Proverbs 5:14 — Word Study
WLCכִּ֭מְעַט הָיִ֣יתִי בְכָל־ רָ֑ע בְּת֖וֹךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃
BSAI amhâyâh■ on the brinkmᵉʻaṭ [verge, edge] of utterkôl ruinraʻ [complete disgrace, total destruction] in the midsttâvek [center, middle] of the whole assemblyqâhâl [congregation, gathered community, crowd]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כִּ֭מְעַט | like a little | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הָיִ֣יתִי | I was | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| בְכָל־ | in every | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| רָ֑ע | calamity | Adj |
| בְּת֖וֹךְ | in among | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| קָהָ֣ל | [the] assembly | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְעֵדָֽה׃ | and [the] congregation | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.” |
| KJV | I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. |
| ASV | I was well-nigh in all evil In the midst of the assembly and congregation. |
| YLT | As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company. |
| WEB | I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.” |
| BBE | I was in almost all evil in the company of the people. |
All translations present a unified view of the speaker's precarious state, emphasizing the urgency of their situation.
The main clause presents the speaker's state, supported by prepositional phrases that provide context and detail.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 5:14
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Warning Against Follygenerated
Proverbs 5:14 warns of the consequences of ignoring wise counsel, illustrating the speaker's regret and the seriousness of their situation. This passage emphasizes the importance of heeding guidance to avoid ruin, as seen in the surrounding verses that encourage wisdom and self-control.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 13:20 | He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. |
| 2 | Numbers 25:1–6 | While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab, |
| 3 | Hosea 4:11–14 | Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding. |
| 4 | 1 Corinthians 10:6–8 | These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did. |
| 5 | 2 Peter 2:10–18 | Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מְעַט, Kim.'atgenerated
The word מְעַט (m`at) is a noun meaning 'little' or 'few,' indicating a small amount or degree. It suggests that the speaker is very close to a critical point, almost at the brink of calamity.
This word is often used to describe limited quantities or situations, conveying a sense of urgency in this context. The parsing as a common masculine singular noun highlights its role in emphasizing the speaker's precarious state.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered consistently across translations, with all versions using similar terms for the idea of being 'on the brink' of ruin.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb הָיִ֣יתִי, I was, governs the sentence, indicating the speaker's state. The structure includes prepositional phrases that frame the context of their ruin, emphasizing their position among the assembly.
The sentence flows from the verb to the phrases that describe the circumstances, highlighting the speaker's emotional state and the collective setting.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew מְעַט is translated as ὀλίγον (oligon), which also conveys the sense of 'little' or 'few.' This choice maintains the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the closeness to disaster.
The translation captures the same essence as the Hebrew, indicating that the speaker is nearly at a point of calamity.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 5:14 shows a person expressing their regret for not listening to wise advice, feeling they are very close to complete ruin while surrounded by others. This highlights the importance of heeding guidance to avoid such dire consequences.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means being very close to experiencing complete disaster or disgrace, often as a result of poor choices.
The assembly represents the community or group around the speaker, emphasizing that their situation is public and serious.
This verse serves as a climax to the warnings given in the surrounding verses, illustrating the consequences of ignoring wise counsel.
We can learn the importance of listening to wise advice and the dangers of disregarding it, as it can lead to serious consequences.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to heed wise counsel more closely?
- How can I support others in my community who may be on the brink of ruin?
- What are some practical steps I can take to ensure I am not ignoring warnings in my life?
- How does being part of a community affect the choices I make?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, such as Bede, reflect on this verse to discuss the nature of community and the consequences of ignoring wisdom.
