chām´bẽr (the translation of the following Hebrew words: חדר , ḥedher , חפה , ḥuppāh , יציע , yācı̄a‛ , יצוּע , yācūa‛ , לשׁכּה , lishkāh , נשׁכּה , nishkāh , עליּה , ‛ălı̄yāh , צלע , cēlā‛ , and the Aramaic word עלּית , ‛illı̄th ): For the most part the word chamber is the expression of an idea which would be adequately expressed by the English word "room," in accordance with an earlier use of the word, now little employed. For the arrangement of rooms in a Hebrew house, see HOUSE . Ḥedher is a word of frequent occurrence, and designates a private room. Ḥuppāh is translated "chamber" only in Psalm 19:5 , where it is used in connection with "bridegroom," and means a bridal chamber. The same Hebrew word used of the bride in Joel 2:16 is rendered "closet." Yācı̄a‛ and yācūa‛ are found only in 1 Kings 6:5 , 1 Kings 6:6 , 1 Kings 6:10 (the King James Version only in all the passages), yācūa‛ being the reading of Kethı̄bh and yācı̄a‛ of Ḳerē in each ease. Here the meaning is really "story," as given in the Revised Version (British and American), except in 1 Kings 6:6 , where doubtless the text should be changed to read ha -cēlā‛ , "the side-chamber." Lishkāh , a frequent word, and the equivalent nishkāh , infrequent, are used ordinarily of a room in the temple utilized for sacred purposes, occasionally of a room in the palace. ‛Ǎlı̄yāh and the equivalent Aramaic ‛illı̄th signify "a roof chamber," i.e. a chamber built on the flat roof of a house. Cēlā‛ , when used of a chamber, designates a side-chamber of the temple. It is usually rendered "side-chamber," but "chamber" in 1 Kings 6:5 , 1 Kings 6:8 (the King James Version), where the Revised Version (British and American) has "side-chamber."
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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