Congregation

"(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 [124]CHURCH.) "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.

"(Isa. 14:13), has been supposed to refer to the place where God" "promised to meet with his people (Ex. 25:22; 29:42, 43) i.e.," "the mount of the Divine presence, Mount Zion. But here the king" of Babylon must be taken as expressing himself according to his "own heathen notions, and not according to those of the Jews. The" mount of the congregation will therefore in this case mean the "northern mountain, supposed by the Babylonians to be the" meeting-place of their gods. In the Babylonian inscriptions "mention is made of a mountain which is described as "the mighty" "mountain of Bel, whose head rivals heaven, whose root is the" "holy deep." This mountain was regarded in their mythology as the" place where the gods had their seat.

Related Bible Dictionary Terms:
Congregation mount of the    Mount of the congregation