Reference: Synagogue
American
A word which primarily signifies an assembly; but, like the word church, came at length to be applied to the buildings in which the ordinary Jewish assemblies for the worship of God were convened. From the silence of the Old Testament with reference to these places of worship, many commentators and writers of biblical antiquities are of opinion that they were not in use till after the Babylonish captivity; and that before that time, the Jews held their social meetings for religious worship either in the open air or in the houses of the prophets. See 2Ki 4:23. In Ps 74:8, it is at least very doubtful whether the Hebrew word rendered synagogues, refers to synagogue-buildings such as existed after the captivity. Properly the word signifies only places where religious assemblies were held. In the time of our Savior they abounded. Synagogues could only be erected in those places when ten men of age, learning, piety, and easy circumstances could be found to attend to the service, which was enjoined in them. Large towns had several synagogues; and soon after the captivity their utility became so obvious, that they were scattered over the land, and became the parish churches of the Jewish nation. Their number appears to have been very considerable; and when the erection of a synagogue was considered a mark of piety, Lu 7:5, or a passport to heaven, we need not be surprised to hear that they were multiplied beyond all necessity, so that in Jerusalem alone there were not fewer than 460 or 480. They were generally built on the most elevated ground, and consisted of two parts. The westerly part of the building contained the ark or chest in which the book of the law and the section of the prophets were deposited, and was called the temple by way of eminence. The other, in which the congregation assembled, was termed the body of the synagogue. The people sat with their faces towards the temple, and the elders in the contrary direction, and opposite to the people; the space between them being occupied by the pulpit or reading desk. The seats of the elders were considered more holy than the others, and are spoken of as "the chief seats in the synagogues," Mt 23:6. The women sat by themselves in a gallery secluded by latticework.
The stated office-bearers in every synagogue were ten, forming six distinct classes. We notice first the Archisynagogos, or ruler of the synagogue, who regulated all its concerns and granted permission to address the assembly. Of these there were three in each synagogue. Dr. Lightfoot believes them to have possessed a civil power, and to have constituted the lowest civil tribunal, commonly known as "the council of three," whose office it was to judge minor offences against religion, and also to decide the differences that arose between any members of the synagogue, as to money matters, thefts, losses, etc. To these officers there is perhaps an allusion in 1Co 6:5. See also JUDGMENT. The second officer-bearer was "the angel of the synagogue," or minister of the congregation, who prayed and preached. In allusion to these, the pastors of the Asiatic churches are called "angels," Re 2:3.
The service of the synagogue was as follows: The people being seated, the "angel of the synagogue" ascended the pulpit, and offered up the public prayers, the people rising from their seats, and standing in a posture of deep devotion, Mt 6:5; Mr 11:25; Lu 18:11,13. The prayers were nineteen in number, and were closed by reading the execration. The next thing was the repetition of their phylacteries; after which came the reading of the law and the prophets. The former was divided into fifty-four sections, with which were united corresponding portions from the prophets; (see Ac 13:15,27; 15:21) and these were read through once in the course of the year. After the return from the captivity, an interpreter was employed in reading the law and the prophets, Ne 8:2-8, who interpreted them into the Syro-Chaldaic dialect, which was then spoken by the people. The last part of the service was the expounding of the Scriptures, and preaching from them to the people. This was done either by one of the officer, or by some distinguished person who happened to be present. The reader will recollect one memorable occasion on which our Savior availed himself of the opportunity thus afforded to address his countrymen, Lu 4:20; and there are several other instances recorded of himself and his disciples teaching in the synagogues. See Mt 13:54; Mr 6:2; Joh 18:20; Ac 13:5,15,44; 14:1; 17:2-4,10; 18:4,26; 19:8. The whole service was concluded with a short prayer or benediction.
The Jewish synagogues were not only used for the purposes of divine worship, but also for courts of judicature, in such matters as fell under the cognizance of the Council of Three, of which we have already spoken. On such occasions, the sentence given against the offender was sometimes, after the manner of prompt punishment still prevalent in the East, carried into effect in the place where the council was assembled. Hence we read of persons being beaten in the synagogue, and scourged in the synagogue, Mt 10:17; Mr 13:9; Ac 22:19; 26:11; 2Co 11:24. To be "put out of the synagogue," or excommunicated from the Jewish church and deprived of the national privileges, was punishment much dreaded, Joh 9:22; 12:42; 16:2. In our own day the Jews erect synagogues wherever they are sufficiently numerous, and assemble on their Sabbath for worship; this being conducted, that is, the reading or chanting of the Old Testament and of prayers, in the original Hebrew, though it is a dead language spoken by few among them. Among the synagogues of Jerusalem, now eight or ten in number, are some for Jews of Spanish origin, and others for German Jews, etc., as in the time of Paul there were separate synagogues for the Libertines, Cyreians, Alexandrians, etc., Ac 6:9.
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And he will say, Wherefore goest thou to him this day? not new moon, and not Sabbath. And she will say, Peace.
