Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the concept of a "bench" as we understand it today may not have been prevalent, but similar seating arrangements were certainly present. The term "bench" does not appear explicitly in most English translations of the Bible, including the Berean Standard Bible . However, the idea of communal seating or places of rest can be inferred from various passages and historical contexts.
Cultural and Historical ContextIn ancient Near Eastern cultures, seating arrangements were often simple and functional. People commonly sat on the ground, on mats, or on low stools. In more affluent settings, such as palaces or homes of the wealthy, there might have been more elaborate seating, akin to benches or couches. These would have been used for dining, resting, or conducting business.
Biblical References and SymbolismWhile the specific term "bench" is not used, the Bible does reference seating in various forms. For example, in the context of judgment and authority, seats or thrones are mentioned. In the Book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified and depicted as having a house with seven pillars, suggesting a place of gathering and teaching (
Proverbs 9:1).
In the New Testament, Jesus often taught in settings where people would gather and sit, such as on hillsides or in synagogues. In
Luke 14:10, Jesus advises, "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests." This passage reflects the customs of seating arrangements during banquets, where places of honor were significant.
Symbolic InterpretationsSeating, including benches, can symbolize rest, fellowship, and community. In the Psalms, the idea of sitting in the presence of the Lord is associated with peace and security.
Psalm 23:5 states, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." This imagery conveys a sense of divine hospitality and protection.
Practical ApplicationsIn church architecture and design, benches or pews are integral, providing a place for congregants to gather, worship, and learn. This communal seating fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose among believers. The arrangement of benches in a church can also reflect theological principles, such as the centrality of the Word of God, with seating oriented towards the pulpit or altar.
ConclusionWhile the Bible does not explicitly mention benches, the concept of communal seating is woven throughout its narratives and teachings. These references highlight themes of fellowship, humility, and divine hospitality, which continue to resonate in Christian worship and community life today.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Deck of a Tyrian ship, described by Ezekiel (
27:6) as overlaid with box-wood.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A long seat, differing from a stool in its greater length.
2. (n.) A long table at which mechanics and other work; as, a carpenter's bench.
3. (n.) The seat where judges sit in court.
4. (n.) The persons who sit as judges; the court; as, the opinion of the full bench. See King's Bench.
5. (n.) A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public; -- so named because the animals are usually placed on benches or raised platforms.
6. (n.) A conformation like a bench; a long stretch of flat ground, or a kind of natural terrace, near a lake or river.
7. (v. t.) To furnish with benches.
8. (v. t.) To place on a bench or seat of honor.
9. (v. i.) To sit on a seat of justice.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BENCH(qeresh): Found only in English Versions of the Bible inEzekiel 27:6, in the prophet's "lamentation over Tyre": "They have made thy benches of ivory inlaid in boxwood, from the isles of Kittim," where the word evidently stands for the "benches" of the boat whose "mast" (verse 5) and "oars" (verse 6) have just been described, in the vivid figs. of speech in which the city itself is pictured as a merchantship. Compare verse 8, "Thy wise men, O Tyre, were in thee, they were thy pilots."
SeeSEAT.
Greek
2515. kathedra -- a seat... seat. From kata and the same as hedraios; a
bench (literally or figuratively) --
seat. see GREEK kata. see GREEK hedraios. (kathedras) -- 3 Occurrences.
...2362. thronos -- a throne
... potentate. Word Origin probably from thranos (bench) Definition a throne
NASB Word Usage throne (53), thrones (8). seat, throne....
Strong's Hebrew
7175. qeresh -- perhaps to tear down... 7174b, 7175. qeresh. 7175a . perhaps to tear down. Transliteration: qeresh
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-resh) Short Definition:
bench.
bench, board
...Library
His Religious Experience. Tries to be a Methodist. Hopes to Become...
... Goes to Love Feast. Mourners'Bench Experience. Is Puzzled and Disgusted.... Goes to
Love Feast. Mourners'Bench Experience. Is Puzzled and Disgusted....
Modern Revivals, Concluded.
... time, especially, that our English Lutheran churches caught the contagion, introduced
the "new measures," such as the "mourner'sbench," protracted meetings...
He Moves to Mt. Byrd. Debate with JW Fitch. Preaches at Madison...
... While on the practice of the ME Church, I made a raid on the mourners'bench,
describing its workings and demanding authority for it....
The Old Gravestone
... One was always so glad to see them, sitting together on thebench at the top
of their stone staircase, under the old lime-tree's shade....
The Murket's Sacrifice
... The young man responded to the kiss of welcome with so little composure that
Mentu forced him down on thebench and summoned a servant....
The Boy of Nazareth.
... a certain piece of wood was needed, for Joseph was a carpenter, and in a lower room
of his humble house of rough white stone there was a longbench and the...
Christ Stills the Storm on the Lake of Galilee.
... Him. In the stern of the ship, on the lowbench where the steersman sometimes
takes rest, was pillowed the Head of Jesus. Weariness...
Wesley and a Scotch Communion
... On each side of them abench was placed for the people.... A cup was then given
to the first person on eachbench, and so by one to another....
The Systematic Discussion of Syllables is Derived from Heathen...
... For the maker they think the proper expression is "by whom," maintaining that the
bench is produced "by" the carpenter; and for the instrument "through which...
The Jewish Girl
... daughters of the East; and the expression in the countenance of the grown-up girl
was still that of the child who sat on the school-roombench, listening with...
Thesaurus
Bench (1 Occurrence)... 2. (n.) A long table at which mechanics and other work; as, a carpenter's
bench.
3. (n.) The seat where judges sit in court.
... See King's
Bench.
...Bank (28 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Abench; a high seat, or seat of distinction or judgment; a tribunal or
court.... 12. (n.) Abench, as for rowers in a galley; also, a tier of oars. 13....
Judicial (2 Occurrences)
... require special mention (23:1-3, 6-8). In fact the Old Testament abounds with allusions
to the corruption and venality of the magisterialbench (Deuteronomy 16...
Settle (63 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A seat of any kind. 2. (n.) Abench;
especially, abench with a high back. 3. (n.) A place made...
Seat (256 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The place or thing upon which one sits; hence; anything made to be sat
in or upon, as a chair,bench, stool, saddle, or the like....
Blindness (7 Occurrences)
... require special mention (23:1-3, 6-8). In fact the Old Testament abounds with allusions
to the corruption and venality of the magisterialbench (Deuteronomy 16...
Ben-ammi (1 Occurrence)
Ben-ammi. Benammi, Ben-ammi.Bench . Easton's Bible Dictionary... (ASV BBE DBY
JPS WBS YLT NAS RSV). Benammi, Ben-ammi.Bench . Reference Bible.
Form (153 Occurrences)
... 9. (n.) A long seat; abench; hence, a rank of students in a school; a class; also,
a class or rank in society. 10. (n.) The seat or bed of a hare. 11....
Tribunal (11 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The seat of a judge; thebench on which
a judge and his associates sit for administering justice....
Tribune (18 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Anciently, abench or elevated place, from which speeches were delivered;
in France, a kind of pulpit in the hall of the legislative assembly, where a...
Resources
What is the importance of the empty tomb? | GotQuestions.orgCan a Christian lose salvation? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a prayer closet? | GotQuestions.orgBench: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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