סֻכָּה
a hut or lair
Definition
The Hebrew word סֻכָּה (sukkâh) primarily refers to a temporary, hastily constructed shelter made from branches and foliage. In its most basic sense, it describes a simple hut or lair for animals (Job 38:40) or a field shelter for a watchman (Isaiah 1:8). Its most significant biblical usage is for the 'booths' or 'tabernacles' in which the Israelites were commanded to dwell during the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), as prescribed in Leviticus 23:42-43. This festival commemorated God's provision and protection during the wilderness wanderings. The term is also used poetically for God's protective covering over His people (Psalm 31:20).
Biblical Usage
The word is used 29 times, most prominently in the Pentateuchal laws establishing the Feast of Booths (Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16). It appears in historical narratives describing Jacob building booths for his livestock (Genesis 33:17) and Jonah making a booth for shade (Jonah 4:5). In the Prophets, it is used metaphorically for a ruined shelter (Isaiah 1:8) and for God's protective presence (Psalm 27:5). The usage consistently conveys impermanence, whether in agricultural, cultic, or metaphorical contexts.
Etymology
Derived from the root סָכַךְ (sâkak, H5526), meaning 'to weave together,' 'to cover,' or 'to protect.' It is the feminine form of the related noun סֹךְ (sok, H5520), meaning 'thicket' or 'covering.' The root idea is of interwoven branches creating a protective screen or shelter, which directly informs the word's meaning as a temporary structure.
Semantic Range
סֻכָּה is theologically central to the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), one of Israel's three major pilgrimage festivals. It physically enacts the memory of divine provision and fragility during the Exodus (Leviticus 23:43), teaching dependence on God. The temporary nature of the booth points to the transience of human life and earthly security, contrasted with God's eternal shelter (Psalm 31:20). In prophetic literature, the restored 'booth of David' (Amos 9:11) becomes a symbol of Messianic hope and restoration.
In ancient Israel, a סֻכָּה was a common, rudimentary structure built in vineyards, fields, or wilderness areas for temporary shade and shelter from the sun. It was distinct from a permanent house (בַּיִת, bayit) or even a durable tent (אֹהֶל, 'ohel). During the Feast of Tabernacles, entire families would construct and dwell in these booths, creating a tangible, communal experience of their nomadic heritage and God's seasonal provision from the harvest.
אֹהֶל ('ohel, H168) — a more substantial, durable tent or dwelling, often for people. מִשְׁכָּן (mishkân, H4908) — a dwelling place, specifically the Tabernacle as God's sanctuary. צֵל (tsêl, H6738) — shade or shadow, the primary function of a sukkah, but not a structure.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →