Pavilion
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Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "pavilion" is used to describe a temporary shelter or tent, often associated with protection, refuge, or the presence of God. The concept of a pavilion is woven throughout the Scriptures, symbolizing both physical and spiritual shelter.

Old Testament References

The Hebrew word often translated as "pavilion" is "sukkah," which can mean a booth, hut, or tent. This term is notably used in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), where the Israelites were commanded to dwell in booths as a reminder of their ancestors' journey through the wilderness (Leviticus 23:42-43). The pavilion, in this sense, represents God's provision and protection during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.

In the Psalms, the imagery of a pavilion is used to convey God's protective presence. Psalm 27:5 states, "For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me in the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock" . Here, the pavilion is a metaphor for divine refuge, emphasizing God's role as a protector in times of distress.

Psalm 31:20 further illustrates this concept: "You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues" . The pavilion is depicted as a secret place of safety, where believers are shielded from harm and slander.

Symbolism and Theological Significance

The pavilion serves as a powerful symbol of God's sheltering presence. It reflects the idea that God provides a safe haven for His people, both physically and spiritually. This imagery is consistent with the broader biblical theme of God as a refuge and fortress, as seen in passages like Psalm 91:1-2: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust'" .

The pavilion also signifies the temporary nature of earthly life and the transient nature of human existence. Just as a tent is not a permanent dwelling, the pavilion reminds believers of the fleeting nature of life on earth and the eternal security found in God.

New Testament Parallels

While the specific term "pavilion" is not used in the New Testament, the concept of God providing shelter and refuge is echoed throughout. Jesus Christ is portrayed as the ultimate source of protection and rest for believers. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest, offering Himself as a spiritual refuge.

The Apostle Paul also speaks of the temporary nature of our earthly bodies, likening them to tents in 2 Corinthians 5:1: "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands" . This passage reinforces the idea of a temporary dwelling and points to the eternal security found in Christ.

In summary, the pavilion in biblical literature serves as a rich symbol of God's protection, provision, and the transient nature of earthly life. It underscores the assurance of divine refuge and the promise of eternal security for those who trust in the Lord.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A tent or tabernacle (2 Samuel 22:12; 1 Kings 20:12-16), or enclosure (Psalm 18:11; 27:5). In Jeremiah 43:10 it probably denotes the canopy suspended over the judgement-seat of the king.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) A temporary movable shelter; a large tent; a marquee; esp., a tent raised on posts.

2. (n.) A single body or mass of building, contained within simple walls and a single roof, whether insulated, as in the park or garden of a larger edifice, or united with other parts, and forming an angle or central feature of a large pile.

3. (n.) A flag, colors, ensign, or banner.

4. (n.) Same as Tent (Her.)

5. (n.) That part of a brilliant which lies between the girdle and collet.

6. (n.) The auricle of the ear; also, the fimbriated extremity of the Fallopian tube.

7. (n.) A covering; a canopy; figuratively, the sky.

8. (v. t.) To furnish or cover with, or shelter in, a tent or tents.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PAVILION

pa-vil'-yun: A covered place, booth, tent, in which a person may be kept hid or secret (cokh, Psalm 27:5; cukkah-the usual term- Psalm 31:20), or otherwise be withdrawn from view. The term is used with reference to God (2 Samuel 22:12 Psalm 18:11); to kings drinking in privacy (1 Kings 20:12, 16); the Revised Version (British and American) gives "pavilion" for the King James Version "tabernacle" in Job 36:29 Isaiah 4:6; while in Numbers 25:8 it substitutes this word, with the margin "alcove," for the King James Version "tent" (qubbah), and Jeremiah 43:10, for "royal pavilion" (shaphrur), reads in the margin "glittering pavilion."

James Orr

Strong's Hebrew
8237. shaphrur -- perhaps splendor, pavilion, canopy
... perhaps splendor, pavilion, canopy. Transliteration: shaphrur or shaphrir Phonetic
Spelling: (shaf-roor') Short Definition: canopy. ... royal pavilion. ...
/hebrew/8237.htm - 6k

7900. sok -- booth, pavilion
... 7899, 7900. sok. 7901 . booth, pavilion. Transliteration: sok Phonetic
Spelling: (soke) Short Definition: tabernacle. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/7900.htm - 6k

643. appeden -- a palace
... 642, 643. appeden. 644 . a palace. Transliteration: appeden Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-peh'-den) Short Definition: pavilion. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/643.htm - 5k

5521. sukkah -- a thicket, booth
... from sakak Definition a thicket, booth NASB Word Usage booth (1), Booths (9), booths
(8), canopies (1), canopy (1), hut (1), lair (1), pavilion (1), shelter (4 ...
/hebrew/5521.htm - 6k

5520. sok -- a thicket, covert, lair
... den, pavilion, tabernacle. From cakak; a hut (as of entwined boughs); also a lair --
covert, den, pavilion, tabernacle. see HEBREW cakak. 5519, 5520. ...
/hebrew/5520.htm - 6k

6898. qubbah -- a large vaulted tent
... tent (1). tent. From qabab; a pavilion (as a domed cavity) -- tent. see HEBREW
qabab. 6897, 6898. qubbah. 6899 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6898.htm - 6k

Library

The Secret of his Pavilion
... The Secret of His Pavilion. Gerhard Ter Steegen Hosea 2:14. Allured into the
desert, with God alone, apart,. There spirit meeteth spirit ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/the secret of his pavilion.htm

The Lord Our Dwelling Place
... For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the ... The "pride of
man" and the "strife of tongues" find no entrance into the "pavilion" of God. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 8 the lord our.htm

