Original Word: אֹהַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ahal
Pronunciation: ah-hal'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-hal')
KJV: pitch (remove) a tent
NASB: moved tent, moved tents, pitch tent
Word Origin: [a denominative from H168 (אוֹהֶל - tent)]
1. to tent
A denominative from 'ohel; to tent -- pitch (remove) a tent.
see HEBREW 'ohel
Pi`el Imperfect יַהֵל (contracted for יְאַהֵל) pitch one's tent like nomad Isaiah 13:20.
[フレーム]
The verb אֹהַל (Strong’s Hebrew 167) expresses the action of pitching, spreading, or situating a tent. It therefore conveys movement, settlement, and the establishment of temporary dwelling. Because tents epitomize pilgrimage and dependence upon God’s provision, the word naturally carries motifs of faith, transience, and covenantal hope.
Occurrences in Scripture
1. Genesis 13:12 – Lot "pitched his tents" near Sodom.
2. Genesis 13:18 – Abram "pitched his tent" by the oaks of Mamre and built an altar.
3. Isaiah 13:20 – Of fallen Babylon it is declared, "No Arab will pitch a tent there."
Patriarchal Backdrop: Pilgrimage and Worship
Abram’s life is characterized by movement at God’s command. Each time he pitches his tent he acknowledges two truths: God’s promise of land (Genesis 12:7) and the present reality that the promise is not yet fulfilled. After separating from Lot, Abram intentionally erects his tent in Hebron and "built an altar to the LORD" (Genesis 13:18). The paired actions—pitching the tent and raising an altar—show that worship defines his sojourning. The tent marks earthly impermanence; the altar signals heavenly permanence.
Moral Contrast: Lot’s Choice
Genesis 13:12 places Lot’s tent on the edge of Sodom’s depravity. "Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom". The verb paints Lot as still a nomad, yet slowly fixing himself near wickedness. The movement of the tent foreshadows the later disaster of Genesis 19 and teaches that seemingly small directional choices have profound spiritual consequences.
Prophetic Finality: Babylon’s Desolation
Isaiah 13:20 employs the same verb in a reversed, negative form: "No Arab will pitch a tent there, and no shepherds will rest their flocks there". What was once common nomadic activity will cease completely. The prophetic word pictures absolute judgment—so thorough that even temporary encampments vanish. In biblical theology Babylon stands for organized rebellion against God; its inability to host a single tent signifies the total triumph of divine justice.
Theological Themes
1. Pilgrimage: Tents remind God’s people that they are "strangers and exiles on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13).
2. Choice and Consequence: Where one pitches a tent reveals spiritual priorities, as illustrated by Abram and Lot.
3. Judgment and Hope: The end of tent-pitching in Babylon underscores God’s power to dismantle wicked systems, while the ongoing tent life of the faithful anticipates the "city with eternal foundations" (Hebrews 11:10).
Historical and Cultural Notes
Nomadic life was central to early Near-Eastern society. Pitching a tent involved selecting ground with adequate water, pasture, and safety. In patriarchal narratives, tents also functioned as family centers (Genesis 18) and legal spaces. Isaiah’s oracle resonates with Arabic and Bedouin customs, for itinerant tribes routinely encamped on open ground. The prophecy thus strikes the imagination of ancient hearers: even the most adaptable wanderers will avoid desolated Babylon.
Ministry Applications
• Discernment: Modern believers must examine where they "pitch their tent"—vocationally, relationally, and morally.
• Contentment: The tent motif calls the church to hold possessions loosely, investing instead in eternal treasures (Matthew 6:19-21).
• Missions: Just as Abram moved at God’s word, Christians are sent people, ready to relocate for gospel advance.
• Warning and Comfort: Isaiah 13 encourages proclamation of both God’s wrath against sin and His provision of lasting refuge in Christ.
Typological Glimpses
The tabernacle (mishkan) is God’s own tent among His people, culminating in the incarnation: "The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us" (John 1:14). Believers likewise await the moment when "the dwelling place of God is with man" (Revelation 21:3). Thus the simple act of pitching a tent anticipates the ultimate, permanent dwelling—God with His redeemed forever.
Conclusion
Strong’s Hebrew 167, though appearing only three times, threads together key biblical concepts: pilgrimage versus permanence, faithful worship versus worldly compromise, and temporal judgment versus everlasting hope. Every instance invites reflection on where and how one chooses to dwell until the promised kingdom is fully revealed.
Genesis 13:18
HEB: וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ל אַבְרָ֗ם וַיָּבֹ֛א
NAS: Then Abram moved his tent and came
KJV: Then Abram removed [his] tent, and came
INT: moved Abram and came
Isaiah 13:20
HEB: וָד֑וֹר וְלֹֽא־ יַהֵ֥ל שָׁם֙ עֲרָבִ֔י
NAS: will the Arab pitch [his] tent there,
KJV: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds
INT: to generation Nor pitch there will the Arab
3 Occurrences
Strong's Hebrew 167
3 Occurrences
way·ye·’ĕ·hal — 2 Occ.
ya·hêl — 1 Occ.