Bible Dictionary
Dwell
To dwell means to live, remain, or settle in a place. Scripture also speaks of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God’s word dwelling among or within His people.
Definition
To dwell means to live, settle, remain, or abide in a place. The word can describe ordinary human residence as well as the presence of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, or God’s word among or within believers.
Biblical Usage
Christ dwelt on earth in His humiliation and now dwells in the hearts of His people. The Holy Spirit dwells in believers, and Christians are urged to let God’s word dwell richly in them. Scripture also speaks of God dwelling in heaven, light, and His church.
Historical Background
Primitive dwellings were commonly tents; later houses were built of mud, sun-dried brick, or other materials. “Dwell deep” refers to seeking refuge in rocks, caves, or remote places from impending danger.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Tents were in primitive times the common dwellings of men. Houses were afterwards built, the walls of which were frequently of mud (Job 24:16; Matt. 6:19, 20) or of sun-dried bricks. God “dwells in light” (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 1:7), in heaven (Ps. 123:1), in his church (Ps. 9:11; 1 John 4:12). Christ dwelt on earth in the days of his humiliation (John 1:14). He now dwells in the hearts of his people (Eph. 3:17-19). The Holy Spirit dwells in believers (1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:14). We are exhorted to “let the word of God dwell in us richly” (Col. 3:16; Ps. 119:11). Dwell deep occurs only in Jer. 49:8, and refers to the custom of seeking refuge from impending danger, in retiring to the recesses of rocks and caverns, or to remote places in the desert.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>dwel:</p><p>(1) In the Old Testament "dwell" is a translation of 9 words, of which by far the most frequent is yashabh, "to sit down," translated "dwell" over 400 times (Ge 4:20; Jos 20:4; 1Ch 17:1,4,5, etc.); also very frequently "sit," and sometimes "abide," "inhabit," "remain." Another word often rendered "dwell" is shakhan or shakhen ("to settle down"), from which is derived the rabbinic word shekhinah (literally, "that which dwells"), the light on the mercy-seat which symbolized the Divine presence (Ex 25:8, etc.). In order to avoid appearing to localize the Divine Being, wherever God is said to "dwell" in a place, the Targum renders that He "causes His Shekinah to dwell" there.</p><p>(2) In the New Testament "dwell" most frequently stands for oikeo, or one of its compounds; also skenoo, and (chiefly in the Johannine writings) meno, which, however, is always translated "abide" in the Revised Version (British and American), and generally in the King James Version. Mention may be made of the mystical significance of the word in some New Testament passages, of the indwelling of the Father or of the Godhead in Christ (Joh 14:10; Col 1:19; 2:9), of the believer in Christ (Joh 6:56 the King James Version; Eph 3:17), and in God (1 Joh 4:15 the King James Version; compare Ps 90:1; 91:1), and of the Holy Spirit or God in the believer (Joh 14:17; the King James Version 1Joh 3:24; 4:15 f).</p><p>D. Miall Edwards</p>