I was almost in all evil, etc. The Church and the Synagogue are Greek names, and they signify the same thing in Latin, that is, an assembly of many together.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 5 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 5:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI was almost in all evil,.... Scarce a sin but he was guilty of; contempt of private and public instructions, the instructions of parents and ministers of the Gospel, and following lewd women,
Read John Gill on Proverbs 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. I was almost in all evil-in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 5 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI was almost in all evil. Oh what a miserable man am I! There is scarce any misery, in respect of estate, or body, or soul, into which I am not already plunged. The words also are and may well be rendered thus, In a moment I am come into all evil. In how little a time, and for what short and momentary pleasures, am I now come into extreme and remediless misery! In the midst of the congregation and assembly: I, who designed and expected to enjoy my lusts with secrecy and impunity, am now made a public example and shameful spectacle to all men, and that in the congregation of Israel, where I was taught better things, and where such actions are most infamous and hateful.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 5:14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.Ver. 14. I was almost in all evil.] Abraham Ben Ezra reads it in the future tense, Brevi ero in omni malo, I shall shortly be in all evil; and so his repentance here appears to be poenitentia sera, Iscariotica, such as was that of Judas and of those popelings, a desperate repentance, and not "toward God," not a repentance for sin, as it is offensivum Dei, et aversivum a Deo, an offence against God, and a turning away from him. Such a repentance in this man had been, as the Romans said of Pompey, Eχθρουπατροςφιλτατοντεχνον, a fair and happy daughter of an ugly and odious mother - of his sin I mean, the sight…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) I was almost in all evil . . .—Rather, I had almost fallen into every sin: I was so infatuated that I might have committed any sin, and that openly before all. Or, I might have been visited with extremest punishment at the hands of the congregation, death by stoning (Leviticus 20:10, John 8:5). The offender’s eyes are now opened, and he shudders at the thought of the still greater troubles into which he might, in his infatuation, have fallen.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 5 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 14. I was almost in all evil] This vice, like a whirlpool, sweeps all others into its vortex. In the midst of the congregation and assembly.] In the mydel of the Curche and of the Synagoge - Old MS. Bible. Such persons, however sacred the place, carry about with them eyes full of adultery, which cannot cease from sin.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. I was almost in all evil] Ewald and other commentators take this to mean, I had a narrow escape from incurring the extreme penalty which the law of Moses prescribes for this sin (Leviticus 20:10): I almost, or well nigh, was convicted and stoned to death in public, “in the midst of the congregation and the assembly.” But the writer, if this were his meaning, has hardly chosen a happy phrase in which to convey it to us. It is better to understand the clause as added to lend aggravation to the sin, rather than to the punishment or danger. The words “congregation” and “assembly,” sometimes with the addition, “of Israel,” “of Jehovah,” “of God” (see for examples which abound in the…
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 5 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe conscience-stricken sinner had been “almost” given up to every form of evil in the sight of the whole assembly of fellow-townsmen; “almost,” therefore, condemned to the death which that assembly
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”
I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”
I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”
I almost came to complete ruin in the midst of the whole congregation!”
Tyndale line
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
I was well-nigh in all evil In the midst of the assembly and congregation.
I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
I was almost brought into all euil in ye mids of the Congregation and assemblie.
Strictly literal
I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.
As a little thing I have been all evil, || In the midst of an assembly and a congregation.”
But little more was wanting, and I had been in all [kinds of] unhappiness in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
I was almost completely ruined in the midst of the assembly, among the gathering of the people.”
From the Latin
I have almost been in all evil, in the midst of the church and of the congregation.
Simplified
Now I'm on the verge of being completely disgraced before everyone in the community.”
I was in almost all evil in the company of the people.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in their wording, with all seven Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the speaker's dire situation across these ancient texts.
כִּ֭מְעַט הָיִ֣יתִי בְכָל־ רָ֑ע בְּת֖וֹךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 5:14
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מְעַט (m`at) refers to something that is small in quantity or degree, encompassing meanings like 'a little' or 'few.' It can be used adverbially to indicate a small amount or to describe something as almost or hardly. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to be small' and is associated with concepts of littleness and fewness.
מְעַט 101 subst. a little, fewness, a few
base
H4592 מְעַט a little, fewness, a few
4592 m`at meh-at'
or miat {meh-awt'}; from 4591; a little or few (often
adverbial or compar.):--almost (some, very) few(-er, -est),
lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some,
soon, X very.
see HEBREW for 04591
מְעַט (me.at) — little.
1) littleness, few, a little, fewness
1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little
1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
רַע (ra) is a Hebrew word meaning bad or evil, encompassing a range of negative qualities such as distress, misery, and ethical wrongdoing. It can describe unpleasantness, harm, or low value, and is used in various contexts, including emotional states and moral judgments. The entries also note its comparative form, indicating worse than or worst. The word has feminine forms, such as רָעָה (ra.ah), which similarly convey concepts of evil and distress.
רַע 228 adj. bad, evil
bad, disagreeable, malignant
bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
evil, displeasing
bad of its kind
bad, , i.e. of low value
מִן comp., worse than
sad, unhappy
devise evil (hurtful) device
bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
ethically bad, evil, wicked
base
רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
evil, distress, adversity
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury
evil, misery, distress
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
H7451a רַע bad, evil . bad, disagreeable, malignant
. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
. evil, displeasing
. bad of its kind
. bad, , i.e. of low value
. + מִן comp., worse than
. sad, unhappy
. devise evil (hurtful) device
. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
. ethically bad, evil, wicked
H7451b רַע evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity . evil, distress, adversity
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
H7451c רָעָה evil, misery, distress, injury . evil, misery, distress
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
7451 ra` rah
from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):--
adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure),
distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X
great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured),
+ mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not
please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex,
wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong.
(Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
see HEBREW for 07489
רַע (ra) — bad: harmful.
: harmful
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)
1e) bad (of value)
1f) worse than, worst (comparison)
1g) sad, unhappy
1h) evil (hurtful)
1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts
1j2) deeds, actions
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
1) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
1a) evil, distress, adversity
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — distress: harm.
