Lexical Summary
ta: Chamber, room, cell
Original Word:תָּא
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ta'
Pronunciation:tah
Phonetic Spelling:(taw)
KJV: (little) chamber
NASB:guardrooms, guardroom, room
Word Origin:[from (the base of)H8376 (תָּאָה - draw a line)]
1. a room (as circumscribed)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
little chamber
And (feminine) ta ah (Ezek. 40:12) {taw-aw'}; from (the base of)ta'ah; a room (as circumscribed) -- (little) chamber.
see HEBREWta'ah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitiona chamber
NASB Translationguardroom (2), guardrooms (9), room (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Ezekiel 40:21 (Late Hebrew
id., perhaps Aramaism, compare Arabic
dwell,
abode (? akin to
turn aside to lodge, ,
lodging-place), Aramaic (in
Ezekiel 40 , ),
room, chamber); — absolute
Ezekiel 40:7 +, construct
1 Kings 4:28; suffix
Ezekiel 40:21 Kt (Qr ), so
Ezekiel 40:29;
Ezekiel 40:33;
Ezekiel 40:36; plural
Ezekiel 40:7 +;
Ezekiel 40:12; construct
Ezekiel 40:10; —
chamber:1 Kings 4:28chamber of the guards = 2 Chronicles 12:11; in Ezekiel's temple:
Ezekiel 40:7 (twice in verse);
Ezekiel 40:10,12 (twice in verse);
Ezekiel 40:13,16,21,29,33,36.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and ScopeThe word תָּא appears thirteen times in the Old Testament and describes small, enclosed spaces used for guarding, storing, or housing attendants within royal or sacred precincts. Its two primary settings are the palace–temple complex of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:28;2 Chronicles 12:11) and the visionary temple shown to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 40).
Old Testament Distribution
•1 Kings 14:28
•2 Chronicles 12:11
•Ezekiel 40:7 (twice), 40:10, 40:12 (twice), 40:13, 40:16, 40:21, 40:29, 40:33, 40:36
Historical Setting in the Monarchy
After the division of the kingdom, King Rehoboam replaced Solomon’s golden shields with bronze ones. The text notes that, “the guards would bear them, and afterward they would return them to the guardroom” (1 Kings 14:28). These guardrooms functioned as secured storage adjacent to the temple entrance, underscoring the diminished glory of Judah yet preserving the ordered worship of the LORD. Even in an era of decline, the chambers safeguarded the symbols of royal duty and covenant identity.
Guardrooms in Ezekiel’s Temple Vision
Ezekiel’s ninefold mention of תָּא clusters around the east, north, and south gates of the visionary temple (Ezekiel 40:7–37). Each gate features three identical guardrooms measuring six cubits square, separated by five-cubits-wide thresholds. Their repetition emphasizes symmetry and holiness, conveying that access to the inner courts is regulated and sanctified. The chambers host priests or Levites who supervise entry, maintain order, and ensure ritual purity.
Selected passages:
• “Each guardroom was six cubits square, and the thresholds adjoining the gate alcoves were five cubits wide” (Ezekiel 40:7).
• “There were guardrooms, a doorway, and vestibules facing the court at every gate” (Ezekiel 40:21).
Architectural Role
1. Security: Positioned beside gateways, the chambers allow watchmen to monitor traffic, a practical safeguard for offerings, treasuries, and the inner sanctuary.
2. Service: They provide ready stations for priests preparing sacrifices or courts’ attendants organizing worshipers.
3. Storage: Implements such as shields, trumpets, or utensils could be stored here for swift, orderly use.
Symbolic and Theological Insights
• Holiness is guarded. The physical barrier of the guardroom illustrates that approach to the Holy One is neither casual nor indiscriminate (cf.Psalm 24:3–4).
• Order reflects divine character. Precise measurements in Ezekiel’s vision reveal a God of structure and beauty, mirroring Paul’s admonition that “all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).
• Decline and hope. Rehoboam’s bronze shields testify to lost splendor, yet Ezekiel’s future temple anticipates restoration—a pattern of judgment and grace consistent throughout Scripture.
Ministerial Applications
• Spiritual watchfulness: Just as guardrooms protect sacred spaces, believers are called to “watch over your heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23).
• Stewardship of resources: The chambers storing shields encourage churches to preserve and rightly deploy their God-given gifts.
• Training and readiness: Ministry teams, like Levites in their alcoves, benefit from designated spaces for preparation, fostering reverence and excellence in worship.
Christological and Eschatological Connections
In Christ, the temple’s protective chambers find fulfillment. He is both the Gate (John 10:9) and the perfect Guardian of God’s presence (Hebrews 7:25). The ordered guardrooms foreshadow the secure access believers now enjoy through His atoning work, while Ezekiel’s vision points ahead to the consummated kingdom where holiness and peace are permanently safeguarded (Revelation 21:27).
Summary
Strong’s Hebrew 8372 depicts small yet crucial spaces that secure, regulate, and dignify worship in both historical and prophetic contexts. Whether housing bronze shields in Jerusalem or standing sentinel in Ezekiel’s ideal temple, these chambers remind the church to guard what is holy, serve with order, and anticipate the restored glory of God’s dwelling among His people.
Forms and Transliterations
הַתָּא֙ הַתָּאִ֖ים הַתָּאִ֡ים הַתָּאוֹת֙ התא התאות התאים וְהַתָּ֕א וְהַתָּ֗א וְתָאֵ֨י וְתָאָ֗יו וְתָאָ֞יו והתא ותאי ותאיו תָּ֥א תָּאָיו֙ תא תאיו hat·tā hat·tā·’îm hat·tā·’ō·wṯ hatTa hattā hattā’îm hattā’ōwṯ hattaIm hattaOt ta tā tā’āw tā·’āw taAv vehatTa vetaAv vetaEi wə·hat·tā wə·ṯā·’āw wə·ṯā·’ê wəhattā wəṯā’āw wəṯā’ê
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
