Original Word: מִשְׁכָּב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mishkab
Pronunciation: mish-KAHV
Phonetic Spelling: (mish-kawb')
KJV: bed((-chamber)), couch, lieth (lying) with
NASB: bed, beds, couch, lie, lying, rest, resting place
Word Origin: [from H7901 (שָׁכַב - slept)]

1. a bed (figuratively, a bier)
2. abstractly, sleep
3. by euphemism, carnal intercourse

bedchamber, couch, lying with

From shakab; a bed (figuratively, a bier); abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal intercourse -- bed((-chamber)), couch, lieth (lying) with.

see HEBREW shakab

Word Origin
from shakab
Definition
place of lying, a couch, act of lying
NASB Translation
bed (25), bedroom* (3), beds (6), couch (1), health* (1), intimately* (3), lain* (1), lie (1), lying (1), rest (1), resting place (1), sleeping (1).

מִשְׁכָּב₄₆ noun masculine^{Leviticus 15:4} place of lying, couch; act of lying; — absolute ׳מ 1 Kings 1:47 +, construct מִשְׁכַּב 2 Samuel 4:5 +; suffix מִשְׁכָּבִי Job 7:13 +, מִשְׁכַּבְכֶם Psalm 4:5; plural construct מִשְׁכְּבֵי Genesis 49:4 +, suffix מִשְׁכְּבוֺהָם Hosea 7:14 +, etc.; —

1 couch, bed (37 t.), 2 Samuel 4:11; Hosea 7:14; Micah 2:1; 1 Kings 1:47; Songs 3:1 +; ׳וְנָפַל לְמ Exodus 21:18 (E) he takes to his bed; נִדָּתָהּ ׳מ Leviticus 15:26 (P; see below I. נדד); ׳מ as place of copulation Genesis 49:4 (poem in J), Isaiah 57:7,8 (twice in verse); Proverbs 7:17; as place of burial Isaiah 57:2; Ezekiel 32:25; 2Chronicles 16:14 (see ׳מ Inscription Tabnit⁸ and perhaps Jewish inscription Cooke³⁴¹).

2 act of lying:

a. in General, ׳חֲדַר מ chamber of lying down = bed-chamber, Exodus 7:28 (E), 2 Samuel 4:7; 2 Kings 6:12, בְּחַדְרֵי מִשְׁכָּֽבְךָ Ecclesiastes 10:20; הַצָּהֳרַיִם ׳והוּא שֹׁכֵב אֵת מ 2 Samuel 4:5 his noon-day siesta; 2 Samuel 17:28 read perhaps ׳עַרְשׂת מ couches for lying down Klo Bu HPS Now, compare ᵐ5.

b. (from context) sexually: of woman יֹדַעַת (אִישׁ לְ) מִשְׁכַּב זָכָת Judges 21:11,12; Numbers 31:17,35 (P); of man שׁכב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13 (+ אֶתזָֿכָר sodomy; H); ׳דֹּדִים מ Ezekiel 23:17.

שׁכב (√ of following; Biblical Hebrew שָׁכַב, מִשְׁכָּב).

Overview

מִשְׁכָּב is the common Old Testament term for a bed, couch, or place of lying down, literal or figurative. Across narrative, poetry, wisdom, and prophetic literature it moves from a simple household object to a theologically charged symbol of purity, covenant fidelity, rest, sickness, idolatry, and moral choice.

Semantic Range and Core Meaning

1. Physical bed or sleeping mat.
2. The act of lying down, especially sexual intercourse.
3. Figurative locus of thought, sorrow, or plotting.
4. Symbol for rest, sickness, death, or covenant blessing/violations.

Occurrences and Literary Distribution

The word appears about forty-six times: prominently in Leviticus (purity laws), Psalms and Proverbs (devotion and ethics), narrative sections such as Genesis 49 and 2 Samuel 4, and several prophetic texts (Isaiah, Micah, Habakkuk).

Domestic and Everyday Functions

Beds in ancient Israel ranged from simple rolls of woven wool or goat hair to framed couches with pillows (2 Samuel 4:5-7). Exodus 8:3 shows even Egypt’s royal household was not immune to frogs “into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed.” Routine domesticity thus forms the backdrop for many mishkav references.

Sickbeds and Compassion Ministry

Psalm 41:3 highlights the LORD’s care: “The LORD will sustain him on his bed of illness and restore him from his bed of sickness.” Job’s laments (Job 7:13; 33:19) reveal that the sickbed may be a place of severe testing yet also divine encounter. These texts encourage pastoral ministry to the afflicted, assuring them of God’s sustaining presence.

The Marital Bed: Sanctity and Defilement

Genesis 49:4 rebukes Reuben for violating Jacob’s bed, setting a precedent that the marriage bed is covenant territory. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 forbid illicit “lying,” using mishkav to underscore sexual boundaries. Proverbs 7:16-18 depicts seduction that profanes the bed, whereas Song of Solomon 1:16 celebrates covenant intimacy: “Our bed is verdant.” Hebrews 13:4 later draws on this heritage: “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled.”

Metaphorical and Spiritual Uses

Psalms repeatedly portray the bed as a place of worship and meditation:
• Psalm 63:6 “When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.”
• Psalm 6:6 “All night I flood my bed with weeping.”

