Home › Glossary › Letter T

Tabernacle

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A portable sanctuary described in the Hebrew Bible, and later a term for a church or a receptacle for the Eucharist.

Detailed Definition
The Tabernacle was the dwelling place of God among the Israelites during their wanderings, a precursor to the Temple in Jerusalem. In Christianity, it is the ornate box where consecrated Eucharistic hosts are reserved. Poetically, the tabernacle symbolizes God's immanence, a sacred space where the divine and human meet. It can represent the human heart as a container for the divine, the temporary nature of earthly life (as a tent), or any consecrated, hidden center of spiritual presence and mystery in a profane world.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Hebrew poetry, Tabernacle is God’s mobile dwelling: “Curtains of blue—Tabernacle where cloud rests by day”; In mystical verse, Tabernacle is the heart: “Build me a Tabernacle—within your ribs, I will dwell”; In contemporary poetry, Tabernacle is temporary sanctuary: “Refugee tent—modern Tabernacle, hope stitched in canvas”; Poets link Tabernacle to humility: “Not stone temple—Tabernacle, God travels with the displaced.”
Additional Notes
The Tabernacle (Hebrew mishkan, “dwelling”) was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites during their wilderness journey, housing the Ark of the Covenant; later, in Christian usage, it denotes the ornate container for the consecrated Eucharist, symbolizing God’s immanent presence; poets may draw on its imagery to explore themes of divine indwelling, sacred space, or the human heart as a vessel for the holy.
Other Meanings of “Tabernacle”
Also Known As
Mishkan Tent of Meeting Sanctuary pyx Aedicule
Skip to main content