Bible Lexicons

Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old TestamentGirdlestone's OT Synonyms

Congregation

The general word for congregation is Kahal (קהל ). It properly signifies an assembly or assemblage, and is applied to all sorts of gatherings, whether for war, for complaint, for listening to instruction, or for any similar purpose.

The verb is first used of the gathering of the people against Moses (Exodus 32:1); compare Numbers 16:3; Numbers 16:19 (the LXX has συνίστημι in each case) in Numbers 20:2, the LXX has συναθροίζω, to mark the tumultuous nature of the gathering; in the fourth verse the congregation is συναγωγή; and in the eighth the verb ἐκκλησιάζω is used, whilst the Hebrew word is the same throughout. Gatherings for wicked purposes are referred to in Genesis 49:6, Proverbs 5:14, and Psalms 26:5.

The first passage of special interest in which the noun occurs is Genesis 28:3, where Isaac says to Jacob, 'God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be an assemblage of peoples' [The words Am and Goi had not yet received their differentiated and technical meaning. See chap. xxii.] (εἰς συναγωγάς ἐθνω̂ν) in Genesis 35:11 this blessing is repeated by God Himself, 'I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee;' and Jacob, when an old man, cited the words of the blessing in his conversation with Joseph, 'I will make of thee a multitude of peoples' (48:4). The word multitude is unfortunate. The R. V. has company.

The congregation or assembly of Israel, which is so often spoken of in the O.T., is sometimes referred to as συναγωγή (synagogue), sometimes as ἐκκλησία (ecclesia), in the LXX. Once, where the judicial function of the congregation is referred to, the LXX renders the word συνέδριον (whence the word Sanhedrim), namely, in Proverbs 26:26, 'This wickedness shall be shewed before the congregation.'

The assembly or congregation of Israel is well defined in Joshua 8:35, 'There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers which were conversant with them.' The congregation, then, properly meant all the male adults of the nation in Ezra 2:61; Ezra 2:65, 'the whole congregation' was numbered at 42,360, exclusive of menservants and maidservants in chap.10:1 we read of 'a congregation of men, women, and children.' in Nehemiah 8:2 we are told of 'a congregation both of men and women.' in Joel 2:16 the prophet says, 'Gather the people, sanctify (i.e. call with sacred solemnity) the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts.'

Israel was regarded as a vast family, the women and children forming an integral portion of it, except for public or judicial purposes, and none excluded except through wilful disobedience of the law of Moses, or (for a time) through ceremonial uncleanness. this great family was addressed, both by Moses and the prophets, in the singular number, as if they might be regarded as one, in spite of their diversities of age, circumstances, and dwelling-places. this fact illustrates the teaching of the N.T., where we find that there was One person who concentrated in Himself the fulfilment of much that had been spoken to Israel in its corporate capacity, and became in his turn a centre of unity to a spiritual Israel, gathering together into one all the children of God that were scattered abroad (John 11:52).

The first great assembly d Israel was at the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. The reference to it in Deuteronomy 18:16 is interesting from its connection with the prophecy concerning Him who was to build up a new ecclesia, 'The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet, from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly (ἐκκλησία), saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, lest I die. and the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put my words into his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.' The assembly on the occasion here referred to was a representative assembly, but the whole of Israel, even all their generations, were regarded as pledged by what was then transacted. this is brought out clearly, both in Exodus and Deuteronomy. Thus in Deuteronomy 4:10 we read, 'The Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, . and ye came near, and stood under the mountain;' and in Deuteronomy 5:22, after recapitulating the commandments, Moses says, 'Those words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount. . and it came to pass, when ye heard the voice . that ye came near, even all the heads of your tribes and your elders.' What the representatives did was evidently regarded as done by the whole people, and not by one generation only, for in the same chapter and the third verse we are told that 'the Lord made not the covenant with our fathers (only), but with us, even us (also), who are all of us here this day;' and yet the actual generation of men with whom the covenant was originally made had passed away.

Although theoretically 'the congregation of Israel' signified the whole people of Israel, yet for practical purposes they were represented by elders. Other examples will be found in 1 Kings 8:1-3, and 2 Chronicles 5:2-3. The same was probably the case in the gathering (Kahal) of all the congregation at the entrances of the tabernacle for the observance of special national ceremonies. See Leviticus 8:3-4.

In Leviticus 4:13-14; Leviticus 4:31, the whole congregation is described as sinning; a national offence has been committed, and a national Sin-offering is to be offered. Accordingly, the elders of the congregation in their representative capacity laid their hands on the head of the bullock which was to be offered, to signify the transmission of the nation's evil deed to the atoning victim.

