נִשְׁכָּה
a cell
Definition
The Hebrew noun נִשְׁכָּה (nishkâh) refers to a specific type of chamber or cell, typically a storeroom or side room within a temple or administrative complex. In the biblical context, it denotes a functional space used for storing temple tithes, offerings, and sacred vessels. In Nehemiah 12:44 and 13:7, these chambers are explicitly used to hold the contributions for the Levites, while Nehemiah 3:30 mentions a chamber belonging to an individual, suggesting some could also be private quarters or offices adjacent to the temple area.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the book of Nehemiah, all three times in the context of the restored Jerusalem. It describes chambers in the temple complex used for storage of tithes and offerings (Nehemiah 12:44, 13:7). One reference (Nehemiah 3:30) notes a chamber repaired by a priest named Meshullam, indicating these structures were part of the rebuilt city walls and temple precincts, highlighting their administrative and religious function in the post-exilic community.
Etymology
נִשְׁכָּה (nishkâh) is a later or variant form of the more common noun לִשְׁכָּה (lishkâh, H3957), which also means 'chamber' or 'room.' Both words likely derive from a root meaning to be attached or joined, reflecting the chamber's nature as a side room adjoining a larger main structure, such as the temple.
Semantic Range
While a practical architectural term, נִשְׁכָּה gains theological significance in Nehemiah by being the designated place for storing the people's tithes and offerings for the Levites (Nehemiah 12:44). Its misuse—when Tobiah the Ammonite was allowed to live in one (Nehemiah 13:7)—prompted Nehemiah's reforms, underscoring the importance of maintaining the purity and proper function of sacred spaces for worship and community support.
In ancient Near Eastern temple complexes, side chambers were standard architectural features for storage, administration, and sometimes housing for priests. The chambers in Nehemiah served a vital logistical role in the restored community, ensuring the material support (tithes of grain, new wine, and oil) for the Levites who maintained temple worship, thus linking physical provision to spiritual service.
לִשְׁכָּה (lishkâh, H3957) — The more common, standard term for a chamber or room, often in a temple or palace context. תָּא (tâ', H8372) — A smaller cell or recess, often in the temple's side structure (Ezekiel 40). חֶדֶר (cheder, H2315) — A general term for an inner room, chamber, or bedroom, typically in a domestic setting.
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.
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