And Ezra the priest will bring the law before the convocation, from man and even to woman, and all understanding to hear in one day to the seventh month. And he will read in it before the broad place which is before the gate of the waters, from the light even to the half of the day, before the men and the women, and those understanding; and the ears of all the people will be to the book of the law. read more. And Ezra the scribe will stand upon a tower of wood which they made for the word; and near him will stand Mattathiah and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, upon his right hand; and his left, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, Meshullam. And Ezra will open the book before the eyes of all the people; for he was above all the people; and when he opened it all the people stood: And Ezra will praise Jehovah the great God: and all the people will answer, Amen, Amen, in lifting up their hands: and they will bow down and worship to Jehovah, with faces to the earth. And Joshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, causing the people to understand to the law: and the people upon their standing. And they will read in the book in the law of God accurately, and he set up the understanding, and they will cause to understand the reading.
They said in their heart, We will rage against them together: they burnt up all the appointments of God in the earth.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites; for they love in the assemblies, and in the corners of the broad ways to stand praying, so that they might appear to men. Verily I say to you, that they have their reward.
And hold ye from men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their assemblies will they scourge you.
And having come into his native land, he taught them in their assembly, so that they were struck with amazement, and said, Whence to him this wisdom, and powers?
And love the first place at suppers, and the first seat in the assemblies,
And sabbath having come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing were struck with amazement, saying, Whence to this one these things? and what this wisdom given to him, that such powers are done by his hands?
And when ye stand praying, let go, if ye have any thing against any one : that also your Father, he in the heavens, might let go to you your falls.
And see ye to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues shall ye be stripped: and shall be set before rulers and kings for my sake, for testimony to them.
And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
For he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.
The Pharisee having stood, prayed these to himself, O God, I return thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or also as this publican.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not either lift up the eyes to heaven, but struck upon his breast, saying, God propitiate for me the sinful.
These said his parents, for they feared the Jews: for already had the Jews agreed, that if any should acknowledge him Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Yet nevertheless also many of the rulers believed in him; but on account of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge, lest they should be excluded from the synagogue:
They shall make you excluded from the synagogue: but the hour comes that every one having slain you should think to bring service to God.
Jesus answered him, I spake with freedom of speech to the world: I always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews were always come together; and I spake nothing in secret.
And certain of them arose from the synagogue, called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrian, and of them from Cilicia and Asia, seeking out with Stephen.
And being in Salamis, they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John a servant.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
For they dwelling in Jerusalem, and their rulers, not having known him, and the voices of the prophets which being read in every sabbath, having judged, they filled up.
And the next sabbath nearly all the city was gathered together to hear the word of God.
And it was in Iconium according to the same, went they into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude of the Jews and also of Greeks believed.
For Moses of ancient generations has them proclaiming him in every city, being read in the synagogues in every sabbath.
And according to custom to Paul, he went in to them, and upon three sabbaths discussed with them from the writings, Opening and setting before, that it was necessary for Christ to suffer, and rise from, the dead; and that this is Christ Jesus, whom I announce to you. read more. And certain of them were persuaded, and were assigned by lot to Paul and Silas; and of worshipping Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the first women.
And the brethren quickly sent out both Paul and Silas by night to Berea: who arriving went away to the synagogue of the Jews.
And he discussed in the synagogue on every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
And he began to speak freely in the synagogue: and . Priscilla and Aquila having heard him, took him, and set forth to him the way of God more accurately.
And having come into the synagogue, he spake freely, discoursing for three months, and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
And I said, Lord, these know that I was imprisoning and skinning in the synagogues them believing on thee:
And in all the synagogues, many times punishing them, I compelled to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I drove out even also to cities without.
For confusion I speak to you. So is there not one wise with you, who will be able to judge between his brother?
And thou hast borne, and thou hast patience, and for my name hast thou been wearied, and thou hast not been broken by toil.
Easton
(Gr. sunagoge, i.e., "an assembly"), found only once in the Authorized Version of Ps 74:8, where the margin of Revised Version has "places of assembly," which is probably correct; for while the origin of synagogues is unknown, it may well be supposed that buildings or tents for the accommodation of worshippers may have existed in the land from an early time, and thus the system of synagogues would be gradually developed.
Some, however, are of opinion that it was specially during the Babylonian captivity that the system of synagogue worship, if not actually introduced, was at least reorganized on a systematic plan (Eze 8:1; 14:1). The exiles gathered together for the reading of the law and the prophets as they had opportunity, and after their return synagogues were established all over the land (Ezr 8:15; Ne 8:2). In after years, when the Jews were dispersed abroad, wherever they went they erected synagogues and kept up the stated services of worship (Ac 9:20; 13:5; 17/1/type/juliasmith'>17:1,17; 18:4). The form and internal arrangements of the synagogue would greatly depend on the wealth of the Jews who erected it, and on the place where it was built. "Yet there are certain traditional pecularities which have doubtless united together by a common resemblance the Jewish synagogues of all ages and countries. The arrangements for the women's place in a separate gallery or behind a partition of lattice-work; the desk in the centre, where the reader, like Ezra in ancient days, from his 'pulpit of wood,' may 'open the book in the sight of all of people and read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and give the sense, and cause them to understand the reading' (Ne 8:4,8); the carefully closed ark on the side of the building nearest to Jerusalem, for the preservation of the rolls or manuscripts of the law; the seats all round the building, whence 'the eyes of all them that are in the synagogue' may 'be fastened' on him who speaks (Lu 4:20); the 'chief seats' (Mt 23:6) which were appropriated to the 'ruler' or 'rulers' of the synagogue, according as its organization may have been more or less complete;", these were features common to all the synagogues.
