Lexical Summary
mishkab: bed, beds, couch
Original Word:מִשְׁכָּב
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:mishkab
Pronunciation:mish-KAHV
Phonetic Spelling:(mish-kawb')
KJV: bed((-chamber)), couch, lieth (lying) with
NASB:bed, beds, couch, lie, lying, rest, resting place
Word Origin:[fromH7901 (שָׁכַב - slept)]
1. a bed (figuratively, a bier)
2. abstractly, sleep
3. by euphemism, carnal intercourse
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bedchamber, couch, lying with
Fromshakab; a bed (figuratively, a bier); abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal intercourse -- bed((-chamber)), couch, lieth (lying) with.
see HEBREWshakab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shakabDefinitionplace of lying, a couch, act of lying
NASB Translationbed (25), bedroom* (3), beds (6), couch (1), health* (1), intimately* (3), lain* (1), lie (1), lying (1), rest (1), resting place (1), sleeping (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
46Leviticus 15:4 ; — absolute
1 Kings 1:47 +, construct
2 Samuel 4:5 +; suffix
Job 7:13 +,
Psalm 4:5; plural construct
Genesis 49:4 +, suffix
Hosea 7:14 +, etc.; —
couch, bed (37 t.),2 Samuel 4:11;Hosea 7:14;Micah 2:1;1 Kings 1:47;Songs 3:1 +;Exodus 21:18 (E)he takes to his bed;Leviticus 15:26 (P; see below I. ); as place of copulationGenesis 49:4 (poem in J),Isaiah 57:7,8 (twice in verse);Proverbs 7:17; as place of burialIsaiah 57:2;Ezekiel 32:25; 2Chronicles 16:14 (see Inscription Tabnit8 and perhaps Jewish inscription Cooke341).
act of lying:
in General, chamber oflying down = bed-chamber,Exodus 7:28 (E),2 Samuel 4:7;2 Kings 6:12,Ecclesiastes 10:20;2 Samuel 4:5 his noon-daysiesta;2 Samuel 17:28 read perhaps couches forlying down Klo Bu HPS Now, compare .
(from context) sexually: of womanJudges 21:11,12;Numbers 31:17,35 (P); of manLeviticus 18:22;Leviticus 20:13 (+ sodomy; H);Ezekiel 23:17.
(√ of following; Biblical Hebrew , ).
Topical Lexicon
Overviewמִשְׁכָּב is the common Old Testament term for a bed, couch, or place of lying down, literal or figurative. Across narrative, poetry, wisdom, and prophetic literature it moves from a simple household object to a theologically charged symbol of purity, covenant fidelity, rest, sickness, idolatry, and moral choice.
Semantic Range and Core Meaning
1. Physical bed or sleeping mat.
2. The act of lying down, especially sexual intercourse.
3. Figurative locus of thought, sorrow, or plotting.
4. Symbol for rest, sickness, death, or covenant blessing/violations.
Occurrences and Literary Distribution
The word appears about forty-six times: prominently in Leviticus (purity laws), Psalms and Proverbs (devotion and ethics), narrative sections such asGenesis 49 and2 Samuel 4, and several prophetic texts (Isaiah, Micah, Habakkuk).
Domestic and Everyday Functions
Beds in ancient Israel ranged from simple rolls of woven wool or goat hair to framed couches with pillows (2 Samuel 4:5-7).Exodus 8:3 shows even Egypt’s royal household was not immune to frogs “into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed.” Routine domesticity thus forms the backdrop for many mishkav references.
Sickbeds and Compassion Ministry
Psalm 41:3 highlights the LORD’s care: “The LORD will sustain him on his bed of illness and restore him from his bed of sickness.” Job’s laments (Job 7:13; 33:19) reveal that the sickbed may be a place of severe testing yet also divine encounter. These texts encourage pastoral ministry to the afflicted, assuring them of God’s sustaining presence.
The Marital Bed: Sanctity and Defilement
Genesis 49:4 rebukes Reuben for violating Jacob’s bed, setting a precedent that the marriage bed is covenant territory.Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 forbid illicit “lying,” using mishkav to underscore sexual boundaries.Proverbs 7:16-18 depicts seduction that profanes the bed, whereasSong of Solomon 1:16 celebrates covenant intimacy: “Our bed is verdant.”Hebrews 13:4 later draws on this heritage: “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled.”
Metaphorical and Spiritual Uses
Psalms repeatedly portray the bed as a place of worship and meditation:
•Psalm 63:6 “When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.”
•Psalm 6:6 “All night I flood my bed with weeping.”
Here the bed becomes an altar of praise or a pool of tears, depending on the heart’s posture.
Warnings Against Sin Conceived on the Bed
Psalm 36:4: “Even on his bed he plots wickedness.”Micah 2:1 echoes, condemning those who “plan evil on their beds.” The prophet helps believers diagnose sin at its incubator stage—private thought life—before it surfaces in public action.
