What does tabernacling mean?
Tabernacling means dwelling in a tabernacle, or, more commonly in religious language, describing the presence of God or Christ among people. The word is associated especially with the biblical tabernacle, the portable sanctuary in which the Israelites believed God’s presence to dwell. In contemporary theology, it can refer more broadly to the way the divine is encountered within a community, without implying a literal tent or building. The expression has a devotional and distinctly biblical tone, making it more appropriate for religious writing, worship, or formal reflection than for everyday speech. Its chief value is its vivid connection with an ancient image of a holy sanctuary surrounded by worshippers, while also expressing the idea of divine presence among ordinary people.
Dwelling in a tabernacle or describing the divine presence in the midst of people.
"They spoke of a tabernacling God who journeys with the faithful."
Chiefly used in religious and theological contexts.
Present participle of tabernacle: to dwell in a tabernacle or be present among people as God or Christ.
"God is tabernacling with those who gather in faith."
Most often encountered in biblical, devotional, or theological writing.
Tabernacling evokes the ancient biblical sanctuary: a portable dwelling where God's presence was at the center of communal worship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tabernacling come from?
The word comes from the same Latin root as tabernacle, from Latin tabernaculum, meaning a tent or hut and ultimately related to taberna, a booth or shop. In Christian usage, tabernacle became a name for the sanctuary in which the Ark of the Covenant was kept and where God was understood to dwell among the Israelites. Tabernacling developed from tabernacle with the present-participle ending -ing, preserving the older sense of dwelling in such a sanctuary.
Related word forms
How tabernacling is actually used
This is chiefly a formal religious and theological term. It is often used in descriptions of God's or Christ's presence in the midst of a people and may sound archaic or devotional outside that context.