: harm
1) evil, misery, distress, injury
1a) evil, misery, distress
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
: evil
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
Adj — AdjHAamsa
ka-lam'-i-ti ('edh, "a load" or "burden" under which one is crushed, hence, "misfortune"; hayyah, hawwah, "fall," "ruin," the latter word used only in the plural; ra`, "evil in essence" hence, "adversity," once only, Ps 141:5, the Revised Version (British and American) "wickedness"): Purely an Old Testament term, signifying adversities--natural, but more often those that result from wickedness or moral evil. Various kinds:
תָּ֫וֶךְ (tavek) means 'midst' or 'middle,' indicating a central position or location. It can also imply being 'among' or 'between' things, particularly in contexts involving separation or division. The term appears in various forms, such as 'into' or 'through,' especially after verbs of motion.
תָּ֫וֶךְ 416 subst. midst
base
H8432 תָּ֫וֶךְ subst. midst
8432 tavek taw'-vek
from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by
implication) the centre:--among(-st), X between, half, X
(there- ,where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among),
X out (of), X through, X with(-in).
תָּ֫וֶךְ (ta.vekh) — midst.
1) midst, middle
1a) midst, middle
1b) into, through (after verbs of motion)
1c) among (of a number of persons)
1d) between (of things arranged by twos)
1e) from among (as to take or separate etc)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
AMONG',
AMONGST', preposition [Gr. See Mingle.]
1. In a general or primitive sense, mixed or mingled with; as tares among wheat.
2. Conjoined or associated with, or making part of the number.
Blessed art thou among women. Luke 1:1.
3. Of the number; as, there is not one among a thousand, possessing the like qualities.
{ A‐mong″ , A‐mongst″ , } prep. [OE. amongist, amonges, amonge, among, AS. onmang, ongemang, gemang, in a crowd or mixture. For the ending -st see Amidst. See Mingle.] 1. Mixed or mingled; surrounded by.
They heard,
And from his presence hid themselves among
The thickest trees.
Milton.
2. Conjoined, or associated with, or making part of the number of; in the number or class of.
Blessed art thou among women.
Luke i. 28.
3. Expressing a relation of dispersion, distribution, etc.; also, a relation of reciprocal action.
What news among the merchants?
Shak.
קָהָל (qahal) refers to an assembly or congregation, often used in contexts like religious gatherings or groups formed for specific purposes, including war or counsel. It is derived from a root meaning to assemble. The term encompasses various forms of organized groups, including returning exiles.
קָהָל 123 n.m. assembly, convocation, congregation
base
H6951 קָהָל assembly, convocation, congregation
6951 qahal kaw-hawl'
from 6950; assemblage (usually concretely):--assembly,
company, congregation, multitude.
see HEBREW for 06950
קָהָל (qa.hal) — assembly.
1) assembly, company, congregation, convocation
1a) assembly
1a1) for evil counsel, war or invasion, religious purposes
1b) company (of returning exiles)
1c) congregation
1c1) as organised body
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
a-sem'-bli (qahal; ekklesia): The common term for a meeting of the people called together by a crier. It has reference therefore to any gathering of the people called for any purpose whatsoever (Ex 12:6; Ps 22:16 the King James Version; Ps 89:7 the King James Version; Ac 19:32,41). The solemn assemblies of the Jews were their feasts or religious gatherings of any kind (Isa 1:13). The word paneguris, "a general festal assembly" (Heb 12:23), is transferred from the congregation of the people of Israel to the Christian church of which the congregation of Israel was a…
עֵדָה (edah) refers to a congregation or assembly, typically a group gathered by appointment or acting together. It is derived from a related term and encompasses meanings such as company, multitude, and crowd. The entries consistently emphasize its use in the context of gatherings, without notable disagreement among the lexicons.
עֵדָה 149 n.f. congregation (prop. company assembled together by appointment, or acting concertedly)
base
H5712 עֵדָה congregation (prop. company assembled together by appointment, or acting concertedly
5712 `edah ay-daw'
feminine of 5707 in the original sense of fixture; a stated
assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family
or crowd):--assembly, company, congregation, multitude,
people, swarm. Compare 5713.
see HEBREW for 05707
see HEBREW for 05713
עֵדָה (e.dah) — congregation.
congregation, gathering
HC/Ncfsa — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Ncfsa
kon-gre-ga'-shun (qahal, `edhah).
1. Terms Employed:
These two words rendered by "congregation" or "assembly" are used apparently without any difference of sense. They appear to include an assembly of the whole people or any section that might be present on a given occasion. Indeed, sometimes the idea appears to correspond closely to that conveyed by "horde," or even by "crowd." `Edhah is once used of bees (Jud 14:8). It has been sought to distinguish the two words by means of Le 4:13, "if the whole `edhah of Israel err, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the qahal." The qahal would then be the smaller body representing the whole `edhah, but the general usage is not favorable to this view (compare e.g. Ex 12:19, "cutting off…
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 (
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, (Exodus 12:19) but more properly as exclusively appropriate to the Hebrew element of the population. (Numbers 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. (Numbers 11:16) Occasionally indeed the whole body of people was assembled at the door of the tabernacle, hence usually called…