Saint George Kills the Enchanter Osmond.
... In this extremity, after many days, they arrived before a rich pavilion"all of green
and crimson, bordered with gold and azure"the hooks of ivory, the ...
/.../the seven champions of christendom/chapter thirteen saint george kills.htm

Of the Affectionate Languishing of the Heart Wounded with Love.
... consolations which my love gives me I be more fair than the rich tents of my Solomon
(I mean more fair than heaven, which is the inanimate pavilion of his ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xv of the affectionate.htm

Honorable Submission
... was pleased to the extent of presenting me with an extra three dollars and relieving
me from the dining room, she appointed me in charge of the pavilion, an out ...
/.../chapter viii honorable submission.htm

How Queen Ethelthryth Always Preserved Her virginity, and Her Body ...
... And when, so many years after, her bones were to be taken out of the grave, a pavilion
being spread over it, and all the congregation, the brothers on the one ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xix how queen ethelthryth.htm

"The Pharaoh Drew Nigh"
... About the royal pavilion in triple cordon paced the noble body-guard of the Pharaoh. ...
"In his tent, yonder," pointing to a party-colored pavilion. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xliii the pharaoh drew.htm

The Ninth Commandment
... us, from flying upon us. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion, from
the strife of tongues.' Psalm 31:20. There is, I suppose ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 9 the ninth commandment.htm

The Review of the Troops at Doriscus.
... At this feast the army in general ate, seated in groups upon the ground, in the
open air; but for Xerxes and the nobles of the court a great pavilion was built ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter vi the review of.htm

Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others
... Childhood. The Cloven Rock. Sleeping and Waking. The Secret of His Pavilion. The
Gospel According to Paul. The Song of Christ. The Shepherd's Voice. The Wayside ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/

Thesaurus
Pavilion (11 Occurrences)
... the sky. 8. (vt) To furnish or cover with, or shelter in, a tent or tents.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. PAVILION. pa-vil'-yun ...
/p/pavilion.htm - 12k

Covert (18 Occurrences)
... (ASV YLT RSV). Psalms 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in
his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. ...
/c/covert.htm - 12k

Canopy (8 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Psalms 18:11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him,
darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. (See NAS RSV NIV). ...
/c/canopy.htm - 10k

Shelter (36 Occurrences)
... (See JPS NAS). Psalms 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in
his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. ...
/s/shelter.htm - 17k

Concealed (36 Occurrences)
... Psalms 27:5 For in the day of evil he will hide me in his pavilion; in the secret
of his tent will he keep me concealed: he will set me high upon a rock. (DBY). ...
/c/concealed.htm - 16k

Hophra (1 Occurrence)
... mortar in the brickwork "which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house at Tahpanhes,"
and prophesied that Nebuchadrezzar would spread his royal pavilion over them ...
/h/hophra.htm - 11k

Clouds (99 Occurrences)
... abundantly. (KJV WBS YLT NAS NIV). Job 36:29 Yes, can any understand the spreading
of the clouds, and the thunderings of his pavilion? (WEB ...
/c/clouds.htm - 35k

Pavement (9 Occurrences)

/p/pavement.htm - 11k

Keepest (16 Occurrences)
... Psalms 31:20 Thou keepest them concealed in the secret of thy presence from the
conspiracies of man; thou hidest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. ...
/k/keepest.htm - 11k

Noise (126 Occurrences)
... forth"; for "maketh a noise" (Jeremiah 4:19), "is disquieted"; for "the noise of
his tabernacle" (Job 36:29), "the thunderings of his pavilion"; for "make any ...
/n/noise.htm - 41k

Resources
What are the seven pillars of wisdom in Proverbs 9:1? | GotQuestions.org

Pavilion: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Pavilion (11 Occurrences)

Numbers 25:8
and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
(WEB ASV)

Job 36:29
Yes, can any understand the spreading of the clouds, and the thunderings of his pavilion?
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 18:11
He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS)

Psalms 19:5
which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.
(See NIV)

Psalms 27:5
For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Psalms 31:20
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Isaiah 4:5
And over every living-place on Mount Zion, all over all her meetings, the Lord will make a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all, the glory of the Lord will be a cover and a tent;
(See RSV)

Isaiah 4:6
There will be a pavilion for a shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a refuge and for a shelter from storm and from rain.
(WEB JPS ASV)

Jeremiah 43:10
and tell them, Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Daniel 11:45
He shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
(See NAS)

Joel 2:16
gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
(See JPS)

Subtopics

Pavilion

Related Terms

Temporary (13 Occurrences)

Ben-hadad (27 Occurrences)

Booths (24 Occurrences)

Shelters (9 Occurrences)

Ben (40 Occurrences)

Hadad (38 Occurrences)

Paw (4 Occurrences)

Pavilion (11 Occurrences)

Drinking (114 Occurrences)

32 (3 Occurrences)

Noon (30 Occurrences)

Thirty-two (15 Occurrences)

Maker (55 Occurrences)

Booth (9 Occurrences)

Canopy (8 Occurrences)

Canopies (1 Occurrence)

Curtain (60 Occurrences)

Skies (36 Occurrences)

Stationed (49 Occurrences)

Clouds (99 Occurrences)

Make (12882 Occurrences)

Helped (64 Occurrences)

Array (63 Occurrences)

Gathering (71 Occurrences)

Thick (129 Occurrences)

Station (78 Occurrences)

Drunk (84 Occurrences)

Rain (118 Occurrences)

Benhadad (24 Occurrences)

Darkness (177 Occurrences)

Getting (151 Occurrences)

Dark (234 Occurrences)

Pavement
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