Idolatrous Beds and Covenant Unfaithfulness
Isaiah 57:7-8 indicts Judah for preparing a bed on the “lofty and high mountain,” a metaphor for syncretistic worship. Such beds parody the marital bed, underscoring spiritual adultery against the covenant LORD.
Labor, Rest, and the Sluggard
Proverbs caricatures laziness: “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed” (Proverbs 26:14). The bed, meant for restorative rest, becomes a symbol of wasted opportunity when diligence is neglected.
Deathbed and Burial Imagery
David’s final “bed” (1 Kings 1:47) foreshadows his gathering to his fathers. A mishkav can mark life’s threshold into the grave, underscoring the fleeting nature of earthly repose and pointing to the believer’s ultimate rest in God.
Historical and Cultural Background
Typical homes placed mats on earthen floors by night, storing them by day; wealthier families owned raised wooden frames (Amos 6:4). Beds were susceptible to ritual impurity (Leviticus 15), hence frequent washing and airing in sunlight. The physical object therefore carried social, hygienic, and ceremonial importance.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Uphold marital fidelity; counsel couples fromGenesis 49;Proverbs 5; Song of Solomon.
• Visit the sick; prayPsalm 41 over them.
• Encourage nighttime meditation on Scripture (Psalm 63).
• Challenge idleness with the sluggard texts.
• Expose hidden sin conceived “on the bed” before it matures.
Intercanonical Echoes and New Testament Fulfillment
Greek kōitē (Romans 13:13) parallels mishkav, warning against “sexual immorality and sensuality.” Jesus heals paralytics on their beds (Mark 2:4), turning a symbol of helplessness into one of redemption.Revelation 2:22 threatens an idolatrous church with a “bed of affliction,” echoing Isaiah’s imagery.
Key References for Study
Genesis 49:4;Exodus 8:3;Leviticus 15:4-26;Leviticus 18:22;Leviticus 20:13;Numbers 5:20;2 Samuel 4:5-7;1 Kings 1:47;Job 7:13;Psalm 6:6;Psalm 41:3;Psalm 63:6;Psalm 132:3;Proverbs 5:20;Proverbs 7:16-18;Proverbs 26:14;Song of Solomon 1:16;Isaiah 57:7-8;Micah 2:1;Habakkuk 2:19.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ בְּמִשְׁכָּבָ֑הּ בְּמִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ בַּמִּשְׁכָּב֙ במשכב במשכבה במשכבו הַמִּשְׁכָּ֗ב הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ב הַמִּשְׁכָּ֜ב הַמִּשְׁכָּ֞ב הַמִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ המשכב המשכב׃ כְּמִשְׁכַּ֥ב כמשכב לְמִשְׁכַּ֣ב לְמִשְׁכַּ֥ב לְמִשְׁכָּֽב׃ למשכב למשכב׃ מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ מִ֝שְׁכָּבְךָ֗ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָֽם׃ מִשְׁכַּ֣ב מִשְׁכַּ֥ב מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם מִשְׁכַּב־ מִשְׁכָּ֣בְךָ֔ מִשְׁכָּ֤ב מִשְׁכָּ֥ב מִשְׁכָּ֫ב֥וֹ מִשְׁכָּֽב׃ מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ מִשְׁכָּב֔וֹ מִשְׁכָּבְךָ֖ מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃ מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ מִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְ מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙ מִשְׁכָּבֶֽךָ׃ מִשְׁכָּבָ֖ם מִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ משכב משכב־ משכב׃ משכבו משכבותם משכבותם׃ משכבי משכבי׃ משכבך משכבך׃ משכבכם משכבם bam·miš·kāḇ bammishKav bammiškāḇ bə·miš·kā·ḇāh bə·miš·kā·ḇōw bemishkaVah bemishkaVo bəmiškāḇāh bəmiškāḇōw ham·miš·kāḇ hammishKav hammiškāḇ kə·miš·kaḇ kemishKav kəmiškaḇ lə·miš·kaḇ lə·miš·kāḇ lemishKav ləmiškaḇ ləmiškāḇ miš·kā·ḇām miš·kā·ḇe·ḵā miš·kā·ḇə·ḵā miš·kā·ḇêḵ miš·kā·ḇî miš·kā·ḇōw miš·kaḇ miš·kāḇ miš·kaḇ- miš·kaḇ·ḵem miš·kə·ḇê miš·kə·ḇō·w·ṯām mishKav mishkaVam mishkavChem mishkaVech mishkaveCha mishkaVi mishkaVo mishkeVei mishkevoTam miškaḇ miškāḇ miškaḇ- miškāḇām miškāḇêḵ miškāḇeḵā miškāḇəḵā miškāḇî miškaḇḵem miškāḇōw miškəḇê miškəḇōwṯām
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