The gatherings at religious feasts are probably referred to in Psalms 22:22; Psalms 22:25; Psalms 26:12; Psalms 35:18; Psalms 40:9-10; Psalms 68:26; Psalms 107:32; Psalms 149:1.

The being 'cut off from the congregation of Israel,' and the being forbidden to enter it (Numbers 19:20; Deuteronomy 23:1), seem to have implied severance from the privileges, religious and social, which the nation as such enjoyed in some places, however, it was synonymous with death in Proverbs 21:16 we read of 'the congregation (συναγωγή) of the dead,' a striking picture of that vast gathering which is being daily enlarged as men are 'gathered to their fathers,' and which remains an integral portion of the family of man.

In Psalms 58:1, where we read, 'Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation,' the word used is Alam (אלם ), which signifies either to bind into a sheaf, or to be dumb. The former meaning would present a very suitable symbol of a congregation, but the latter meaning, 'ye dumb folk,' would also give good sense. See R. V.

In Psalms 68:10 the Psalmist says, 'Thy congregation shall dwell therein;' and in 74:19, 'Forget not the congregation of the po or for ever.' Here the word (חיה ) means a living being. Translators have not been agreed as to its meaning here, but our version gives a fair sense in some versions we here find the strange rendering, 'Thy beasts shall dwell therein.'

Besides Kahal, an assemblage, there is another word which occurs about a hundred and fifty times in the O.T., with almost the same width of meaning, namely, Adah (עדה ). this word first appears in Exodus 12:3, and is almost always rendered congregation. It is frequently used in the early books, but rarely in the later. Whilst Kahal generally refers to the representative gathering, Adahoften signifies an informal massing of the people. Adah is used of the company of Korah (Numbers 16:5; Psalms 106:17) in Judges 14:8 it is used of a swarm of bees; in Psalms 68:30, of a multitude of bulls. It only occurs three times in the prophets, namely, in Jeremiah 6:18; Jeremiah 30:20, and Hosea 7:12; whilst Kahal occurs twenty-two times, chiefly in Ezekiel. The LXX usually has συναγωγή as a rendering for Adah.

The word Adah not only signifies congregation, but also witness or testimony, and in another form (Aduth) it is used of 'the ark of the testimony.' this chest was so called because it contained the tables of the Law which testified to God's character and attributes (Exodus 25:21-22). The same form is used in connection with the tent which contained the ark, and which was consequently called the tent or tabernacle of the testimony or of witness in Exodus 38:21; Numbers 1:50; Numbers 1:53; Numbers 10:11; Numbers 17:7-8; Numbers 18:2; and 2 Chronicles 24:6.

Wherever we read of 'the tabernacle of the congregation,' the word moed (מועד ) is used. It is generally supposed that this word is derived from yaad (יעד ), to appoint, and, in the passive, to meet or make an appointment. this verb is used of God's meeting Moses and communing with him from above the mercy-seat in Exodus 25:22; and in Exodus 29:42-43, it is apparently adopted to explain the true meaning of the word moed, for we here read, 'This shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations, at the do or (i.e. opening) of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak there unto thee, and there I will meet with the children of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory.' See also Exodus 30:6; Exodus 30:36, where the same Hebrew words are used in the same relationship. The 'tabernacle of the congregation' was therefore the appointed place of meeting between God and Israel; they were brought near together in that Holy Place, just as God and man are said to be brought near together in the Body of Christ, which is the true Tabernacle not made with hands.

The LXX has almost always rendered this expression by the words σκηνή του̂ μαρτυρίου, 'the tent of witness,' thus connecting the word moed with adah, which has been discussed above. There is a good deal to be said in favour of this view of the matter, for the roots of the words are cognate, if not the same. See Acts 7:44, Revelation 15:5.

The word moed is also used to represent seasons (Genesis 1:14), appointed times (Genesis 18:14), feasts (Leviticus 23:2), and solemnities (Deuteronomy 31:10) in all these renderings, which frequently recur in the O.T., there is an idea of some time or place appointed by God.

What, then, was the Tabernacle of the Congregation? Not the tent or collection of tents in which the congregation of Israel dwelt, but the tent or tabernacle in the most sacred part of which the ark of the testimony was placed, and which was set apart as the dwelling-place of God, the centre whence issued the promises, warnings, and commands of the Most High. The R. V. rightly renders it 'the Tent of Meeting.'