Here the bed becomes an altar of praise or a pool of tears, depending on the heart’s posture.

Warnings Against Sin Conceived on the Bed

Psalm 36:4: “Even on his bed he plots wickedness.” Micah 2:1 echoes, condemning those who “plan evil on their beds.” The prophet helps believers diagnose sin at its incubator stage—private thought life—before it surfaces in public action.

Idolatrous Beds and Covenant Unfaithfulness

Isaiah 57:7-8 indicts Judah for preparing a bed on the “lofty and high mountain,” a metaphor for syncretistic worship. Such beds parody the marital bed, underscoring spiritual adultery against the covenant LORD.

Labor, Rest, and the Sluggard

Proverbs caricatures laziness: “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed” (Proverbs 26:14). The bed, meant for restorative rest, becomes a symbol of wasted opportunity when diligence is neglected.

Deathbed and Burial Imagery

David’s final “bed” (1 Kings 1:47) foreshadows his gathering to his fathers. A mishkav can mark life’s threshold into the grave, underscoring the fleeting nature of earthly repose and pointing to the believer’s ultimate rest in God.

Historical and Cultural Background

Typical homes placed mats on earthen floors by night, storing them by day; wealthier families owned raised wooden frames (Amos 6:4). Beds were susceptible to ritual impurity (Leviticus 15), hence frequent washing and airing in sunlight. The physical object therefore carried social, hygienic, and ceremonial importance.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Uphold marital fidelity; counsel couples from Genesis 49; Proverbs 5; Song of Solomon.
• Visit the sick; pray Psalm 41 over them.
• Encourage nighttime meditation on Scripture (Psalm 63).
• Challenge idleness with the sluggard texts.
• Expose hidden sin conceived “on the bed” before it matures.

Intercanonical Echoes and New Testament Fulfillment

Greek kōitē (Romans 13:13) parallels mishkav, warning against “sexual immorality and sensuality.” Jesus heals paralytics on their beds (Mark 2:4), turning a symbol of helplessness into one of redemption. Revelation 2:22 threatens an idolatrous church with a “bed of affliction,” echoing Isaiah’s imagery.

Key References for Study

Genesis 49:4; Exodus 8:3; Leviticus 15:4-26; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Numbers 5:20; 2 Samuel 4:5-7; 1 Kings 1:47; Job 7:13; Psalm 6:6; Psalm 41:3; Psalm 63:6; Psalm 132:3; Proverbs 5:20; Proverbs 7:16-18; Proverbs 26:14; Song of Solomon 1:16; Isaiah 57:7-8; Micah 2:1; Habakkuk 2:19.

בְּמִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ בְּמִשְׁכָּבָ֑הּ בְּמִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ בַּמִּשְׁכָּב֙ במשכב במשכבה במשכבו הַמִּשְׁכָּ֗ב הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ב הַמִּשְׁכָּ֜ב הַמִּשְׁכָּ֞ב הַמִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ המשכב המשכב׃ כְּמִשְׁכַּ֥ב כמשכב לְמִשְׁכַּ֣ב לְמִשְׁכַּ֥ב לְמִשְׁכָּֽב׃ למשכב למשכב׃ מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ מִ֝שְׁכָּבְךָ֗ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָֽם׃ מִשְׁכַּ֣ב מִשְׁכַּ֥ב מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם מִשְׁכַּב־ מִשְׁכָּ֣בְךָ֔ מִשְׁכָּ֤ב מִשְׁכָּ֥ב מִשְׁכָּ֫ב֥וֹ מִשְׁכָּֽב׃ מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ מִשְׁכָּב֔וֹ מִשְׁכָּבְךָ֖ מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃ מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ מִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְ מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙ מִשְׁכָּבֶֽךָ׃ מִשְׁכָּבָ֖ם מִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ משכב משכב־ משכב׃ משכבו משכבותם משכבותם׃ משכבי משכבי׃ משכבך משכבך׃ משכבכם משכבם bam·miš·kāḇ bammishKav bammiškāḇ bə·miš·kā·ḇāh bə·miš·kā·ḇōw bemishkaVah bemishkaVo bəmiškāḇāh bəmiškāḇōw ham·miš·kāḇ hammishKav hammiškāḇ kə·miš·kaḇ kemishKav kəmiškaḇ lə·miš·kaḇ lə·miš·kāḇ lemishKav ləmiškaḇ ləmiškāḇ miš·kā·ḇām miš·kā·ḇe·ḵā miš·kā·ḇə·ḵā miš·kā·ḇêḵ miš·kā·ḇî miš·kā·ḇōw miš·kaḇ miš·kāḇ miš·kaḇ- miš·kaḇ·ḵem miš·kə·ḇê miš·kə·ḇō·w·ṯām mishKav mishkaVam mishkavChem mishkaVech mishkaveCha mishkaVi mishkaVo mishkeVei mishkevoTam miškaḇ miškāḇ miškaḇ- miškāḇām miškāḇêḵ miškāḇeḵā miškāḇəḵā miškāḇî miškaḇḵem miškāḇōw miškəḇê miškəḇōwṯāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts