the Third Week of Advent
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Dictionaries
Congregation
Smith's Bible Dictionary
or Congregation. This describes the Hebrew people, in its collective capacity, under its peculiar aspect as a holy community, held together by religious, rather than political bonds. Sometimes, it is used in a broad sense as inclusive of foreign settlers, Exodus 12:19, but more properly, as exclusively appropriate to the Hebrew element of the population. Numbers 15:15.
The congregation was governed by the father or head of each family and tribe. The number of these representatives being inconveniently large for ordinary business, a further selection was made by Moses of 70, who formed a species of standing committee. Numbers 11:16.
Occasionally indeed, the whole body of people was assembled at the door of the Tabernacle, hence, usually called the Tabernacle of the congregation. Numbers 10:3. The people were strictly bound by the acts of their representatives, even in cases where they disapproved of them. Joshua 9:18.
These files are public domain.
Smith, William, Dr. Entry for 'Congregation'. Smith's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/sbd/c/congregation.html. 1901.