Where perfected into a system, the services of the synagogue, which were at the same hours as those of the temple, consisted, (1) of prayer, which formed a kind of liturgy, there were in all eighteen prayers; (2) the reading of the Scriptures in certain definite portions; and (3) the exposition of the portions read. (See Lu 4:15,22; Ac 13:14.)
The synagogue was also sometimes used as a court of judicature, in which the rulers presided (Mt 10:17; Mr 5:22; Lu 12:11; 21:12; Ac 13:15; 22:19); also as public schools.
The establishment of synagogues wherever the Jews were found in sufficient numbers helped greatly to keep alive Israel's hope of the coming of the Messiah, and to prepare the way for the spread of the gospel in other lands. The worship of the Christian Church was afterwards modelled after that of the synagogue.
Christ and his disciples frequently taught in the synagogues (Mt 13:54; Mr 6:2; Joh 18:20; Ac 13:5,15,44; 14:1; 17/2/type/juliasmith'>17:2-4,10,17; 18:4,26; 19:8).
To be "put out of the synagogue," a phrase used by John (Joh 9:22; 12:42; 16:2), means to be excommunicated.
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And I shall gather them together to the river going to Ahava, and there we shall encamp three days: and I shall look upon the people and upon the priests, and from the sons of Levi I found not these.
And Ezra the priest will bring the law before the convocation, from man and even to woman, and all understanding to hear in one day to the seventh month.
And Ezra the scribe will stand upon a tower of wood which they made for the word; and near him will stand Mattathiah and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, upon his right hand; and his left, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, Meshullam.
And they will read in the book in the law of God accurately, and he set up the understanding, and they will cause to understand the reading.
They said in their heart, We will rage against them together: they burnt up all the appointments of God in the earth.
And it was in the sixth year, in the sixth, in the fifth to the month, I sitting in my house, and the old men of Judah sitting before me, and the hand of the Lord Jehovah fell there upon me.
And there will come to me men from the old men of Israel, and sit before me.
And hold ye from men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their assemblies will they scourge you.
And having come into his native land, he taught them in their assembly, so that they were struck with amazement, and said, Whence to him this wisdom, and powers?
And love the first place at suppers, and the first seat in the assemblies,
And, behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue comes, Jairus by name; and having seen him, he fell at his feet,
And sabbath having come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing were struck with amazement, saying, Whence to this one these things? and what this wisdom given to him, that such powers are done by his hands?
And he taught in their assemblies, being honoured of all.
And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
And all bore him testimony and wondered at the words of grace going out of his mouth: and said, Is not this the son of Joseph
And when they bring you to assemblies, and beginnings, and powers, have no anxiety how or what ye allege for justification, or what ye say:
And before all these shall they cast their hands upon you, and drive out, delivering to assemblies, and prisons, being brought before kings and leaders for my name's sake.
These said his parents, for they feared the Jews: for already had the Jews agreed, that if any should acknowledge him Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Yet nevertheless also many of the rulers believed in him; but on account of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge, lest they should be excluded from the synagogue:
They shall make you excluded from the synagogue: but the hour comes that every one having slain you should think to bring service to God.
Jesus answered him, I spake with freedom of speech to the world: I always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews were always come together; and I spake nothing in secret.
And quickly in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.
And being in Salamis, they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John a servant.
And being in Salamis, they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John a servant.
And they having passed from Perga, approached Antioch of Pisidia, and having come into the synagogue on the day of the sabbaths, they sat down. And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And the next sabbath nearly all the city was gathered together to hear the word of God.
And it was in Iconium according to the same, went they into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude of the Jews and also of Greeks believed.
And having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And according to custom to Paul, he went in to them, and upon three sabbaths discussed with them from the writings, read more. Opening and setting before, that it was necessary for Christ to suffer, and rise from, the dead; and that this is Christ Jesus, whom I announce to you. And certain of them were persuaded, and were assigned by lot to Paul and Silas; and of worshipping Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the first women.
And the brethren quickly sent out both Paul and Silas by night to Berea: who arriving went away to the synagogue of the Jews.
Therefore truly he discussed in the synagogue with Jews, and those worshipping, and in the assembly in every day with those being present.
Therefore truly he discussed in the synagogue with Jews, and those worshipping, and in the assembly in every day with those being present.
And he discussed in the synagogue on every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
And he discussed in the synagogue on every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
And he began to speak freely in the synagogue: and . Priscilla and Aquila having heard him, took him, and set forth to him the way of God more accurately.
