Congregation
Summary
The assembly of the Hebrew people in their collective capacity as a holy community bound together by religious rather than political ties.
☩Hebrew Terms
Two Hebrew words describe the congregation: edah and qahal, both often rendered 'assembly.' These terms appear used interchangeably without significant difference in meaning, denoting the whole people or any section present on a given occasion. The Greek equivalents were ekklesia and synagoge. While the congregation normally consisted exclusively of Hebrews, circumcised foreign settlers could be admitted to certain privileges.
☩Organization and Representation
The congregation functioned as a national assembly with legislative and judicial powers. It operated through patriarchal representation: each house, family, and tribe was represented by its head or 'elder.' These representatives were called 'elders of the congregation,' 'princes,' or 'renowned men.' Moses selected seventy elders to form a standing committee for ordinary business. The whole people were summoned by the sound of two silver trumpets to the door of the tabernacle.
☩Functions and Authority
The congregation met for solemn religious services, to receive new commandments, and to decide matters of public interest. The elders acted as a court of judicature in capital offenses and were charged with executing sentences. They declared war, made peace, concluded treaties, and participated in certain sacrifices. The people were strictly bound by the acts of their representatives, even when they disapproved of them, as demonstrated in the case of the Gibeonite treaty.
☩Exclusions and Later Development
Deuteronomy 23:1-8 excludes certain persons from the congregation: those with physical defects, bastards, Ammonites, and Moabites (even to the tenth generation), while Edomites and Egyptians were admitted in the third generation. After the occupation of Canaan, the congregation assembled only on matters of highest importance. In later Jewish history, the congregation was represented by the Sanhedrin, and the term 'synagogue' was transferred from the assembly to the places of worship.
Related Verses334 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Congregation," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Congregation," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Congregation," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Congregation," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 5.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Congregation," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).