מִשְׁכָּב46 H4904
A bed or couch for sleeping; by extension, a bedroom, the act of lying down, or a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
Derived from the root shakav (to lie down), this noun radiates outward from the concrete piece of furniture to the room that houses it, the act performed upon it, and the intimate encounter it discreetly names. On his deathbed Jacob's blessing curses Reuben for defiling his father's 'bed' (Gen 49:4), while the purity laws of Leviticus 15 treat the bed as a surface that transmits uncleanness. The construct plural mishkeve marks the euphemistic sense of sexual relations (Lev 18:22; 20:13), a usage Spanish captures as 'acostamientos de' and French as 'couché de.' The word thus spans the private world from furniture to chamber to rest to intimacy.
Senses
1. bed, couch (furniture) — The physical bed or couch as a piece of furniture for sleeping, resting, or reclining. This is the dominant sense, covering over two-thirds of occurrences. It includes beds of the sick (Exod 21:18), beds rendered unclean (Lev 15:4-5, 21), beds where the psalmist weeps (Ps 6:7), and the lovers' bed of Song of Songs 3:1. Spanish 'cama' and French 'couche / lit' straightforwardly name the furniture. The pronominal suffixes ('his bed,' 'my bed') keep the reference concrete. 34×
AR["ال-مَضْجَعِ","الْفِرَاشِ","بِ-مَضْجَعِهَا","بِ-مَضْجَعِهِ","فُرُشِهِمْ","فِراشِهِ","فِرَاشِي","لِ-الفِراشِ","لِمَضْجَعِ","مَضاجِعِهِم","مَضجَعِهِ","مَضَاجِعِكُمْ","مَضْجَعَ","مَضْجَعَكِ","مَضْجَعِهِ"]·ben["-বিছানায়।","আমার-শয্যা","তাদের-বিছানাগুলি","তাদের-শয্যায়","তার-বিছানা","তার-বিছানায়","তার-বিছানার","তার-শয়নস্থানের","তার-শয়্যায়","তোমাদের-বিছানায়","তোমার-শয্যাকে","শয়নে","শয্যাতে","শয্যায়।","সেই-শয়্যা"]·DE["[למשכב]","[משכבותם]","[משכבי]","[משכבך]","das-Lager","dein-beds","der-bed","ihr-bed","sein-bed","zu-bed"]·EN["bed-of","her-bed","his-bed","my-bed","the-bed","their-beds","to-bed","to-bed-of-","your-bed","your-beds"]·FR["[משכבך]","couche","de-couche","le-bed","le-lit","lit-de","mon-couche-moi","sa-bed","son-bed","son-lit","à-lit"]·heb["ב-משכבה","ב-משכבו","ה-משכב","ל-משכב","משכב-ו","משכבותם","משכבי","משכבך","משכבכם"]·HI["अपना-बिस्तर","अपने-बिछौने","अपने-बिस्तर","अपने-बिस्तरों","पर-बिस्तर","बिछौना","बिछौना-अपना","बिछौने","बिछौने-उसके","बिछौने-पर","बिछौनों-उनके","बिस्तर-उसका","बिस्तरा-अपना","बिस्तरे","में-बिछौने"]·ID["ke-tempat tidur","ke-tempat-tidur","tempat-tempat-tidur-mereka","tempat-tidur","tempat-tidur-mereka","tempat-tidurku","tempat-tidurmu","tempat-tidurnya"]·IT["[למשכב]","[משכבותם]","a-bed","bed-di","giaciglio","il-bed","il-letto","lei-bed","letto","mio-bed-mio","suo-bed","suo-letto"]·jav["kangge-gandum","kangge-tilem","papan-tilemipun","pasareéan-nipun","pasaréan","pasaréanipun","pasaréyan","pasaréyanipun","paturan","paturon","paturon-kula","paturon-panjenengan","tilam-panjenengan","wonten-peturon."]·KO["-누울-자리로","그-누운-것","그-의-누운-것-을","그-침상","그-침상-을","그-침상에서","그녀-의-누운-것-을","그들의-자리들에서","그의-누움에서","나-의-잠자리-를","너희-의-침상들","네-침상을","자리-에","자리들을","침상-그의","침상들-그들의"]·PT["a-cama","a-vossa-cama","cama-sua","cama-tua","camas-deles","em-leito-seu","leitos-de","meu-leito","na-cama","o-leito","para-cama-de","seu-leito","sua-cama","suas-camas"]·RU["в-постель","к-ложу-его","к-ложу-её","ложах-ваших","ложах-своих","ложе","ложе-своём","ложе-твоё","на-ложе","постели-его","постели-своей","постель-его","постель-мою","постелях-своих"]·ES["a-lecho-de","cama-mía","cama-suya","el-lecho","en-cama","en-su-lecho","la-cama","lechos-de","su-cama","sus-camas","sus-camas!","tu-lecho","vuestra-cama"]·SW["katika-mwili","kitanda","kitanda-chake","kitanda-chako","kitanda-changu","kitandani","kwa-kitanda-cha","vitanda-vyao","vitanda-vyenu"]·TR["döşeğimi","yatagini","yataini","yatak","yataklarının","yataklarının-onların","yataklarınızın","yatakta","yatakına","yatağa","yatağına","yatağında","yatağını","yatağının"]·urd["اُس-کا-بستر","اُس-کے-بستر","اُس-کے-بستر-کو","اپنا-بستر","اپنے-بستر","اپنے-بستروں","بستر","بستر-اپنے","بستر-پر","بستر-کو","بستروں-اپنے"]
Gen 49:4, Exod 21:18, Lev 15:4, Lev 15:5, Lev 15:21, Lev 15:23, Lev 15:24, Lev 15:26, Lev 15:26, 2 Sam 4:11, 2 Sam 11:2, 2 Sam 11:13 (+22 more)