And having come into the synagogue, he spake freely, discoursing for three months, and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
And I said, Lord, these know that I was imprisoning and skinning in the synagogues them believing on thee:
Fausets
Hebrew eedah, "a congregation" or "appointed solemn meeting," in the Pentateuch; qaahaal, "a meeting called", represents ekklesia the "Church". (See CHURCH.) In the New Testament synagogue (Greek) is used of the Christian assembly only by the most Judaic apostle (Jas 2:2). The Jews' malice against Christianity caused Christians to leave the term "synagogue" to the Jews (Re 2:9). The first hints of religions meetings appear in the phrases "before the Lord," "the calling of assemblies" (Isa 1:13). The Sabbaths were observed from an early time by gatherings for prayer, whether at or apart from the tabernacle or temple (1Sa 20:5; 2Ki 4:23).
Jehoshaphat's mission of priests and Levites (2Ch 17:7-9) implies there was no provision for regular instruction except the septennial reading of the law at the feast of tabernacles (De 31:10-13). In Ps 74:4,8 (compare Jer 52:13,17, which shows that the psalm refers to the Chaldaean destruction of the sanctuary) the "congregations" and "synagogues "refer to the tabernacle or temple meeting place between God and His people; "mo'eed mo'adee" in the psalm is the same word as expresses "the tabernacle of congregation," or meeting between God and His people, in Ex 33:7, compare Ex 29:42-43. So in La 2:6, "He (the Lord) hath destroyed His places of assembly." But the other places of devotional meetings of the people besides the temple are probably included. So Ps 107:32, "the congregation of the people ... the assembly of the elders" (Ezr 3:1). The prophets' assemblies for psalmody and worship led the way (1Sa 9:12; 10:5; 19:20-24).
Synagogues in the strict and later sense are not mentioned until after the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes. The want of the temple in the Babylonian captivity familiarized the exiles with the idea of spiritual worship independent of locality. The elders often met and sat before the prophet, Ezekiel to hear Jehovah's word (Eze 8:1; 11:15-16; 14:1; 20:1); in Eze 33:31 the people also sit before him to hear. Periodic meetings for hearing the law and the prophets read were customary thenceforth on the return (Ezr 8:15; Ne 8:2; 9:1; Zec 7:5; Ac 15:21). When the Jews could not afford to build a synagogue they built "an oratory" (proseuchee) by a running stream or the seashore (Ac 16:13). The synagogue was the means of rekindling the Jewish devotion and patriotism which shone so brightly in the Maccabean struggle with Antiochus.
The synagogue required no priest to minister; this and the reading of the Old Testament prepared the way for the gospel. Sometimes a wealthy Jew or a proselyte built the synagogue (Lu 7:5). The kibleh or "direction" was toward Jerusalem. The structure, though essentially different from the temple (for it had neither altar nor sacrifice), resembled in some degree that of the temple: the ark at the far end contained the law in both; the lid was called the kopereth or "mercy-seat"; a veil hung before it. Here were "the chief seats" sought by the Pharisees and the rich (Mt 23:6; Jas 2:2-3). In the middle was a raised platform on which several could be together, with a pulpit in the middle for the reader to stand in when reading and to sit when teaching. A low partition separated men on one side from women on the other. Besides the ark for "the law" (torah) there was a chest for the haphtaroth or "roll of the prophets". In the synagogue a college of elders was presided over by the chief or ruler of the synagogue (Lu 7:3; 8:41,49).
The elders were called parnasiym, "pastors," "shepherds" (Eph 4:11; 1Pe 5:1), ruling over the flock (1Ti 5:17; Heb 13:7); they with the ruler managed the affairs of the synagogue and had the power of excommunication. The officiating minister was delegate (sheliach, answering to the term apostle, "sent") of the congregation, the forerunner of "the angel (messenger sent) of the church" (Re 1:20; 2:1). The qualifications required were similar to those of a bishop or presbyter; he must be of full age, father of a family, apt to teach (1Ti 3:1-7; Tit 1:6-9). The chazzan or "minister" (Lu 4:16-20, where Christ by rising indicated that as a member of the synagogue at Nazareth. He desired to undertake the office of maptir or "reader of the lesson from the prophets", and was at once permitted owing to His fame) answered to our deacon or subdeacon; besides getting the building ready for service he acted as schoolmaster during the week.
There were also the ten batlaniym or "men of leisure", permanently making up a congregation (ten being the minimum (minyan "quoram") to constitute a congregation), that no single worshipper might be disappointed; also acting as alms collectors. Three were archisunagogai, "chiefs of the synagogue"; then also the "angel" or "bishop" who prayed publicly and caused the law to be read and sometimes preached; and three deacons for alms; the interpreter of the old Hebrew Testament, who paraphrased it; also the theological schoolmaster and his interpreter (Lightfoot, Horae. 4:70). The government of the church evidently came from the synagogue not from the Aaronic priesthood. So also did the worship; with the addition of the new doctrines, the gifts of the Spirit, and the supper of the Lord; fixed liturgical forms, creeds, as the shema, "Hear O Israel," etc. (De 6:4), and "prayers", the kadish, shemoneh 'esreh, berachoth; (compare brief creeds, 1Ti 3:16; 2Ti 1:13, the "Lord's prayer" (Luke 11), the "order" (1Co 14:40);) the teaching out of the law, which was read in a cycle, once through in three years.
The prophets were similarly read as second lessons; the exposition (derash) or "word of exhortation" followed (Ac 13:15; 15:21). The psalms were selected to suit "the special times"; "the times of prayer" (shacharit, minchah, 'arabit) were the "third", "sixth", and "ninth" hours (Ac 3:1; 10:3,9); so in Old Testament, Ps 55:17; Da 6:10. Clemens Alex. (Strom.) and Tertullian (Orat. 25) state the same in the church of the second century. Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday were the devotional days of the synagogue as of the church. The custom of ending the Saturday Sabbath with a feast formed the connecting link between the seventh day Jewish sabbath and the first day, Christian Lord's day and Lord's supper (1Co 11:20; Re 1:10).
Preparatory ablutions (Heb 10:22; Joh 13:1-15; Tertullian, Orat. 11), standing in prayer, not kneeling (Lu 18:11; Tertullian 23), the arms stretched out (Tertullian 13), the face toward the E. (Clemens Alex., Strom.), the Amen in responses (1Co 14:16), the leaping as if they would rise toward heaven in the Alexandrian church (Clemens Alex., Strom. 7:40) as the Jews at the tersanctus of Isaiah 6 (Vitringa 1100, Buxtorf 10), are all reproductions of synagogue customs. However the Hebrew in prayer wears the talith ("prayer shawl") drawn over his ears to the shoulders (a custom probably later than apostolic times), whereas the Christian man is bareheaded (1Co 11:4). The synagogue officers had judicial power to scourge, anathematize, and excommunicate (Mt 10:17; Mr 13:9; Lu 12:11; 21:12; Joh 12:42; 9:22): so the church (1Co 6:1-8; 16:22; Ga 1:8-9; 1Co 5:5; 1Ti 1:20; Mt 18:15-18); also to seize and send for trial before the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem (Ac 9:2; 22:5).
The Great Synagogue (Mr 7:3 "the elders"; Mt 5:21-27,33, "they of old time") is represented in the rabbinical book, Pirke Aboth ("The Sayings of the [Jewish] Fathers"), of the second century A.D., to have succeeded the prophets, and to have been succeeded by the scribes, Ezra presiding; among the members Joshua, the high priest Zerubbabel, Daniel, the three children Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Nehemiah, Mordecai; their aim being to restore the crown or glory of Israel, the name of God as great, mighty, and terrible (Da 9:4; Jer 32:18; De 7:21); so they completed the Old Testament canon, revising the text, introducing the vowel points which the Masorete editors have handed down to us, instituting "the feast" Purim, organizing the synagogue ritual. Their motto, preserved by Simon high-priest, was "set a hedge about the law." (See SCRIBES.)
The only Old Testament notice of anything like such a body is Ne 8:13, "chiefs of the fathers of all the people, the priests; and
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A burnt-offering of continuance for your generations at the door of the tent of appointment before Jehovah, where I will meet with you there, to speak to thee there. And I met with the sons of Israel there; and it shall be consecrated by my glory.
And Moses will take the tent and stretched it from without the camp afar off from the camp, and he called it the tent of appointment And it was every one seeking Jehovah went forth to the tent of appointment, which is from without the camp
Hear, Israel; Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.
Thou shalt not be terrified from their faces, for Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a great and fearful God.
And Moses commanded them, saying, From the end of seven years, in the appointment of the year of remission in the festival of tents, In the coming of all Israel to see the face of Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their ears read more. Gather the people, the men and the women and the little ones and thy stranger which is in thy gates, so that they shall hear, and so that they shall learn and fear Jehovah your God, and watch to do all the words of this law: And their sons which knew not shall hear and shall learn to fear Jehovah your God all the days which they lived upon the land which ye pass over Jordan there to possess it.
And they will answer them and will say, He is; behold, before thee: hasten now, for this day he came to the city for a sacrifice this day to the people Bamah.
After this thou shalt come to the hill of God, where there Philisteim standing: and it will be when thou comest there to the city, and thou didst light upon a band of prophets coming down out of Bamah, and before them a lyre, and a drum, and a pipe, and a harp; and they prophesying.
And Saul will send messengers to take David: and seeing the assembly of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing, being set up over them, and the spirit of God will be upon Saul's messengers, and they will prophesy, also they. And they will announce to Saul, and he will send other messengers, and they will prophesy, also they. And Saul will add and will send messengers the third time, and they will prophesy, also they. read more. And he also will go to Ramah, and he will come even to the great pit which is in Sechu: and he will ask and and say, Where Samuel and David? And it will be said, Behold, in Naioth in Ramah. And he will go there to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God will be upon him, him also, and going, he will go and prophesy even till his coming into Naioth in Ramah. And he will also strip off his garments and prophesy, he also, before Samuel; and he will fall naked all that day and all the night. For this they will say, Is Saul also among the prophets.
And David will say to Jonathan, Behold, the new moon to-morrow, and I sitting, shall sit down with the king to eat: and thou sentest me away and I was hid in the field till the evening of the third.
