[ad. med.L. tabernāculā-re (1342 in Du Cange: rendering Gr. σκηνοῦν in John i. 14), f. tabernāculum: see prec.]
1. intr. To occupy a tabernacle, tent, or temporary dwelling, or one that can be shifted about; to dwell for a time, to sojourn: usually fig., in devotional or poetical language, said of the sojourning of Christ on earth or ‘in the flesh,’ and of the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ; also of men as spiritual beings dwelling in the ‘fleshly tabernacle’ of the body.
1653. Collinges, Caveat for Prof., xiv. 69. The Evangelist Saint John, Joh. i. 14 saith, He tabernacled amongst us.
1667. I. Pennington, Quest. to Prof. Chr., 20. Is it the flesh and blood of him, who took, tabernacled and appeared in the Body?
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, II. IV. 91. That of Paul 2 Cor. xii. 9 … that the power of Christ might tabernacle or dwel on me.
1847. Chr. Rossetti, Face of Deep (1892), 454. Not with the sparrow building here a house; But with the swallow tabernacling so As still to poise alert to rise and go.
1872. Liddon, Elem. Relig., iii. 94. It is … as personal spirits, tabernacling in bodily forms, that we men are capable of religion.
1876. C. M. Davies, Unorth. Lond., 188. Tabernacling first in a room in Burton Street.
1881. N. T. (R.V.), John i. 14. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt [marg. tabernacled: Gr. ἐσκήνωσεν] among us.
2. trans. To place in a tabernacle; to enshrine.
1822. Milman, Mart. Antioch, iii. 116. In thee the light, Creation’s eldest born, was tabernacled.
1891. Tablet, 21 Nov., 825. In any church in this land in which Jesus is tabernacled and has found a home.
1896. Cath. News, 25 April, 6/6. The real presence of God … tabernacled in yon loving place.
Hence Tabernacling vbl. sb., dwelling in a tabernacle or tent; sojourning; temporary abode.
1674. Penn, Chr.-Ouaker, xi. 53. Thus far the Pythagoreans, and certainly far enough to prove the Assertion; for next to Hearing and Seeing God himself, his Dwelling in, and Tabernacling with Men, what is there of greater Spiritual Intimacy or Union?
1685. J. Scott, Chr. Life (1699), V. 246. It is no note of distinction between these two dwellings or tabernaclings of Christ.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., IV. V. vi. § 9. 89. This tabernacling of the unendurable sun with men.
1866. J. G. Murphy, Comm. Exod. xxiii. 16. The feast of tabernacles, because the tabernacling of the people in the wilderness was then commemorated.
