Parlour

The word parlour appears in several Old Testament passages, translating different Hebrew terms that denote a private inner chamber, an audience hall, or a cool upper room. In Judges 3:20–24, Eglon king of Moab is killed by Ehud in his summer parlour — a cool upper chamber typical of ancient Near Eastern palace design, where latticed windows allowed ventilation. The servants, believing the king was covering his feet (a euphemism for relieving himself), delayed long enough for Ehud to escape.

In 1 Chronicles 28:11, the parlour (Hebrew cheder) refers to the inner chambers of Solomon's temple complex as revealed to David by the Spirit. In 1 Samuel 9:22, Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the parlour of the place of sacrifice and gave them the chief place among the invited guests. The word thus spans both sacred and royal domestic architecture in the biblical world.