2. sexual intercourse (lying with) — A euphemism for sexual intercourse, literally 'lyings of.' Occurring exclusively in the construct plural mishkeve, this sense appears in the Holiness Code (Lev 18:22; 20:13) and in the census of Midianite captives (Num 31:17-18, 35). Spanish 'acostamientos de' (lyings of) and French 'couché de / couché avec' preserve the euphemistic construction. The plural intensifies or abstracts the act, distancing the expression from any single occasion. 6×
AR["لِـ-مَضْجَعِ","مَضْجَعَ"]·ben["শয়ন","শয়ন-","শয়নে","শয়নের-জন্য","শয্যা"]·DE["durch-liegend-mit","liegend-mit","liegend-von","lyings-von"]·EN["by-lying-with","lying-of","lying-with","lyings-of"]·FR["couché-avec","couché-de","lyings-de","par-couché-avec"]·heb["ל-משכב","משכב","משכבי"]·HI["शयन","शय्या","शय्या-को","सोना"]·ID["dengan-tidur","seperti-berbaring-dengan","tidur","tidur-dengan-"]·IT["da-giacente-con","giacente-con","lying-di","lyings-di"]·jav["kados-tilem","kangge-pasaréyan","pasaréyan","pasaréyan-","tilem-"]·KO["누운-것을","누움","누움들-의","에-누움"]·PT["deitar-de","leito-de-","para-deitar-de"]·RU["лежанием","ложа","ложе-","ложем"]·ES["acostamientos-de","acostarse-con","como-acostamientos-de","en-acostarse-con","lecho-de-"]·SW["kulala","kulala-kwa-","kulala-na","kwa-kulala"]·TR["-yatışı","yatakları","yatağını-","yatışı"]·urd["بستر","بستر-","بستر-میں","بستروں","لیٹنے-سے"]
3. bedroom, sleeping chamber — The bedroom or sleeping chamber as a private room, used metonymically so that the bed stands for the space around it. The frogs of the Exodus plague invade Pharaoh's 'bed-chamber' (Exod 8:3), Elisha knows what the king of Aram speaks 'in his bedroom' (2 Kgs 6:12), and Ecclesiastes warns against cursing a king even in one's 'bedroom' (Eccl 10:20). Spanish 'alcoba / dormitorio' and French 'chambre à coucher' confirm the spatial, room-level reading. 3×
AR["مَضْجَعِكَ","مِشْكَبْكَ"]·ben["তোমার-শয়নকক্ষ","তোমার-শোয়ার"]·DE["[משכבך]","dein-bed"]·EN["your-bed"]·FR["ton-couche-toi","ton-lit"]·heb["משכבך"]·HI["तेरे-सोने-के","मिश्कावेखा"]·ID["tempat-tidurmu","tidurmu"]·IT["tuo-bed","tuo-bed-tuo","tuo-letto"]·jav["pasaréan-panjenengan","sareipun","tilem-panjenengan"]·KO["네-방-침실에","당신의-침실-의","잠자리-너의-의"]·PT["deitar-teu","dormir-teu","teu-deitar"]·RU["ложа-твоего","спальни-твоей"]·ES["tu-alcoba","tu-dormitorio","tu-lecho"]·SW["cha-kulala-kwako","chumba-chako-cha-kulala","kulala-kwako"]·TR["yatagininn","yatak-odanin","yatak-odasının"]·urd["بسترے-تیرے-کے","تیرے-سونے-کے"]
4. act of lying down, rest — The abstract act of lying down or resting, where the noun denotes the activity rather than its location or furniture. In 2 Sam 4:5, 7 Ish-bosheth is assassinated during his midday 'lying down' (siesta), and Judg 21:12 uses the term for the condition of not having known a man's 'lying.' Spanish 'siesta de' and French 'repos de' capture the actional reading. The sense focuses on the posture and state of rest itself. 3×
AR["لِ-مَضْجَعِ","مَضْجَعَ","نَوْمِهِ"]·ben["তার-শয়নঘরের","পুরুষের","শয়ন"]·DE["durch-liegend-von","ruhe-von","sein-liegend"]·EN["by-lying-of","his-lying","rest-of"]·FR["par-couché-de","reste-de","son-étendu"]·heb["ל-משכב","משכב","משכב-ו"]·HI["नींद","शयन-उसके","सोने"]·ID["siang-hari","tidurnya","untuk-tidur-dengan"]·IT["per-lying-di","riposa-di","suo-giacendo"]·jav["kamar-tilem","papan-tilem","tilem"]·KO["그의-누움의","누움","누움으로"]·PT["cama-de","deitar-seu","em-leito-de"]·RU["ложе","ложем","опочивальни-его"]·ES["acostarse-suyo","en-lecho-de","siesta-de"]·SW["kulala-kwa","kulala-kwake","kwa-kulala"]·TR["yatak-odasının","yatağını"]·urd["اپنے-سونے-کے","بستر-کے-لیے","نیند"]
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
מִשְׁכָּב46 n.m. Lv 15, 4 place of lying, couch; act of lying;—abs. מ׳ 1 K 1:47 +, cstr. מִשְׁכַּב 2 S 4:5 +; sf. מִשְׁכָּבִי Jb 7:13 +, מִשְׁכַּבְכֶם ψ 4:5; pl. cstr. מִשְׁכְּבֵי Gn 49:4 +, sf. מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם Ho 7:14 +, etc.;— 1. couch, bed (37 times), 2 S 4:11; Ho 7:14; Mi 2:1; 1 K 1:47; Ct 3:1 +; וְנָפַל לְמ׳ Ex 21:18 (E) he takes to his bed; מ׳ נִדָּתָהּ Lv 15:26 (P; v. sub I. נדד); מ׳ as…