κατασκηνόω (G2681) — Greek Lexicon

κατασκηνόω

kataskēnóō

G2681 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To settle or encamp; to take up residence or make one's dwelling, often with the sense of settling down for a period (whether temporarily as in setting up camp or more durably as in establishing a residence). It can also mean to abide, remain, or dwell in a place, including metaphorical uses for God's presence dwelling among people. In some contexts, emphasizes the act of establishing oneself within a shelter or designated space.

Semantic Range

to encamp, to set up camp, to dwell, to take up residence, to make one's dwelling, to settle down, to abide, to lodge, (metaphorically) for God's presence to dwell among people

Root / Etymology

Formed from the preposition κατά ('down, according to') and σκηνόω ('to pitch a tent, to dwell in a tent'), itself from σκηνή ('tent, tabernacle, temporary shelter'). The compound suggests the act of pitching one's tent or settling down, with a possible nuance of settling 'down fully' or 'completely' in a place.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic literature, κατασκηνόω refers primarily to encamping or settling in a location, often in a military or migratory context. In the Septuagint, the term is used to render various Hebrew roots meaning 'to dwell,' 'encamp,' or 'settle,' especially in narratives about Israelite encampments or divine presence (e.g., the tabernacle or God dwelling with the people). In the New Testament, κατασκηνόω is notably used for both human and divine habitation, including figurative senses (such as God's presence dwelling among people in Revelation 7:15 or 21:3). English translations often employ 'dwell,' 'tabernacle,' 'rest,' or 'lodge,' but these may obscure the underlying imagery of establishing a place of residence, especially the temporary or tent-like nuance derived from the root. Related terms include σκηνόω ('to dwell in a tent') and κατοικέω ('to inhabit, to settle in a place'), the latter often implying a permanent, established residence, whereas κατασκηνόω retains a sense of settling down or setting up camp, with more emphasis on the act of establishing the dwelling than on its permanence or structure.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κατά and σκηνόω; to camp down, i.e. haunt; figuratively, to remain:--lodge, rest.

Root Family

κατα-σκην- (kataskēnóō) — to settle, to dwell, to encamp, to lodge

Root κατα-σκην- to settle, to dwell, to encamp, to lodge

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2681-02`	κατασκηνοῦν	kataskenoun	`V PRS ACT INF`	nest	to settle and dwell	to nest	2
`G2681-01`	κατασκηνώσει	kataskenosei	`V FUT ACT IND 3P SG`	will dwell	will settle down	will settle down	1
`G2681-03`	κατεσκήνωσεν	kateskenosen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	lodged	he settled down	settled down	1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2681-02`	Matthew 13:32	κατασκηνοῦν	kataskenoun	`V PRS ACT INF`	nest	to settle and dwell	to settle and dwell
`G2681-02`	Mark 4:32	κατασκηνοῦν	kataskenoun	`V PRS ACT INF`	nest	to settle and dwell	to nest
`G2681-03`	Luke 13:19	κατεσκήνωσεν	kateskenosen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	lodged	he settled down	settled down
`G2681-01`	Acts 2:26	κατασκηνώσει	kataskenosei	`V FUT ACT IND 3P SG`	will dwell	will settle down	will settle down

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