Bible Dictionary
AMIABLE
Amiable here means lovely, dear, or beloved, not merely pleasant in personality. The term describes the beauty of God’s tabernacles or dwelling places.
Definition
Amiable here means lovely, dear, or beloved rather than merely pleasant in personality. It describes something valued and cherished for its beauty and preciousness.
Biblical Usage
The word describes the tabernacles of the Lord. The plural refers to the subdivisions and appurtenances of the sanctuary, which were regarded as lovely or beloved.
Historical Background
The Hebrew term means “beloved.” The supplied discussion emphasizes that the loveliness of the tabernacle lay not in its outward appearance but in what was within.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>a'-mi-a-b'-l (yedhidh, "beloved"): Applied to the tabernacle or tent of meeting "How amiable ("lovely" the Revised Version, margin) are thy tabernacles" (Ps 84:1), the plural having reference to the subdivisions and appurtenances of the sanctuary (compare Ps 68:35). The adjective is rendered "amiable" in the sense of the French amiable, lovely; but the usage of the Hebrew word requires it to be understood as meaning "dear," "beloved." Compare "so amiable a prospect" (Sir T. Herbert), "They keep their churches so cleanly and amiable" (Howell, 1644). "What made the tabernacle of Moses lovely was not the outside, which was very mean, but what was within" (John Gill). See TABERNACLE.</p><p>M. O. Evans</p>