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Holy of holies

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G1391

δόξα

doxa — glory

δόξα, -ης, ἡ (δοκέω), [in LXX very frequently for כָּבוֹד, also for הוֹד ,פִּפְאֶרֶת, etc., 25 words in all ;] in cl., 1. expectation, judgment, opinion (4Ma.5:18). 2. opinion, estimation in which one is held, repute; in NT, always good opinion, hence reputation, praise, honour, glory: Luk.14:10, Jhn.12:43, Heb.3:3; opposite to αἰσχύνη, Php.3:19; to ἀτιμία, 2Co.6:8; δ. κ. τιμή, Rom.2:7, 10 1Pe.1:7, 2Pe.1:17; ζητεῖν, Jhn.5:44 7:18 8:50, 1Th.2:6; λαμβάνειν, Jhn.5:41, 2Pe.1:17, Rev.5:12; διδόναι δ. τ. θεῷ (cf. נָתַן כָּבוֹד לַיהוָֹה, Jer.13:16, al.), Luk.17:18, Jhn.9:24, Act.12:23, Rom.4:20, Rev.4:9; εἰς (τ.) δ. θεοῦ, Rom.3:7 15:7, Php.1:11, al.; in doxologies, τ. θεῷ (ᾧ) ἡ δ., Luk.2:14, Rom.11:36 16:27, Gal.1:5, Eph.3:21, al. 3. Later also (not cl.) as in LXX (= הוֹד, Job.39:20, 1Ch.29:25; כָּבוֹד, Job.19:9, Est.5:11, al.), visible brightness, splendour, glory: of light, Act.22:11; of heavenly bodies, 1Co.15:40ff.; esp. that wh. radiates from God's presence, as manifested in the pillar of cloud and in the Holy of Holies (= כָּבוֹד, Exo.16:10 25:22 40:34, al.; and new Heb. שְׁכִינָה, 2Ma.2:8; see DB, iv, 489b), Rom.9:4, Jas.2:1 (see Hort, Mayor, in l.); hence of the manifested glory of God, Rom.1:23, Col.1:11 Eph.1:6, 12 17 3:16; of the same as communicated to man through Christ, 2Co.3:18 4:6; and of the glorious condition into which Christians shall enter hereafter, Rom.8:18, 21 9:23, 2Ti.2:10, al. SYN.: ἔπαινος τιμή (see Hort on 1Pe.1:7). (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1687

דְּבִיר

de.vir — sanctuary

1) the holy of holies, the innermost room of the temple or tabernacle 1a) hindmost chamber, innermost room of the temple of Solomon, most holy place, holy of holies 2) (TWOT) oracle

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GREEK · G2665

καταπέτασμα

katapetasma — curtain

κατα-πέτασμα, -τος, τό (= cl. παραπέτασμα) [in LXX chiefly for פֹּרֶכֶת (the veil of the Holy of Holies), Exo.26:31, Lev.21:23, al.; also for מָסָךְ (the outer veil), Exo.35:12, Num_3:26, al. (elsewhere κάλυμμα) ;] in NT always the inner veil or curtain of the Temple (or Tabernacle): Mat.27:51, Mrk.15:38, Luk.23:45, Heb.6:19 9:3; figuratively, ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ Heb.10:20.† (AS)

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Historical dictionary entry

The second or interior portion of the tabernacle. It was left in total darkness. No one was permitted to enter it except the high priest, and that only once a year. It contained the ark of the covenant only (Ex. 25:10-16). It was in the form of a perfect cube of 20 cubits. (See TABERNACLE.)

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Holy of holies in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →