H5712 H5712
Congregation, assembly (esp. of Israel); a company or band of people; a swarm of animals
The primary term for Israel's assembled community in the Pentateuch, edah appears 149 times with its center of gravity in Numbers, Leviticus, and Joshua. Unlike qahal, which emphasizes the act of assembling, edah denotes the community as an established body — 'the congregation of Israel' (adat yisra'el) or 'the congregation of the sons of Israel' (adat bene yisra'el) functioning almost as a constitutional term for the covenant people in their cultic and civic capacity. The word's etymology (from ya'ad, 'to appoint, designate') suggests a company assembled by appointment rather than spontaneously gathered. In the Psalms, the same word narrows to describe hostile bands — 'a company of evildoers' (Ps 22:16) or 'an assembly of the violent' (Ps 86:14). Most surprisingly, Judges 14:8 applies it to a swarm of bees in Samson's lion carcass, extending the concept of a gathered group to the animal kingdom. Arabic jama'ah and Spanish congregacion track the religious-assembly core, while Swahili kundi accommodates the broader 'group' sense.
Senses
1. congregation, assembly of Israel — The formal congregation or assembly of Israel — the covenant community gathered in its cultic, legal, and national capacity — covering 142 of 149 occurrences. Nearly always in construct with 'Israel' or 'the sons of Israel' (adat yisra'el, adat bene yisra'el), functioning as a quasi-technical term in Priestly legislation for the people addressed by divine commands (Lev 4:15; 8:3-4; Num 1:2; 14:1-5; 16:2-3; 20:1-2; 27:14; Josh 9:18-21; 18:1; 22:12). The congregation murmurs against Moses (Num 14:1-2; 16:41), receives atonement as a body (Num 15:25-26), and inherits the land collectively (Josh 18:1). Spanish congregacion, French assemblee, and Korean hoejung all render this formal communal sense. 142×
AR["-الجَمَاعَةُ", "-الجَمَاعَةِ", "الجَمَاعَةِ", "الْجَمَاعَةُ", "الْجَمَاعَةِ"]·ben["-মণ্ডলী", "-মণ্ডলীকে", "-মণ্ডলীর", "-সমাজ", "-সমাজকে", "-সমাজের", "মণ্ডলী;", "মণ্ডলী।", "সমাজ", "সমাজকে", "সমাজের"]·DE["der-Gemeinde"]·EN["the-congregation"]·FR["le-assemblée", "le-congregation"]·heb["ה-עדה"]·HI["मंडली", "मंडली-के", "मंडली-को", "मंडली-ने", "मण्डली", "मण्डली-का", "मण्डली-की", "मण्डली-के", "मण्डली-पर"]·ID["jemaah", "jemaah-itu", "jemaat"]·IT["il-congregazione"]·jav["jemaat", "jemaat-punika", "pasamuan", "pasamuwan", "pasamuwan-punika", "pasamuwan.", "pasamuwan;"]·KO["그-회중", "그-회중-이", "그-회중을", "그-회중의", "그-회중이"]·PT["a-congregação", "a-congregação,"]·RU["общества", "общество", "обществу", "община", "общине", "общины", "собрание"]·ES["la-congregación"]·SW["kusanyiko", "kusanyiko-lote", "la-mkutano", "wa-kusanyiko", "wa-mkutano"]·TR["-topluluk", "-topluluğun", "topluluk", "topluluğa", "topluluğu", "topluluğu-", "topluluğun", "topluluğun-"]·urd["جماعت", "جماعت-نے", "جماعت-کا", "جماعت-کو", "جماعت-کی", "جماعت-کے", "سردار"]
