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Bible Encyclopedias
Congregation
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (usually דָה, edah', or perhaps more technically קָהָל, kahal', both often rendered "assembly;" Gr. ἐκκλησία or συναγώγη ), a term that 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); in each case it expresses the idea of the Roman civitas or the Greek πολιτεία (See ALIEN).
Every circumcised Hebrew (אֶוְרָח; αὐτόχθων; indigena; A. V. "home-born," "born in the land," the term specially descriptive of the Israelite in opposition to the non-Israelite, Exodus 12:19; Leviticus 16:29; Numbers 9:14) was a member of the congregation, and took part in its proceedings probably from the time that he bore arms. It is important, however, to observe that he acquired no political rights in his individual capacity, but only as a member of a house; for the basis of the Hebrew polity was the house, whence was formed in an ascending scale the family or collection of houses, the tribe or collection of families, and the congregation or collection of tribes. (See GOVERNMENT).
Strangers (גֵּרִים ) settled in the land, if circumcised, were, with certain exceptions (Deuteronomy 23:1 sq.), admitted to the privilege of citizenship, and are spoken of as members of the congregation in its more extended application (Exodus 12:19; Numbers 9:14; Numbers 15:15); it appears doubtful, however, whether they were represented in the congregation in its corporate capacity as a deliberative body, as they were not, strictly speaking, members of any house; their position probably resembled that of the πρόξενοι at Athens. The congregation occupied an important position under the Theocracy, as the comitia or national Convention, invested with legislative and judicial powers. In this capacity it acted through a system of patriarchal representation, each house, family, and tribe being represented by its head or father. These delegates were named זִקְנֵי הָעֵדָה (Sept. πρεσβύτεροί; Vulg. seniores; A. V. "elders"), נְשִׁיאִים (ἄρχοντες; principes; "princes"), and sometimes קְרִיאִים (ἐπίκλητοι; qui vocabantur, Numbers 16:2; A. V. "renowned," "famous"). (See ELDER).
The number of these representatives being inconveniently large for ordinary business, a farther selection was made by Moses of 70, who formed a species of standing committee (Numbers 11:16). Occasionally, indeed, the whole body of the people was assembled, the mode of summoning being by the sound of the two silver trumpets, and the place of meeting the door of the tabernacle, hence usually called the tabernacle of the congregation (מוֹעֵד, lit. place of meeting) (Numbers 10:3); the occasions of such general assemblies were solemn religious services (Exodus 12:47; Numbers 25:6; Joel 2:15), or to receive new commandments (Exodus 19:7-8 [comp. Acts 7:38]; Leviticus 8:4). The elders were summoned by the call of one trumpet (Numbers 10:4), at the command of the supreme governor or the high-priest; they represented the whole congregation on various occasions of public interest (Exodus 3:16; Exodus 12:21; Exodus 17:5; Exodus 24:1); they acted as a court of judicature in capital offenses (Numbers 15:32; Numbers 35:12), and were charged with the execution of the sentence (Leviticus 24:14; Numbers 15:35); they joined in certain of the sacrifices (Leviticus 4:14-15); and they exercised the usual rights of sovereignty, such as declaring war, making peace, and concluding treaties (Joshua 9:15). The people were strictly bound by the acts of their representatives, even in cases where they disapproved of them (Joshua 9:18). After the occupation of the land of Canaan, the congregation was assembled only on matters of the highest importance. The delegates were summoned by messengers (2 Chronicles 30:6) to such places as might be appointed, most frequently to Mizpeh (Judges 10:17; Judges 11:11; Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 7:5; 1 Samuel 10:17 1 Maccabees 3:46); they came attended each with his band of retainers, so that the number assembled was very considerable (Judges 20:2 sq.). On one occasion we hear of the congregation being assembled for judicial purposes (Judges 20; on other occasions for religious festivals (2 Chronicles 30:5; 2 Chronicles 34:29), (See CONVOCATION); on others for the election of kings, as Saul (1 Samuel 10:17), David (2 Samuel 5:1), Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:20), Joash (2 Kings 11:19), Josiah (2 Kings 21:24), Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:30), and Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:1). In the later periods of Jewish history the congregation was represented by the Sanhedrim; and the term synagogue (συναγώγη ), which in the Sept. is applied exclusively to the congregation itself (for the place of meeting אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד is invariably rendered ἡ σκηνή τοῦ μαρτυρίου, tabernaculum testimonii, the word מוֹעֵד being considered = עֵדוּת ), was transferred to the places of worship established by the Jews, wherever a certain number of families were collected. (See ASSEMBLY).
MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION (הִר מוֹעֵד, mountain of the assembly, Isaiah 14:13 [14]; Sept. ὄρος ὑψηλόν, Vulg. mons testamenti), usually supposed to refer to Mount Moriah as the site of the Temple (comp. Isaiah 33:20). The tenableness of this interpretation was disputed by Michaeiis (Biblioth. Orient. v. 191), who contends that the name designates some place of religious ceremony among the Babylonians, and has hence been compared with the sacred hill of the gods (q. d. mount of their meeting), such as the Alborj named in the Zend-Avesta as situated in the north of the earth (comp. Rhode, Heil. Sage, p. 230 sq.). We may also compare with this the Mount Olympus of the Greek mythology, and the Meru of the Indian. Indeed all pagan systems seem to point to the north of the respective regions as the locality of the highest mountains, naturally assumed as the abode of the gods; possibly having a vague reference to the great Caucasian range (see Gesenius, Jesa. 2:316 sq.; Rosenmü ller, Alterth. I, 1:154 sq.; Henderson, Comment. in loc.). (See MOUNT).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Congregation'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/c/congregation.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