And in the third year to his kingdom he sent to his chiefs to the son of power, and to the servant of Jehovah, and to him Remembered of Jehovah, and to the Gift of God, and to Who as God, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them the Levites, him Heard of Jehovah, and The gift of Jehovah, and him Jehovah gave, and him God made, and The Watchful of Death, and him Jehovah gave, and the Lord Jehovah, and The Good of Jehovah, and The Good Lord Jehovah, Levites; and with them God will hear, and Jehovah exalted the priests. read more. And they will teach in Judah, and with them the book of the law of Jehovah, and they will turn about in all the cities of Judah, and they will teach among the people.
And the seventh month will draw near, and the sons of Israel in the cities, and the people will gather together as one man to Jerusalem.
And I shall gather them together to the river going to Ahava, and there we shall encamp three days: and I shall look upon the people and upon the priests, and from the sons of Levi I found not these.
And Ezra the priest will bring the law before the convocation, from man and even to woman, and all understanding to hear in one day to the seventh month.
And in the second day were gathered together the heads of the fathers to all the people, the priests, the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, and to understand to the words of the law.
And in the twenty and fourth day to this month, the sons of Israel were gathered together with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
Evening and morning and noon I will meditate and make a noise, and he will hear my voice.
Thine enemies roared in the midst of thine appointment; they set their signs, signs.
They said in their heart, We will rage against them together: they burnt up all the appointments of God in the earth.
And they shall exalt him in the convocation of the people, and they shall praise him in the seat of the old men.
Ye shall not add to bring gifts of iniquity; incense, this an abomination to me; the new moon and the Sabbath, the calling of the assembly; I shall not be able to bear vanity and restraining.
Doing kindness to thousands and requiting the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their sons after them: The Great, The Strong God, Jehovah of armies his name.
And he will burn the house of Jehovah, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great house he burnt in fire:
And the pillars of brass which were to the house of Jehovah, and the bases, and the sea of brass which was in the house of Jehovah, the Chaldeans brake in pieces, and they will lift up their brass to Babel.
And he will tear away as a garden his dwelling: he destroyed his appointment: Jehovah caused to forget the appointment in Zion, and the Sabbath, and he will despise in the wrath of his anger the king and the priest.
And it was in the sixth year, in the sixth, in the fifth to the month, I sitting in my house, and the old men of Judah sitting before me, and the hand of the Lord Jehovah fell there upon me.
Son of man, thy brethren, thy brethren, the men of thy kin, and all the house of Israel, wholly, which the inhabitants of Jerusalem said to them, Go ye far off from Jehovah; to us this land was given for a possession. For this, say, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: If I put them far off among the nations, and if I scattered them in the lands, and I will be to them for a little holy place in the lands where they went there.
And there will come to me men from the old men of Israel, and sit before me.
And it will be in the seventh year, in the fifth, in the tenth to the month, men from the old men of Israel came to seek Jehovah, and they sat before my face.
And they will come to thee, according to the coming of the people, and they will sit before thee my people, and they heard thy words, and they did them not: for they making loves with their mouth, their heart went after their plunder.
And Daniel as soon as he knew that the writing was signed, went up into his house; and the windows being opened to him in his upper chambers before Jerusalem, three times in the day he kneeled upon his knees, and praying and praising before his God, for the cause that he did from before this
And I will pray to Jehovah my God, and I will confess and say, Ah, Jehovah, the great and dreadful God, watching the covenant and the mercy to those loving him, and to those watching his commands:
Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh, and this seventy years, fasting, fasted ye to me, me?
Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not kill: and whoever should kill shall be subject to judgment: But I say to you, That every one becoming angry with his brother, shall be subject to judgment: and whoever should say to his brother, Raca, should be, subject to the council: and whoever should say, O foolish, shall be subject to a hell of fire. read more. If therefore, thou bring thy gift upon the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother has anything against thee, Let go there thy gift, before the altar, and retire; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then, having come, bring thy gift. Be kindly disposed to thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the way with him, lest thy opponent should deliver thee to the judge, and the judge should deliver thee to the assistant, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say to thee, Thou shouldst not come out thence, even till, thou shouldst give back the last fourth. Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Again, ye have heard, that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not swear a false oath, and thou shalt. return to the Lord thine oaths.
And hold ye from men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their assemblies will they scourge you.
And if thy brother sin against thee, retire, and refute him between thee and him alone; if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hear thee not, take with thee yet one or two, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might stand. read more. And if he refuse hearing them, speak to the church: and if he refuse hearing the church, let him be to thee as of the nations and a publican. Truly I say to you, Whatever things ye should bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever things ye should loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven.
And love the first place at suppers, and the first seat in the assemblies,
(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they vigorously wash hands, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
And see ye to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues shall ye be stripped: and shall be set before rulers and kings for my sake, for testimony to them.
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read. And the book of Esaias the prophet was given to him. And having unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written, read more. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for which he anointed me to announce good news to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim a remission to the captives, and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send away with remission the bruised, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
And having heard of Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him, that having come, he would save his servant.
For he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.
And, behold, a man came, to whom the name of Jairus, and he was ruler of the assembly: and having fallen before the feet of Jesus, he besought him to come to his house:
He yet speaking, there comes a certain of the ruler of the assembly, saying to him, That thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Teacher.
