Σκῆνος literally means tent or temporary shelter, but in philosophical and biblical usage it becomes a metaphor for the physical body as the temporary dwelling of the soul or spirit. Paul uses this imagery in 2 Corinthians 5 when contrasting our earthly tent-dwelling (the mortal body subject to decay) with the eternal building from God awaiting us. The tent metaphor emphasizes transience, fragility, and the pilgrim nature of earthly existence. This was common imagery in Greek philosophy (Plato, Pythagoreans) and resonates with Israel's wilderness wandering in tents before entering the promised land.