SHEKINAH Or SHECHINAH (m'v4)), a term applied by the ancient Jews, especially in the Chaldee Targums, to that visible symbol of the divine glory which dwelt in the tabernacle and temple. The word, though nowhere met with in this form in the Scriptures, is a direct derivative from the Hebrew root 1:6:" shachan, to dwell,' to dwell in a tent or tabernacle,' which is of fre quent occurrence in the sacred writers, and is used mainly to imply the tabernacled firesence and resi dence of the Most High by a visible symbol among the chosen people. Though found in several con nections where the sense of secular habitation is obvious, yet there can be no doubt that the dominant idea is that of sacrea' indwelling, of which the following passages afford striking specimens : Exod. xxv. 8, Let them make me a tabernacle that I may dwell cru:cv) among them.' Exod. xxix. 45, And I will dwell oruzv) among the children of Israel, and will be their God.' Num. v. 3, That they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell vnnvy, Ps. lxviii. 16, This is the hill which God delighteth to dwell in, yea, the Lord will dwell in it (IZCP) for ever.' Ps. lxxiv. 2, Remember — this Mount Zion wherein thou hast a'welt (TOZV).' lt is more especially employed when the Lord is said to cause his name to dwell,' implying the stated visible manifestation of his presence. Ezra vi. 12, And the God, that had caused his name to dwell there frinv pv, literally, hath shekinized his nante)' (comp. Deut. xii. ; xiv. 23 ; xvi.
6 ; xxvi. 2). It is emphatically employed in speaking of the cloud of the divine glory dwell ing upon Mount Sinai : Exod. xxiv. 16, And the glory of the Lord abode (pV4) upon Mount Sinai.' The term shekinah (r1)4=") is defined by Buxtorf (Lex. Taint. voc. as meaning primarily habitation, or inhabitation, but as having a dominant reference to the divine glory in itS out ward visible manifestation. The term is of very frequent occurrence in the Chaldee Targums, where it is employed interchangeably with Glory,' Glmy of the Lord," Angels of the Lord,' and often with Lord ' (Jehovah) itself. The citations that follow will more fully disclose the usage in this respect : Ps. lxxii. 2, 'This Mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelt ;' Targ. wherein thy shekinah has dwelt.' Exod. xxv. 8, Let them make me a tabernacle that I may dwell among them ;' Targ. I will make my shekinah to dwell among them ;' Arab. 'I will make my light (or splendour) to
dwell among them.' Haggai i. S, I will take pleasure, and will be glorified, saith the Lord ;' Targ. I will make my shekinalt to dwell there in glory.' Ps. lxxxv. to, His salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land ;' thus explained by Aben Ezra, That the shekhtah may be established' in the land.' It would be easy to multiply these quotations to almost any extent, but sufficient has been produced to illustrate the usus loquendi, and to show that we have ample authority for employing the term with the.utmost freedom in reference to the divine theophanies or manifestations.
From the tenor of these and a multitude of similar texts, it is evident that the Most High, vrhose essence no man hath seen, or can see, was pleased anciently to manifest himself to the eyes of men by an external visible symbol.* As to the precise nature of the phenomenon thus exhibited, we can only say that it appears to have been a concentrated glowing brightness, a preternatural splendour, an effulgent something, which was ap propriately expressed by the term Glory ;' but whether in philosophical strictness it was material or immaterial, it is probably impossible to deter mine. A luminous object of this description seems intrinsically the most appropriate symbol of that Being of whom, perhaps, in allusion to this very mode of manifestation, it is said, that 'he is light,' and that he dwelleth in light unapproachable, and full of glory.' The presence of such a sensible re presentation of Jehovah seems to be absolutely necessary in order to harmonise what is frequently said of seeing God ' with the truth of his nature as an incorporeal and essentially invisible spirit. \Vhile we are told in one place that no man hath seen God at any time,' we are elsewhere informed that Moses and Aaron, and the seventy elders, saw the God of Israel,' when called up to the summit of the Holy Mount. So also Isaiah says of himself (Is. vi. 5) that in the year that king Uzziah died he saw the Lord sitting upon his throne,' and that, in consequence, he cried out, I am undone ; for mine eyes have seen the Lord of hosts.' In these cases it is obvious that the object seen was not God in his essence, but some external visible symbol, which, because it stood for God, is called by his name.