In biblical architecture, the term "lintel" refers to the horizontal structural element that spans the top of a doorway or window. It is a critical component in ancient construction, providing support for the weight of the structure above the opening. The lintel is mentioned in several passages of the Bible, often in contexts that highlight its symbolic and practical significance.

Biblical References:

1. Exodus 12:7, 22-23 : The most notable mention of a lintel occurs in the account of the Passover in Egypt. God instructed the Israelites to mark the lintels and doorposts of their homes with the blood of a lamb. This act served as a sign for the Lord to "pass over" their houses during the final plague. "They are to take some of the blood and put it on the two side posts and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs" (Exodus 12:7). This event underscores the lintel's role as a boundary of protection and divine deliverance.

2. 1 Kings 6:31: In the construction of Solomon's Temple, the lintel is part of the detailed description of the temple's doors. The passage describes the craftsmanship and materials used, indicating the importance of the lintel in the overall design and sanctity of the temple.

3. Isaiah 6:4 : The prophet Isaiah describes a vision of the Lord in the temple, where the "foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke." While the term "lintel" is not explicitly used here, the passage conveys the structural and symbolic significance of the temple's entryways, of which the lintel is a part.

Symbolic Significance:

In biblical symbolism, the lintel often represents a threshold or boundary between the sacred and the profane. The act of marking the lintel with blood during the Passover signifies a covenantal boundary, demarcating those who are under God's protection. This symbolism extends to the New Testament understanding of Christ as the Lamb of God, whose blood marks the believer's heart, offering spiritual protection and salvation.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern architecture, lintels were typically made of stone or wood, materials that were readily available and durable. The construction of a lintel required skill and precision, as it needed to bear the weight of the structure above while allowing for the functional use of the doorway or window. The use of lintels in biblical times reflects the broader architectural practices of the region, where doorways were not only practical but also held cultural and religious significance.

Theological Implications:

The lintel's role in the Passover narrative has deep theological implications, foreshadowing the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Just as the blood on the lintel signified deliverance from physical death, the blood of Christ signifies deliverance from spiritual death. This typology is central to Christian theology, emphasizing themes of redemption, protection, and divine intervention.

In summary, the lintel in biblical texts serves as both a practical architectural element and a powerful symbol of God's covenantal protection and deliverance. Its presence in key biblical narratives highlights its importance in the spiritual and cultural life of the Israelites.Lintel

the beam which forms the upper part of the framework of a door.

(1.) Hebrews mashkoph, a projecting cover (Exodus 12:22, 23; ver. 7, "upper door post, " but R.V. "lintel"); the head-piece of a door, which the Israelites were commanded to Mark with the blood of the paschal lamb.

(2.) Hebrews kaphtar. Amos 9:1; Zephaniah 2:14 (R.V. correctly "chapiters, " as in A.V. marg.).

(n.) A horizontal member spanning an opening, and carrying the superincumbent weight by means of its strength in resisting crosswise fracture.LINTEL

lin'-tel.

See HOUSE, II, 1, (4).

4947. mashqoph -- probably lintel (of a door)
... 4946, 4947. mashqoph. 4948 . probably lintel (of a door). Transliteration:
mashqoph Phonetic Spelling: (mash-kofe') Short Definition: lintel. ...
/hebrew/4947.htm - 6k

352. ayil -- a ram
... 351c, 352. ayil. 352a . a ram. Transliteration: ayil Phonetic Spelling:
(ah'-yil) Short Definition: ram. mighty man, lintel, oak, post, ram, tree ...
/hebrew/352.htm - 5k

3730. kaphtor -- capital, knob, bulb
... knop, upper lintel. Or (Am. 9:1) kaphtowr {kaf-tore'}; probably from an
unused root meaning to encircle; a chaplet; but used only ...
/hebrew/3730.htm - 6k

352b. ayil -- a projecting pillar or pilaster
... Word Origin from the same as ulam Definition a projecting pillar or pilaster NASB
Word Usage lintel (1), side pillar (4), side pillars (17). 352a, 352b. ...
/hebrew/352b.htm - 5k

The Escape from Egypt
... You shall also take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin
and strike the lintel and the two door posts with the blood that is in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the escape from egypt.htm

Psalm LXXXI.
... end for the presses, on the fifth of the Sabbath, a Psalm to Asaph himself." Into
one title many mysteries are heaped together, still so that the lintel of the ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxxi.htm

The Blood of Sprinkling (Second Sermon. )
... I showed, in the early part of this discourse, that the blood sprinkled on the lintel
and the two side-posts of the door preserved the Israelites on the night ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the blood of sprinkling second.htm

Christ Our Passover
... My heart rejoices to look on him whom I have pierced, and see his blood, as the
lamb's blood, sprinkled on my lintel and my door-post, and see his bones ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/christ our passover.htm

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
... are expressly told in verse 59: "These things said He in the synagogue, as He taught
in Capernaum." But what is so remarkable is, that the very lintel of this ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 16 synagogues their origin.htm

The Blood
... It was so that night in Egypt. God himself was abroad with his sword; but he spared
them, because he saw the blood-mark on the lintel and on the two sideposts. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the blood.htm

Arria and Her Mother Sat with the Emperor. ...
... A plate of polished brass hung on its lintel, bearing in large letters the
word Salve. A slave opened the door and took his pallium. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 5 arria and her.htm

The Schoolboy of Madaura
... oil and fodder, and the noise of men and of beasts of burthen, and of the camels
as they entered majestically, curving their long necks under the lintel of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/v the schoolboy of madaura.htm

The Conspiracy
... I should still be a penniless prince, more useless than ever." He sat down on
the broad lintel capping the parapet, but retained her hand. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxxi the conspiracy.htm

Canaan on Earth
... up out of Egypt was the type of the deliverance which every one of God's people
enjoys, when by faith he strikes the blood of Jesus on his lintel and his ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/canaan on earth.htm

Lintel (4 Occurrences)
... 7, "upper door post, " but RV "lintel"); the head-piece of a door, which the Israelites
were commanded to Mark with the blood of the paschal lamb. ...LINTEL. ...
/l/lintel.htm - 8k

Door-posts (11 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two door-posts
and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. (DBY). ...
/d/door-posts.htm - 10k

Side-posts (7 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts
and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. ...
/s/side-posts.htm - 8k

Posts (68 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:7 They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts
and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it. ...
/p/posts.htm - 27k

Doorposts (15 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:7 They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and
on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it. (WEB NAS RSV). ...
/d/doorposts.htm - 11k

Doorframe (3 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is
in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood ...
/d/doorframe.htm - 7k

Post (26 Occurrences)
... XI. of France in AD 1464. (2.) This word sometimes also is used for lintel
or threshold (Isaiah 6:4). Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/p/post.htm - 19k

Door (249 Occurrences)
... The doorway was enclosed by the stone threshold (1 Kings 14:17), the two doorposts
on either side, and the lintel above (Exodus 12:7). Doors were frequently two ...
/d/door.htm - 40k

Opening (242 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:22 and ye have taken a bunch of hyssop, and have dipped 'it' in the blood
which 'is' in the basin, and have struck 'it' on the lintel, and on the two ...
/o/opening.htm - 37k

Strike (168 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:22 You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in
the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is ...
/s/strike.htm - 46k

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