Exodus 25:8

That I may dwell among them] Strictly speaking, God cannot be said to dwell in one place more than in another. But as men realise His presence most vividly when they are consciously engaged in His worship, the place of worship becomes in a special sense a 'meeting-place 'with God (see Exodus 25:22) and a 'house, or dwelling-place, of God': cp. Genesis 28:17. The expression is anthropomorphic at the best, and is felt to be inadequate as the spiritual nature of God is more fully realised: see John 4:20. In later times Jewish writers avoided saying that 'God dwells 'in any place, even in heaven itself. They said that He 'makes His Shekinah to dwell' there. The 'Shekinah' is the manifestation of God, especially in the bright cloud (see Exodus 40:34). The word is connected with the Heb. word for dwelling (mishkan) used in the next verse.