And when they bring you to assemblies, and beginnings, and powers, have no anxiety how or what ye allege for justification, or what ye say:
The Pharisee having stood, prayed these to himself, O God, I return thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or also as this publican.
And before all these shall they cast their hands upon you, and drive out, delivering to assemblies, and prisons, being brought before kings and leaders for my name's sake.
These said his parents, for they feared the Jews: for already had the Jews agreed, that if any should acknowledge him Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Yet nevertheless also many of the rulers believed in him; but on account of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge, lest they should be excluded from the synagogue:
And before the feast of the pascha, Jesus knowing that his hour had come that he should pass out of this world to the Father, having loved his own in the world, he loved them to the end. And supper having been, the devil having already cast into the heart of Judas Iscariot, of Simon, that he should deliver him up; read more. Jesus knowing that the Father has given all things to him into the hands, and that he came out from God, and retired to God; He arises from supper, and lays down the garments; and having taken a linen cloth, he girded himself. Then casts he water into a washing vessel, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe with the linen cloth with which he was girded. And he comes to Simon Peter: and he says to him, Lord, washest thou my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know after these. Peter says to him, Thou shouldest never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Except I wash thee, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter says to him, Lord, not my feet only, but the hands and head. Jesus says to him, He washed has no need but to have the feet washed, but is wholly clean: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew him delivering him up, therefore he said, Ye are not all clean. When therefore he washed their feet; and took his garments, going to recline again, he said to them, Knew ye what I have done to you? Ye call one Teacher and Lord: and ye say well; for I am. If therefore, I washed your feet, the Lord and Teacher; ye also ought to wash the feet of one another: For I have given you a pattern, as I have done to you, also should ye do.
And Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth.
And certain of them arose from the synagogue, called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrian, and of them from Cilicia and Asia, seeking out with Stephen.
He asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, so that if he find certain men being of the way, and also women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
He saw in a vision manifestly about the ninth hour of the day a messenger of God having come in to him, and saying to him, Cornelius.
And the morrow, these travelling, and drawing near to the city, Peter went up upon the house to pray about the sixth hour:
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
For Moses of ancient generations has them proclaiming him in every city, being read in the synagogues in every sabbath.
For Moses of ancient generations has them proclaiming him in every city, being read in the synagogues in every sabbath.
And the day of the sabbaths we came out of the city by the river, where prayer was customary to be; and having sat down, we spake to the women come together.
As also the chief priest testifies of me, and all the council of elders: and whose letters to the brethren having received, I went to Damascus, going to bring there the bound to Jerusalem, that they might be punished.
Dare any of you, having an affair with another, be judged by the unjust, and not by the holy ones? Know ye not that the holy ones shall judge the world? and if the world be judged by you, are ye unworthy of the least judgments? read more. Know ye not that we shall judge messengers? also not only things pertaining to the cares of life? Therefore truly, if ye have judgments pertaining to the cares of life, set them counted as nothing in the church. For confusion I speak to you. So is there not one wise with you, who will be able to judge between his brother? But brother with brother is judged, and this by the unbelieving. Therefore truly, already is there wholly a misfortune in you, that ye have judgments with yourselves. Wherefore had ye not rather be treated ill? wherefore had ye not rather be defrauded? But ye treat ill, and defraud, and that the brethren.
Every man praying or prophesying, having on the head, shames his head.
Therefore ye coming together upon the same, it is not to eat the Lord's supper.
When if thou praise in the spirit, how shall he filling the place of the private individual say Amen at thy thanksgiving) since he knows not what thou sayest
Let all things be becomingly and according to order.
If any love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha
But also if we, or a messenger from heaven, announce good news to you, more than what: we have announced to you, let him be anathema. As we said before, also now say I again, If any announce to you good news above what ye received, let him be anathema.
And truly he gave the sent; and the prophets; and the bearers of good tidings; and the shepherds, and the teachers;
Faithful the word, If any strive for superintendence, he eagerly desires a good work. Therefore an overseer must be irreprehensible, husband of one wife, sober, of sound mind, well arranged, hospitable, giving instruction; read more. Not intoxicated, not a quarrelsome person, not occupied in sordid gain; but equitable, without fighting, exempt from avarice; Presiding well over his own house, having the children in subjection with all gravity; (And if any know not to preside over his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not newly planted, lest rendered proud he fall into condemnation of the accuser. And he must also have good testimony from them without;lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the accuser.
And manifestly great is the mystery of devotion: God was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed in the nations, was believed on in the world, was received up in glory.
Let the elders having presided well be deemed worthy of double honour, chiefly they being wearied in word and doctrine.
If any be irreproachable, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not in accusation of licentiousness, or disorderly. For a bishop must be irreproachable, as steward of God; not self-sufficient, not prone to anger, not intemperate, not a striker, not occupied in sordid gain. read more. But hospitable, a lover of good, of sound mind, just, holy, holding firm; Holding firmly the faithful word according to instruction, that he may be able also to beseech in sound doctrine, and to refute those opposing.
