WG: Congregation / Assembly¶
Overview¶
The Hebrew Bible uses several distinct words for gathered groups of people, each with a different nuance. This word group maps the terms that overlap in the KJV translation "congregation" and related renderings.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H5712 | עֵדָה | edah | f. noun | 140 | The standing community — Israel as organized body | H5712-edah.md |
| H6951 | קָהָל | qahal | m. noun | 116 | The called assembly — the act of gathering | TODO(need H6951 study) |
| H4150 | מוֹעֵד | moed | m. noun | 213 | The appointed meeting — time/place of assembly | H4150-moed.md |
| H4264 | מַחֲנֶה | machaneh | m. noun | 190 | The camp — physical encampment of the community | H4264 |
| H6952 | קְהִלָּה | qehillah | f. noun | 2 | Rare synonym of qahal — poetic/late usage | TODO(need H6952 study) |
| H5475 | סוֹד | sod | m. noun | 21 | The inner counsel — intimate/secret assembly | TODO(need H5475 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- edah (H5712) and ed (H5707, witness) — both from root עוד; the congregation is etymologically "those who are appointed/witnessed to"
- qahal (H6951) and qehillah (H6952) — both from root קהל "to assemble"
- moed (H4150) — from root יעד "to appoint/fix a time"
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| edah (H5712) | moed (H4150) | 13 | "the congregation... at the tabernacle of the congregation" (Lev 8:3, 9:5) |
| edah (H5712) | machaneh (H4264) | 7 | Congregation acts in relation to the camp: stoning outside, purification (Lev 24:14, Num 15:36) |
| edah (H5712) | qahal (H6951) | 5 | Paired synonyms: "the whole assembly of the congregation" (Exo 12:6, Num 14:5) |
| qahal (H6951) | moed (H4150) | 5 | "the congregation shall offer... at the tabernacle" (Lev 4:14) |
| machaneh (H4264) | moed (H4150) | 3 | The tent of meeting pitched within or outside the camp (Exo 33:7) |
| edah (H5712) | sod (H5475) | 1 | "in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation" (Psa 111:1) |
LXX Overlaps¶
| Hebrew Words | Shared Greek | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| edah + qahal | both → συναγωγή (synagoge) | edah 120x, qahal 36x; LXX blends them under one Greek word |
| qahal alone | also → ἐκκλησία (ekklesia) | qahal has the ekklesia bridge that edah lacks |
| moed | → μαρτύριον (martyrion) | "tabernacle of testimony" — the LXX renders ohel moed differently than standalone moed |
Roles in the Concept¶
- The people as body: edah (עֵדָה) — the standing, defined community; can act, judge, sin, murmur, worship
- The act of assembling: qahal (קָהָל) — the calling together; more dynamic, event-focused
- The appointed meeting: moed (מוֹעֵד) — the fixed time and place of encounter (especially with God)
- The physical location: machaneh (מַחֲנֶה) — the camp where the community lives and moves
- The inner circle: sod (סוֹד) — the intimate council; used for divine counsel and close deliberation
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Exo 12:6 — edah + qahal: "the whole assembly (qahal) of the congregation (edah) of Israel shall kill it in the evening"
- Lev 8:3 — edah + moed: "gather thou all the congregation (edah) together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation (moed)"
- Num 14:5 — edah + qahal: "Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly (qahal) of the congregation (edah)"
- Lev 24:14 — edah + machaneh: "bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp (machaneh); and let all the congregation (edah) stone him"
Distinctive Usage Patterns¶
Edah vs. Qahal: The most important distinction. Edah is the community as it exists — a permanent, defined body. Qahal is the community as it assembles — the act of coming together. When both appear in the same verse (Exo 12:6, Num 14:5), qahal functions as the gathered event and edah as the identity of those gathered. In the LXX, this maps to synagoge (edah) vs. ekklesia (qahal), a distinction that carries forward into NT terminology.
Gender: Edah is feminine (collective noun — the community as a whole). Qahal is masculine. This matters for Hebrew agreement patterns: edah takes feminine verbs and adjectives when treated as a unit.
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-04-29