congregation Summary and Overview

(Heb. kahal), the Hebrew people collectively as a holy community (Num. 15:15). Every circumcised Hebrew from twenty years old and upward was a member of the congregation. Strangers resident in the land, if circumcised, were, with certain exceptions (Ex. 12:19; Num. 9:14; Deut. 23:1-3), admitted to the privileges of citizenship, and spoken of as members of the congregation (Ex. 12:19; Num. 9:14; 15:15). The congregation were summonded together by the sound of two silver trumpets, and they met at the door of the tabernacle (Num. 10:3). These assemblies were convened for the purpose of engaging in solemn religious services (Ex. 12:27; Num. 25:6; Joel 2:15), or of receiving new commandments (Ex. 19:7, 8). The elders, who were summonded by the sound of one trumpet (Num. 10:4), represented on various occasions the whole congregation (Ex. 3:16; 12:21; 17:5; 24:1). After the conquest of Canaan, the people were assembled only on occasions of the highest national importance (Judg. 20; 2 Chr. 30:5; 34:29; 1 Sam. 10:17; 2 Sam. 5:1-5; 1 Kings 12:20; 2 Kings 11:19; 21:24; 23:30). In subsequent times the congregation was represented by the Sanhedrim; and the name synagogue, applied in the Septuagint version exclusively to the congregation, came to be used to denote the places of worship established by the Jews. (See CHURCH T0000828.) In Acts 13:43, where alone it occurs in the New Testament, it is the same word as that rendered "synagogue" (q.v.) in ver. 42, and is so rendered in ver. 43 in R.V.

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, #Ex 12:19| but more properly as exclusively appropriate to the Hebrew element of the population. #Nu 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. #Nu 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. #Nu 10:3| The people were strictly bound by the acts of their representatives, even in cases where they disapproved of them. #Jos 9:18|

CONGREGA'TION , an assembly; a gathering of people for either political or religious purposes. 1. In the O.T. (kabal) it denotes the Hebrew people in its collective capacity, under its peculiar aspect as a holy community, held together by religious rather than political bonds. Deut 31:30; Josh 8:35; 1 Chr 29:1, etc. "Sometimes it is used in a broad sense, as inclusive of foreign settlers, Ex 12:19, but more properly as exclusively appropriate to the Hebrew element of the population. Num 15:15." The congregation was governed by the chief of the tribes and families, but from these was selected a council of 70 elders. Num 16:2; Num 11:16. This was a permanent institution, for these representatives of the people -who at first met at the door of the tabernacle at the call of one silver trumpet, while the congregation came at sound of the two, Num 10:3-4, 1 Kgs 15:7- became in postexilic days the Sanhedrin. Doubtless these meetings of the elders are often meant when the term "congregation" is used. Thus they meet to elect a king. 1 Sam 10:17. Their decisions bound the nation. Josh 9:15, 1 Sam 30:18. 2. In the N.T. it means the Christian Church at large or a local congregation, but in King James's Version the corresponding Greek word (ecelesia), when used of a religious assembly, is always rendered "church," even in Acts 7:38, where it means the Jewish congregation in the wilderness. King James expressly commanded the revisers to do this, in opposition to the Geneva Version, which uses the more literal rendering "congregation." In Acts 19:32, Acts 19:39-40 it means simply a popular assembly. See Church. 'CONI'AH. See Jehoiachin.

'eedah. CONVOCATION, qaahaal (restricted to the Pentateuch, except Isaiah 1:13). The Hebrew, regarded in their collective capacity as a "holy" community, gathered in sacred assembly composed of the homeborn Israelites. Settlers, only if circumcised, were admitted to the privileges (Exodus 12:19). Each Israelite was member of a house; the family was a collection of houses; the tribe, a collection of families; the congregation, a collection of tribes. The CONGREGATION was a national parliament, with legislative and judicial powers. The CONVOCATION was restricted to religious meetings (Leviticus 23). Each house, family, and tribe had its head; these representative heads were "the elders" or "princes." Moses selected 70 elders by God's appointment to share the burden of government with him (Numbers 11:16). The sounding of the two silver trumpets was the signal for the whole body of the people assembling at the door of the tabernacle, which was there called "the tabernacle of the congregation," the moed, literally, a place of meeting (Numbers 10:2-4). The princes were convened with only one trumpet. The people were bound to abide by the acts of their representatives (Joshua 9:18). In later times the Sanhedrin council (corresponding to Moses' seventy elders) represented the congregation. Synagogue, which originally applied to the assembly, came to mean the place of worship.