2. company, band, group — A smaller company, band, or faction of people — often with hostile or conspiratorial overtones — in 5 occurrences within poetic and wisdom literature. 'A company of evildoers has enclosed me' (Ps 22:16); 'an assembly of violent men has sought my life' (Ps 86:14); 'the company of the godless is barren' (Job 15:34). Korah's company (adat Qorach, Num 26:9; 27:3) bridges senses 1 and 2 — a faction within the larger congregation, swallowed by the earth in Numbers 16. Spanish cuadrilla ('gang, band') and German Rotte ('band, gang') shift to indicate a smaller, potentially threatening group. 5×
AR["جَماعَة", "جَمَاعَةُ", "جَمَاعَتِي", "في-جَماعَتِهِم", "وَجَمَاعَةُ"]·ben["আমার-সমাবেশ", "এবং-দল", "তাদের-দলে", "দল"]·DE["[עדתי]", "der-Gemeinde-", "ein-Gemeinde-", "in-ihr-Gemeinde", "und-ein-Gemeinde-"]·EN["a-company-of", "and-a-band-of", "in-their-company", "my-company", "the-company-of"]·FR["assemblée", "dans-assemblée", "et-assemblée", "mon-assemblée-moi"]·heb["ב-עדתם", "ו-עדת", "עדת", "עדתי"]·HI["उनकी-मण्डली-में", "और-दल", "मण्डली", "मण्डली-को", "मेरी-मण्डली"]·ID["dan-kumpulan", "pada-perkumpulan-mereka", "perkumpulan", "rombonganku"]·IT["assemblea", "e-assemblea", "mio-company-mio"]·jav["kulawarga-kawula", "lan-kumpulan", "pakempalan", "pasamuwanipun", "wonten-ing-pasamuwanipun"]·KO["그들-의-무리-에서", "나의-무리를", "무리-가", "무리-를"]·PT["a-congregação", "bando-de", "e-a-assembleia-de", "em-sua-congregação", "minha-comunidade"]·RU["-обществом", "в-обществе-их", "и-сборище", "общину-мою", "сборище"]·ES["cuadrilla-de", "en-su-congregación", "la-congregación-de", "mi-compañía", "y-asamblea-de"]·SW["jamii-yangu", "katika-kundi-lao", "kundi-la", "na-kusanyiko-la"]·TR["sürüsü", "topluluklarında", "topluluğumu", "topluluğunu", "ve-topluluğu"]·urd["اور-مجلس", "اُن-کی-جماعت-میں", "جماعت", "میری-جماعت-کو"]
3. swarm (of bees/animals) — A swarm of animals, specifically bees — a transferred usage applying the concept of a gathered collective to creatures rather than people, in 2 occurrences. Judges 14:8 describes Samson finding 'a swarm (adat) of bees' in the lion's carcass, while Psalm 68:30 may refer to a 'herd of bulls' (adat abbirim). Spanish enjambre ('swarm') and German Schwarm confirm the zoological extension. The underlying semantic thread — a gathered group acting in concert — holds across human congregations and insect colonies alike. 2×
AR["جَماعَةَ", "سِرْبُ"]·ben["পাল", "বৃন্দ"]·DE["Schwarm-von", "der-Gemeinde-"]·EN["swarm-of", "the-herd-of"]·FR["assemblée", "swarm-de"]·heb["עדת"]·HI["झुंड"]·ID["gerombolan", "kumpulan"]·IT["assemblea", "swarm-di"]·jav["kawanan", "kumpulan"]·KO["떼가", "무리-를"]·PT["a-multidão-de", "enxame-de"]·RU["рой", "стадо"]·ES["manada-de", "un-enjambre-de"]·SW["kundi", "kundi-la"]·TR["sürüsü", "sürüsünü-"]·urd["جھنڈ", "گلہ-کو"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. עֵדָה149 n.f. congregation (proposes company assembled together by appointment, or acting concertedly)—ע׳ Nu 16:2 + 85 times; cstr. עֲדַת Ex 12:3 + 52 times; sf. עֲדָתִי Jb 16:7 + 9 times sfs.;— 1. עֲדַת־אֵל ψ 82:1 congregation of Ēl, of company of angels (‖ בקרב אלהים); ע׳ לְאֻמִּים 7:8 congregation of peoples; ע׳ צַדִּיקִים 1:5 congregation of the righteous; ‖ סוֹד יְשָׁרִים 111:1; ‖ קהל Pr…