Aligned sentence by sentence
· —
Part One · Chapter Twenty-Five — Shakhan
. : , . .
Shakhan. It is well known that the meaning of this verb is residing: 'and he dwelt in the plains of Mamre' (Gen 14:13); 'and it came to pass, when Israel dwelt' (Gen 35:22). This is the well-known, familiar meaning.
, — — , .
And the meaning of residing is the continued staying of one who abides in a place within that place; for, by the length of a living thing's staying in a place — whether general or particular — it is said of it that it dwelt in that spot, even though it is undoubtedly in motion within it.
, , , , : . , , .
And that was borrowed for what is not a living thing — rather, for everything that abides and clings to another thing, of which too the expression 'dwelling' is used, even if the thing to which that matter clings is not a place, and the matter itself is not a living thing: He said 'let a cloud dwell upon it' (Job 3:5). And there is no doubt that the cloud is not a living thing, nor is the day a body at all, but rather a portion of time.
, , : , , .
And in accordance with this borrowing it was borrowed of God, may He be exalted — I mean for the perpetuity of His Indwelling or His providence in whatever place it endures, or for every matter over which providence endures: so it is said 'and the glory of the Lord abode' (Exod 24:16); 'and I will dwell among the children of Israel' (Exod 29:45); 'and the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush' (Deut 33:16).
, , .
And every instance of this verb that comes ascribed to God is in the sense of the perpetuity of His Indwelling — I mean His created light in a place — or the perpetuity of His providence over some matter, each place according to its own measure.