The meaning of Home in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
hom (bayith, "house," maqom, "place," 'ohel, "tent" (Judges 19:9), shubh, "to cause to turn back," tawekh, tokh, "middle," "midst" (Deuteronomy 21:12); oikos, "house," "household," endemeo, "to be among one's people," oikos idios, "one's own proper (house)"): This term in Scripture does not stand for a single specific word of the original, but for a variety of phrases. Most commonly it is a translation of the Hebrew bayith, Greek oikos "house," which means either the building or the persons occupying it. In Genesis 43:26 "home" and "into the house" represent the same phase, "to the house" (ha-bayethah). In Ruth 1:21, "hath brought me home again" means "has caused me to return." In II Chronicles 25:10 "home again" means "to their place." In Ecclesiastes 12:5 "long home," the Revised Version (British and American) "everlasting home," means "eternal house." In John 19:27 "unto his own home" means "unto his own things" (so John 1:11). In II Corinthians 5:6 (and the Revised Version (British and American) II Corinthians 5:8-9) "be at home" is a translation of endemeo, "to be among one's own people," as opposed to ekdemeo, "to be or live abroad."
Benjamin Reno Downer
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
