the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Bible Encyclopedias
Room
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or is employed in the A.V. as the equivalent of no less than four Heb. and eight Greek terms. The only one of these, however, which need be noticed here is πρωτοκλισία (Matthew 23:6; Mark 12:39; Luke 14:7-8; Luke 20:46), which signifies, not a "room" in the sense we commonly attach to it of a chamber, but the highest place on the highest couch round the dinner or supper table — the "uppermost seat, "as it is more accurately rendered in Luke 11:43. (See MEAL). The word "seat" is, however, generally appropriated by our translators to καθέδρα, which seems to mean some kind of official chair. In Luke 14:9-10, they have rendered τόπος by both "place" and "room." (See UPPER ROOM).
The convenience of dividing habitations into separate apartments early suggested itself. We read of various kinds of rooms in Scripture — bedchamber, inner chamber, upper chamber, bride chamber, guest chamber, guard chamber, of the king's house. In early times the females and children of the family slept in one room, on a separate beds, and the males in another. (See CHAMBER).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Room'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/r/room.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
