τᾰμῐ-εῖον G5009
Inner room, storeroom, private chamber; an enclosed space away from public view.
Tameion originally meant a treasury or storehouse, but by the Koine period it had broadened to denote any private inner room. Jesus uses it in two contrasting ways: in Matthew 6:6 it is the secret prayer closet where one meets God away from public eyes, while in Matthew 24:26 it is the hidden chamber where false messiahs might lurk. Luke 12:3 echoes this hiddenness — what is whispered in inner rooms will be proclaimed from rooftops. Luke 12:24 shifts to the older 'storehouse' meaning for ravens that have no pantry. Spanish distinguishes 'aposento' (private chamber) from 'cuartos interiores' (inner rooms), nicely reflecting this range.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Inner room, private chamber, storeroom — a secluded enclosed space, whether used for private devotion, secretive activity, or storage. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus tells disciples to pray in their tameion, emphasizing intimacy and hiddenness before God. Matthew 24:26 and Luke 12:3 exploit the same sense of concealment. Luke 12:24 reverts to the older meaning of a storehouse or granary. The Spanish distinction between 'aposento' (a personal chamber) and 'cuartos interiores' (hidden inner rooms) captures the dual flavor, while French 'chambre' covers the residential dimension. 4×
AR["الخِزاناتِ", "مَخَادِعِ", "مَخْزَنٌ", "مُخدَعِكَ"]·ben["ঘরে", "ভান্ডার", "ভিতর-ঘরে", "ভেতরের-ঘরে"]·DE["ταμείοις", "ταμεῖον", "ταμεῖόν"]·EN["a-storeroom", "inner-rooms", "room"]·FR["chambre"]·heb["הַחֲדָרִים", "חֲדָרִים", "חַדְרוֹן", "מַחְסָן"]·HI["कमरों", "कोठरी-में", "भण्डार"]·ID["gudang", "kamar", "kamar-kamar"]·IT["tameiois", "tameion"]·jav["kamar", "kamar-nglebet", "kamar-simpen", "kamar-singidan"]·KO["골방", "밀실들에서", "방들에서", "창고가"]·PT["quarto"]·RU["комнатах", "комнату", "хранилища"]·ES["aposento", "aposentos", "cuartos-interiores", "despensa"]·SW["chumba", "ghala", "vyumba-vya-ndani", "vyumbani"]·TR["iç-odalarda", "kümes", "odana"]·urd["کمرے", "کوٹھڑی", "کوٹھڑیوں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τᾰμῐ-εῖον, τό, treasury, Refs 5th c.BC+; of the Roman aerarium, Refs 2nd c.BC+; the Imperial fiscus, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 magazine, storehouse, Refs 5th c.BC+; store-room, Refs 5th c.BC+; reservoir, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 chamber, closet, LXX+NT+4th c.BC+; also written ταμῖον Refs 1st c.AD+