House
“House, dwelling, household, family”
Summary
In Scripture, 'house' refers both to dwelling places of various construction and to households, families, or dynasties. Ancient houses in Palestine differed markedly from Western dwellings, featuring flat roofs used for multiple purposes, interior courtyards, and construction adapted to the climate.
☩Construction Materials
Houses in Palestine were constructed of various materials depending on location and status. In the plains where timber was scarce, houses were typically built of sun-dried mud bricks mixed with chopped straw, making them vulnerable to thieves who could 'dig through.' Better houses used burnt bricks or limestone, which was plentiful in the hill country. Palaces employed squared stone, marble, and precious materials including cedar, cypress, and olive wood. Walls were plastered with lime or gypsum mixed with ashes or chopped straw.
☩The Flat Roof
Eastern roofs were flat, made of mud laid on wooden beams and matting, rolled with a stone roller to make them waterproof. The roof was used for various household purposes: drying corn, hanging linen, preparing figs and raisins, sleeping in summer, prayer, and social gatherings. Roofs of adjacent houses were often joined, allowing passage from one end of a village to another without descending to the streets—hence Jesus' warning to flee via the rooftops in persecution. Booths were erected on rooftops for the Feast of Tabernacles. The law required battlements or parapets for safety.
☩Interior Features
The typical Eastern house presented a blank exterior with a door opening into a passage leading to an open courtyard, arranged so the interior could not be seen from outside. Around the courtyard were entrances to private rooms where meals were served and family members slept. Wealthier houses had multiple courts, with women's apartments (hareems) in a second court or upper floor. The guest chamber or 'upper room' was often the most important apartment, typically on the roof. Staircases were frequently external, allowing access without passing through the house.
☩Furnishings and Decorations
Simple houses had minimal furnishings: mats or pallets for sleeping, a low divan, small table, and a niche or hook for the primitive lamp. Wealthier homes featured wainscoting fastened to walls with nails, and rich hangings of velvet or damask on the lower walls. The upper walls were adorned with figures in stucco, gold, silver, gems, and ivory—hence the expressions 'ivory houses' and 'ivory palaces.' Floors might be cement, stone, or rich mosaics, while ceilings of wainscot were painted with great art.
☩Figurative and Spiritual Meanings
Scripture uses 'house' figuratively to describe households, dynasties, and the church. God promised David that He would build him a 'house' meaning an enduring dynasty. The tabernacle and temple were called 'the house of the Lord.' The church is described as the 'house of God' built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone. The believer's body is a 'house' or earthly tabernacle for the soul, to be exchanged for 'a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.'
Related Verses1850 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "House," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "House," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 3.George Morrish, "House," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "House," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 5.Andrew Robert Fausset, "House," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 6.James Hastings (ed.), "House," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).