Chamber
CHAMBER, the tr. of several Heb. and Gr. words:
1. Lodging place (לִשְׁכָּה, H4384), the most frequently used word but associated with the Temple (q.v.) as storage chambers for offerings (2 Chron 31:11; Neh 10:39); the chambers on the pavement of the outer court of Ezekiel’s Temple (Ezek 40:17), and those in the N and S chamber buildings wherein the sacrificial offerings of the people were to be eaten (42:13), as well as chambers allotted to individuals, prob. for dwelling purposes, who were attendant on Temple duties.
2. Inner room (חֶ֫דֶר, H2540), the common word connoting: a private room (Gen 43:30), a place of protection and security from trouble (Isa 26:20), the bridegroom’s chamber Song of Solomon. The summer chamber of Judges 3:20, 24 is the rooftop chamber erected to take advantage of cooling breezes.
3. Guard chamber, alcove (תָּא, H9288), the alcoves for the guards in the inner and outer gates of Ezekiel’s Temple (40:7, etc.).
4. Chamber (יָצִיעַ, H3666, actually “something spread out”); the platform for the side chambers of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:5a; see Temple). In v. 6 the word emphasizes the floor area rather than the cubicle.
5. Side chamber, cell (צֵלָע, H7522), referring to side chambers of the Temple (q.v.; 1 Kings 6:5b; Ezek 41:5, etc.) or to pilaster-like framing of the Temple, the leaves of the door of the debîr (1 Kings 6:34), indicating a recurring unit in construction.
6. Lodging place (נִשְׁכָּה, H5969), related to and used of the Temple chambers (Neh 2:10, etc.). Nehemiah found odious the presence of Tobiah the Ammonite in one of them.
7. Upper room (עֲלִיָּה, H6608), a chamber in the second story (2 Sam 18:33; 2 Kings 4:10). It is used of God’s abode (Ps 104:3, 13).
8. Store room (ταμει̂ον, G5421), the place where anti-Christ supposedly was to be found (Matt 24:26).
9. Upper chamber (ὑπερω̂ον), a second story room, part of the regular dwelling places of the house (Acts 9:37) large enough for congregations (20:8).
Bibliography
H. Frankfort, Art and Architecture of Ancient Orient (1955); A. Badawy, Architecture of Egypt and the Near East (1966).