ἐκκλησί-α G1577
Assembly, congregation -- most often the Christian church (local or universal); also any gathered assembly including Israel's wilderness congregation.
Ekklesia, rooted in the Greek civic assembly of 'called-out' citizens, became the New Testament's defining term for the community of believers. In 105 of its 114 occurrences it denotes the Christian church -- from local house congregations (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19) to Paul's vision of Christ's universal body (Eph 1:22-23; Col 1:18). Spanish 'iglesia,' French 'eglise,' and German 'Gemeinde' all derive from or closely track this specialized Christian usage. Yet nine passages preserve the older, non-technical sense: Stephen calls Israel in the desert 'the ekklesia in the wilderness' (Acts 7:38), and the Ephesian town clerk dismisses the riotous crowd to be settled in 'the lawful assembly' (Acts 19:39). Jesus' use in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17 stands at the threshold between these senses.
Senses
1. church, Christian congregation or community — The Christian church as a community of believers (105x), encompassing both local congregations and the universal body of Christ. Paul addresses letters to specific city churches (1 Cor 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1) while also speaking of Christ as head of 'the church' as a cosmic reality (Eph 5:23-25). Acts traces the early church's growth from Jerusalem (Acts 5:11; 8:1) to communities across the Mediterranean. Spanish 'iglesia,' French 'eglise,' and German 'Gemeinde' all became standard ecclesiastical vocabulary directly from this usage, showing how the word shaped Christian identity across cultures. 105×
AR["الكَنِيسَةِ","الْكَنِيسَةِ","جَمَاعَةَ","جَمَاعَةُ","جَمَاعَةِ","كَنيسَةً","كَنيسَةٍ","كَنيسَةَ","كَنيسَةِ","كَنِيسَةَ","كَنِيسَةِ"]·ben["মণ্ডলী","মণ্ডলীকে","মণ্ডলীতে","মণ্ডলীর","মন্ডলীর"]·DE["Gemeinde"]·EN["assembly","church"]·FR["église"]·heb["בּוֹחֲרִים","הַ-קְהִלָּה","הַקְּהִילָּה","הַקְּהִלָּה","קְהִילָּה","קְהִלַּת","קְהִלָּה"]·HI["कलीसिया","कलीसिया-की","कलीसिया-के","कलीसिया-को","सब-पर"]·ID["jemaat","jemaat,"]·IT["chiesa"]·jav["pasamuwan","pasamuwan,","pasamuwan.","pasamuwanipun,"]·KO["교회","교회-는","교회-를","교회-에","교회-에게","교회-위-에","교회-의","교회를","교회에","교회에-의해","교회에서","교회와","교회의"]·PT["igreja","igreja,","igreja."]·RU["церкви","церкви.","церквям","церковь","церковью"]·ES["asamblea","iglesia"]·SW["kanisa","kanisa,","kanisa.","la-kanisa"]·TR["Tanrı'nın","her","kilise","kilisede","kiliseden","kilisenin","kilisesini","kiliseye","kiliseyi","kiliseyle"]·urd["کلیسیا","کلیسیا-کو"]
Acts 5:11, Acts 8:1, Acts 8:3, Acts 9:31, Acts 11:22, Acts 11:26, Acts 12:1, Acts 12:5, Acts 13:1, Acts 14:23, Acts 14:27, Acts 15:3 (+38 more)
2. assembly, gathered congregation (non-technical or OT sense) — A general assembly or gathered congregation without specifically Christian reference (9x). Stephen's speech in Acts 7:38 uses it for Israel assembled at Sinai -- 'the ekklesia in the wilderness' -- recalling the LXX rendering of Hebrew qahal. The Ephesian silversmith episode (Acts 19:32, 39, 41) deploys it in its original civic sense for a public assembly, both riotous and lawful. French 'assemblee' and Spanish 'asamblea' distinguish this from 'eglise/iglesia,' while German retains 'Gemeinde' for both. Matthew 16:18 and 18:17, where Jesus himself coins its use, may intentionally bridge the OT congregation concept with the emerging community of disciples. 9×
AR["الكَنيسَةِ","الكَنِيسَةَ","الكَنِيسَةِ","الْجَمْعَ","الْجَمْعُ","الْمَجْمَعِ","جَمَاعَةِ","كَنِيسَتِي"]·ben["মণ্ডলী","মণ্ডলীকে","মণ্ডলীতে","মণ্ডলীতে!","মণ্ডলীর","সভা","সভায়"]·DE["Gemeinde"]·EN["assembly","of-assembly"]·FR["assemblée","église"]·heb["אֲסֵפָה","הַקְּהִלָּה","קְהִלָּה","קָהָל"]·HI["कअलेएसिय","कअलेएसिय-को","कलीसिया","कलीसिया-के","सभा","सभा-को"]·ID["jemaat","jemaat!","kumpulan","sidang"]·IT["chiesa","ekklesia","ekklesian","ekklesias"]·jav["kempalan","pasamuwan","pasamuwan!","pasamuwan,"]·KO["교회","교회-도","교회-에","교회-에서","교회를","집회가","집회를","집회에서","회중의"]·PT["assembleia","assembleia.","congregação","da-assembleia","igreja"]·RU["Церковь","собрание","собрание.","собрании","церкви","церкви!"]·ES["asamblea"]·SW["kanisa","kanisa!","kusanyiko","mkutano"]·TR["kilisede-","kilisemi","kiliseye","kiliseyi","toplantı","toplantıda","toplantının","toplantıyı","toplulukta"]·urd["جماعت","جماعت-کے","مجلس","کلیسیا","کلیسیا-کو","کلیسیا-کی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐκκλησί-α, ἡ, (ἔκκλητος) assembly duly summoned, less general than σύλλογος, Refs 5th c.BC+; applied to the Homeric Assemblies, Refs 4th c.BC+; to the Samian Assembly, Refs 5th c.BC+; to the Spartan, Refs 5th c.BC+; to the meeting of the Amphictyons at Delphi, Refs 4th c.BC+; at Athens, ἐ. κύριαι, opposed to σύγκλητοι, Arist.Refs 2nd c.AD+; κυρία ἐ., at Amorgos, Refs; ἐ. συναγείρειν, συνάγειν,…