Shechinah

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The indwelling glory or presence of God as it is felt among people and in the world, especially in Jewish theology and mysticism
2. The manifest divine presence of God that dwells with humanity, a concept central to Jewish thought and mystical tradition
3. God's immanent presence dwelling among the faithful and within creation, as understood in rabbinic and Kabbalistic writings

Etymology: "Shechinah" is a Jewish theological term for the presence of God as it dwells among people, especially in the sanctuary and in the world. It comes from the Hebrew "shkhiná," which literally means "act of dwelling," formed from the verb meaning "to dwell" (the root "sh-k-n," which also gives Hebrew "mishkan," a tabernacle or dwelling place). The idea is that God's indwelling presence is something that can be felt or encountered, rather than a distant, abstract deity. English borrowed the word directly from Hebrew, keeping its sense of a divine presence settling in a place rather than an object or a person. Its spelling varies, with "Shekhinah" and "Shekinah" common alternatives, reflecting the different ways Hebrew sounds have been transliterated into English.

Synonyms: Shekhinah, divine presence