The term "inner-chambers" in the Bible often refers to private, secluded rooms within a house or building, typically used for personal or intimate purposes. These chambers are mentioned in various contexts throughout Scripture, symbolizing secrecy, privacy, and sometimes security.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, inner-chambers are frequently associated with the architecture of ancient Near Eastern homes and palaces. For instance, in 1 Kings 20:30, the term is used in the context of a battle: "The rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room." Here, the inner-chamber serves as a place of refuge and concealment.

The prophet Elisha also makes use of an inner-chamber in 2 Kings 4:32-33, where he performs a miracle: "When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed. So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD." The inner-chamber becomes a place of divine encounter and miraculous intervention.

In the context of temple architecture, inner-chambers are significant in the design of Solomon's Temple. 1 Kings 6:5 describes the construction of side chambers around the temple, which served various functions, including storage and priestly activities.

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance

Inner-chambers in the Bible often symbolize a place of intimacy and personal communion with God. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus instructs His followers on the importance of private prayer: "But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." This passage highlights the inner-chamber as a metaphor for the believer's private and sincere relationship with God, away from the eyes of the world.

The concept of the inner-chamber also extends to the heart, representing the innermost thoughts and intentions of a person. In Proverbs 20:27, the spirit of man is described as the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inner depths of the heart. This suggests that just as physical inner-chambers are hidden from view, so too are the spiritual and moral dimensions of a person's life.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the idea of inner-chambers is less about physical spaces and more about spiritual realities. The emphasis shifts to the inner life of the believer, where the Holy Spirit dwells and works. Ephesians 3:16-17 speaks of being strengthened with power through the Spirit in the inner being, so that Christ may dwell in the heart through faith.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Israelite culture, inner-chambers were essential for maintaining family privacy and security. Homes were often multi-generational, and inner rooms provided necessary separation from the public areas of the house. These chambers were typically windowless, enhancing their function as places of safety and confidentiality.

Conclusion

The concept of inner-chambers in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for the hidden, intimate aspects of both physical and spiritual life. Whether as a literal space for refuge and prayer or as a symbol of the heart's secret places, inner-chambers remind believers of the importance of privacy, security, and personal communion with God.

Lii. Concerning Hypocrisy, Worldly Anxiety, Watchfulness, and his ...
... not be known.3 Wherefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard
in the light; and what ye have spoken in the ear in the inner chambers shall be ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lii concerning hypocrisy worldly anxiety.htm

Rest
... "O children, the soul has at times more love than it can understand, for love enters
into the inner chambers, whilst the understandings stays without, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bevan/three friends of god/chapter xxii rest.htm

Ephesians iv. 17-19
... Damsels not yet twenty years old, who have spent their whole time in inner chambers,
and in a delicate and effeminate mode of life, in inner chambers full of ...
/.../homily xiii ephesians iv 17-19.htm

Rest, Rest
... We will, this morning, if we can, conduct you into the inner chambers of out text,
place its words under the microscope, and peer into the recesses of each ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/rest rest.htm

Therefore, Behold, I, the Wisdom of God, am Sending unto You ...
... [2831] Everything that ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light;
and what ye have spoken secretly in the ears in the inner chambers shall be ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xli therefore behold i.htm

The Shepherd's Voice
... Where fountains flow. None other tells unto my soul the secret,. The mystery divine".
The love that maketh glad the inner chambers,. His home and mine. ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/the shepherds voice.htm

Discourse Concerning the Future.
... If, therefore, they shall say unto you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' go not
forth: 'Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' believe it not. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/discourse concerning the future.htm

Nothing Escapes God's Knowledge. ...
... when the sun which supplies the light enters even hidden spots, and the strength
of its heat reaches to the foundations of a house and its inner chambers? ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xiv nothing escapes gods.htm

May 12. "Tell Me Where Thou Makest Thy Flock to Rest at Noon" ...
... i.7). Beloved, do you not long for God's quiet, the inner chambers, the
shadow of the Almighty, the secret of His presence? Your ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /may 12 tell me where.htm

October the Twenty-Sixth the Lust of the External
... of ritualism than of "the robe of righteousness and the garment of salvation."
Pharisaism lives in the streets: it does not dwell in the inner chambers of our ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/october the twenty-sixth the lust.htm

Inner-chambers (2 Occurrences)
Inner-chambers. Inner-chamber, Inner-chambers. Inner-court .
Multi-Version Concordance Inner-chambers (2 Occurrences). ...
/i/inner-chambers.htm - 7k

Chambers (68 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:26 If therefore they tell you,'Behold, he is in the wilderness,'
don't go out;'Behold, he is in the innerchambers,' don't believe it. ...
/c/chambers.htm - 30k

Rooms (69 Occurrences)
... in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the innerchambers will
be proclaimed on the housetops. (See NAS RSV NIV). Luke 14 ...
/r/rooms.htm - 28k

Inner (141 Occurrences)
... (WEB ASV NAS). Matthew 24:26 If therefore they tell you,'Behold, he is in the
wilderness,' don't go out;'Behold, he is in the innerchambers,' don't believe it. ...
/i/inner.htm - 37k

Vestibule (36 Occurrences)
... Solomon his son the pattern of the porch of the temple, and of its houses, and of
its treasuries, and of the upper rooms of it, and of the innerchambers of it ...
/v/vestibule.htm - 16k

Kesil (3 Occurrences)
... Kesil (3 Occurrences). Joshua 15:30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, (See NIV). Job 9:9
Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the innerchambers of the south. (YLT). ...
/k/kesil.htm - 7k

Kimah (2 Occurrences)
... See ASTRONOMY. Multi-Version Concordance Kimah (2 Occurrences). Job 9:9 Making Osh,
Kesil, and Kimah, And the innerchambers of the south. (YLT). ...
/k/kimah.htm - 7k

Knock (7 Occurrences)
... someone within. At night the delay would be increased by the difficulty of
arousing the inmates sleeping within the innerchambers. To ...
/k/knock.htm - 11k

Osh (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Osh (1 Occurrence). Job 9:9 Making Osh, Kesil,
and Kimah, And the innerchambers of the south. (YLT). ...
/o/osh.htm - 6k

Inner-chamber (2 Occurrences)
Inner-chamber. Inner, Inner-chamber. Inner-chambers . Multi-Version Concordance ...
Inner, Inner-chamber. Inner-chambers . Reference Bible.
/i/inner-chamber.htm - 7k

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