shakan" is used.

Note that the word is also used to describe the mystical "Shekinah" presence in the Taber-
nacle and later in the first and second Temples. The word "mishkan," (mshkn), a derivation of
"shakan" (shkn), is often translated "tabernacle." The Hebrew for tabernacle is more often simply
"ohel," 'ohel, or tent. "Mishkan" means "dwelling place" -- that is, THE "DWELLING PLACE" OF
"HIM WHO DWELLS" OR "SHEKINAH."

The Hebrew verb "shakan" (shkn) simply means to take up residence for a long period of
time in a neighborhood. The distinction between this word and "yashav" -- which is also translated
"dwell" -- is as follows: You can use the word "yashav" to mean an individual doing the dwelling
WITHOUT reference to others or to duration, while "shakan" means a PROTRACTED DWELL-
ING IN THE MIDST OF A NEIGHBORHOOD OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE. The primary mean-
ing is to reside and continue as a member of the community. Of course, when it refers to
YEHOVAH God, it takes on an added mysticism that is obvious from the scriptures.

When verbal forms are translated as nouns, the word sometimes means "habitat." Gram-
matically (in Hebrew), when verbal forms are translated as nouns, they are called "substantives."
Technically, therefore, "Shekinah" is a substantive rather than a noun.

Some people object that the word "Shekinah," (shknh), is not to be found in the Old Testa-
ment in its noun form, and that it describes a concept that is not scriptural. It is also claimed that
the word was coined by Post-Biblical Rabbinic scholars. While it is admitted that the Rabbinic
concept of YEHOVAH being some sort of hovering non-personal force is an unacceptable exten-
sion of the meaning, the CONCEPT OF A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION of YEHOVAH's local-
ized dwelling on this planet IS, nonetheless, scriptural. I have chosen to use the word "Shekinah"
(shknh) to name this "presence" and to better develop a concept I will get to later on in the article.
Also, this meaning is in general use among many Christians -- even though they are generally igno-
rant of the origin of the word.

In the Encyclopedia Judaica the "Shekinah" is defined as "the Divine Presence, the numi-
nous immanence of God in the world,...a revelation of the holy in the midst of the profane...." (Vol-
ume 14, pp. 1349-1351).

The Encyclopedia goes on to say --

One of the more prominent images associated with the Shekhinah is that of light. Thus on
the verse, "...the earth did shine with His glory" (Ezekiel 43:2), the rabbis remark, "This
is the face of the Shekhinah" (Avot diRabbi Natan [18b-19a]; see also Chullin 59b-60a).

32