shulchan · table

What it means

shulchan (שֻׁלְחָן) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “table”.

Also a meal.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A piece of furniture on which food is set, or what is offered to God.
2. The meal: eating at someone's table.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Table: the table for eating, the king's table and, in the dwelling, the table of the bread of the presence.

• The table of the dwelling Exodus 25:23Leviticus 24:6Exodus 40:24
• Eating at the king's table 2 Samuel 9:72 Samuel 9:131 Kings 18:19
• “You lay out before me a table” Psalms 23:5
• “Can El prepare a table in the wilderness?” Psalms 78:19
• “The table of YHWH” despised Malachi 1:7Malachi 1:12

Historical and cultural background

On the table of the dwelling, every Sabbath, twelve loaves were set in two rows before YHWH (Leviticus 24:5-8). David had Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, always “eat bread at my table” (2 Samuel 9:7).

How we translate it

Always “table” (57 times) or “tables” (14).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• table ×57
• tables ×14

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Exodus×18
• Leviticus×1
• Numbers×2
• Judges×1
• 1 Samuel×2
• 2 Samuel×5
• 1 Kings×6
• 2 Kings×1
• 1 Chronicles×4
• 2 Chronicles×5
• Nehemiah×1
• Job×1
• Psalms×4
• Proverbs×1
• Isaiah×3
• Ezekiel×13
• Daniel×1
• Malachi×2

• Exodus 25:23

  You shall make a table of acacia wood: two cubits its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

• Exodus 25:27

  Close to the rim the rings shall be, as holders for the poles to carry the table.

• Exodus 25:28

  You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with them.

• Exodus 25:30

  You shall set on the table the bread of the presence before me continually.

• Exodus 26:35

  You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the dwelling; and the table you shall put on the north side.

• Exodus 30:27

  the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,

• Exodus 31:8

  and the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand and all its utensils, and the altar of incense,

• Exodus 35:13

  the table and its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the presence;

• Exodus 37:10

  And he made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, and a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

• Exodus 37:14

  Close to the rim were the rings, holders for the poles to carry the table.

• Exodus 37:15

  And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.

• Exodus 37:16

  And he made the utensils that were on the table, its plates and its spoons and its bowls and the jars with which libations are poured, of pure gold.

• Exodus 39:36

  the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the presence;

• Exodus 40:4

  And you shall bring in the table and set in order what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.

• Exodus 40:22

  And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the side of the dwelling northward, outside the veil,

• Exodus 40:24

  And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the side of the dwelling southward,

• Leviticus 24:6

  And you shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure table before YHWH.

• Numbers 3:31

  And their charge is the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the utensils of the Holy Place with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.

• Numbers 4:7

  And over the table of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the plates, and the spoons, and the bowls, and the jars for the libation; and the continual bread shall be on it.

• Judges 1:7

  Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings, with the thumbs of their hands and of their feet cut off, used to gather scraps under my table. As I have done, so Elohim has repaid me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

• 1 Samuel 20:29

  He said, ‘Let me go, please, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brother himself has commanded me; and now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me escape, please, and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the table of the king.”

• 1 Samuel 20:34

  Jonathan rose from the table in hot anger, and he did not eat bread on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David, because his father had put him to shame.

• 2 Samuel 9:7

  David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly do loyal love with you for the sake of Jonathan your father; I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you will eat bread at my table always.”

• 2 Samuel 9:10

  And you shall work the ground for him, you and your sons and your servants, and you shall bring in the produce, and it will be bread for your lord’s son to eat; but Mephibosheth your lord’s son will eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

• 2 Samuel 9:11

  Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at my table, like one of the sons of the king.

• 2 Samuel 9:13

  So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for at the table of the king he always ate; and he was lame in both his feet.

• 2 Samuel 19:28

  For all my father’s house were nothing but men deserving death before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What right do I still have to cry out any more to the king?”

• 1 Kings 2:7

  But to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite show loyal love, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for so they came near to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

• 1 Kings 4:27

  And those prefects sustained King Solomon and all who came near to the table of King Solomon, each in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

• 1 Kings 7:48

  And Solomon made all the utensils that were in the house of YHWH: the altar of gold; and the table on which was the bread of the presence, of gold;

• 1 Kings 10:5

  and the food of his table, and the seating of his servants, and the station of his attendants and their clothing, and his cupbearers, and his burnt offering that he offered at the house of YHWH; and there was no more spirit in her.

• 1 Kings 13:20

  And it happened, as they were sitting at the table, that the word of YHWH came to the prophet who had brought him back;

• 1 Kings 18:19

  Now then, send, gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at the table of Jezebel.”

• 2 Kings 4:10

  Let us make, please, a small walled upper room and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lampstand; and it will be, when he comes to us, he can turn aside there.”

• 1 Chronicles 28:16

  and the gold by weight for the tables of the row, for each table, and silver for the tables of silver;

• 2 Chronicles 4:8

  He made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left; and he made a hundred bowls of gold.

• 2 Chronicles 4:19

  Solomon made all the utensils that were in the house of Elohim: the altar of gold; the tables, and on them the bread of the presence;

• 2 Chronicles 9:4

  the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the station of his attendants and their clothing, his cupbearers and their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of YHWH; and there was no more spirit in her.

• 2 Chronicles 13:11

  They offer up in smoke to YHWH burnt offerings every morning and every evening, and fragrant incense; they set the row of bread on the pure table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of YHWH our Elohim, but you have abandoned him.

• 2 Chronicles 29:18

  Then they went inside to Hezekiah the king and said, “We have cleansed all the house of YHWH, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table of the row and all its utensils.

And 31 more times.