Meaning
House Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They then for the first time inhabited cities (Gen 47:3; Ex 12:7; Heb 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession of the captured cities, and See m to have followed the methods of building that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to the stone (1Kings 7:9; Isa 9:10) and marble (1Chr 29:2) used in building, and to the internal wood-work of the houses (1Kings 6:15; 7:2; 10:11, 12; 2Chr 3:5; Jer 22:14). "Ceiled houses" were such as had beams inlaid in the walls to which wainscotting was fastened (Ezra 6:4; Jer 22:14; Hag 1:4). "Ivory houses" had the upper parts of the walls adorned with figures in stucco with gold and ivory (1Kings 22:39; 2Chr 3:6; Ps 45:8).
The roofs of the dwelling-houses were flat, and are often alluded to in Scripture (2Sam 11:2; Isa 22:1; Matt 24:17). Sometimes tents or booths were erected on them (2Sam 16:22). They were protected by parapets or low walls (Deut 22:8). On the house-tops grass sometimes grew (Prov 19:13; 27:15; Ps 129:6, 7). They were used, not only as places of recreation in the evening, but also sometimes as sleeping-places at night (1Sam 9:25, 26; 2Sam 11:2; 16:22; Dan 4:29; Job 27:18; Prov 21:9), and as places of devotion (Jer 32:29; 19:13).