This testimony is true. For this cause reprove them severely, that they may be sound in the faith;
Let us approach with a true heart in complete certainty of faith, having our hearts besprinkled from an evil consciousness, and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Remember them guiding you, who spake to you the word of God: of whom, observing narrowly the issue of the mode of life, imitate the faith:
For if there come into your synagogue a man wearing gold rings on is fingers, in brilliant clothing, and there come in also a beggar in filthy clothing;
For if there come into your synagogue a man wearing gold rings on is fingers, in brilliant clothing, and there come in also a beggar in filthy clothing; And ye look toward him bearing the brilliant clothing, and ye say to him, Sit thou well here; and to the beggar ye say, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
I was in the Spirit In the day pertaining to the Lord, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying,
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest upon my right hand, and the seven golden chandeliers. The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches: and the seven chandeliers which thou sawest are the seven churches.
To the messenger of the Ephesian church write: Thus says he holding the seven stars in his right hand, he walking about in the midst of the seven golden chandeliers;
I know thy works, and pressure, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and the blasphemy of them saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but the synagogue of the adversary.
Hastings
SYNAGOGUE
1. Meaning and history.
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Jehovah shall praise thee, and watch thee. Jehovah shall make his face shine upon thee and shall compassionate thee. read more. Jehovah shall lift up his face to thee, and put peace to thee.
And Jehovah will speak to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, They made to them fringes of flowers upon the wings of their garment for their generations; and they gave upon the fringes of the wing a thread of cerulean purple; read more. And it was to you for fringes, and ye saw it, and ye remembered all the commands of Jehovah, and ye did them; and ye shall not seek after your heart, and after your eyes, which ye committed fornication after them. So that ye shall remember, and ye did all my commands, and ye were holy to your God. I am Jehovah your God who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to be to you for God; I am Jehovah your God.
Hear, Israel; Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. And love thou Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might read more. And these words which I command thee to do shall be upon thy heart; And sharpen them to thy sons, and speak in them in thy resting in thy house, and in thy going in the way, and in thy lying down and in thy rising up. And bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for bands between thine eyes. And write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates.
And it was if hearing, ye shall hear to the commands which I command you this day, to love Jehovah your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, And I gave the rain of your land in its time, the early and the latter rain; and gather thy grain and thy new wine and thy new oil. read more. And I gave the green herb in thy field for thy cattle, and eat thou and be satisfied. Watch ye to yourselves, lest your heart shall be enticed, and ye turn aside and serve other gods, and worship to them: And the anger of Jehovah kindled against you, and he shut up the heavens and there shall not be rain, and the land shall not give her produce, and ye perished quickly from off the good land that Jehovah gave to you. And put these words upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they were for bands between your eyes. And teach them to your sons to speak in them in thy resting in thy house, and in thy walking in the way, and in thy lying down, and in thy rising up And write them upon the doorposts of thy house and upon thy gates.: So that your days shall be multiplied, and the days of your sons, upon the land which Jehovah sware to your fathers to give to them, according to the days of the heavens upon the earth.
And Joshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, causing the people to understand to the law: and the people upon their standing.
They said in their heart, We will rage against them together: they burnt up all the appointments of God in the earth.
And it was in the sixth year, in the sixth, in the fifth to the month, I sitting in my house, and the old men of Judah sitting before me, and the hand of the Lord Jehovah fell there upon me.
And it will be in the seventh year, in the fifth, in the tenth to the month, men from the old men of Israel came to seek Jehovah, and they sat before my face. And the word of Jehovah was to me, saying, read more. Son of man, speak to the old men of Israel, and say to them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Come ye to seek me? I live, if I will be sought for you, says the Lord Jehovah.
For many days shall the sons of Israel dwell, not a king and not a chief and not a sacrifice and not a pillar and it one ephod and teraphim
They shall not dwell in the land of Jehovah; and Ephraim turned back to Egypt, and in Assur they shall eat the unclean thing.
And Jesus went about the whole of Galilee, teaching in their assemblies, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing disease, and every weakness in the people.
And Jesus went about the whole of Galilee, teaching in their assemblies, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing disease, and every weakness in the people.
When therefore thou doest alms, thou shouldst not sound the trumpet before thee, as hypocrites do in the assemblies, and in the streets, that they might be praised by men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward.
And hold ye from men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their assemblies will they scourge you.
And all their works do they, to be seen by men: and make broad their preservatives, and enlarge the border of their garments
Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and the wise, and scribes: and of them shall ye kill and crucify; and of them shall ye chastise in your assemblies, and drive out from city to city,
And they go into Capernaum; and quickly in the sabbaths, having entered into the synagogue, he taught.
And, behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue comes, Jairus by name; and having seen him, he fell at his feet,
And sabbath having come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing were struck with amazement, saying, Whence to this one these things? and what this wisdom given to him, that such powers are done by his hands?
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read. And the book of Esaias the prophet was given to him. And having unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written, read more. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for which he anointed me to announce good news to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim a remission to the captives, and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send away with remission the bruised, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
And, behold, a man came, to whom the name of Jairus, and he was ruler of the assembly: and having fallen before the feet of Jesus, he besought him to come to his house:
And the ruler of the assembly having answered, feeling pain because Jesus cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd, Six days there are in which they ought to work; in those therefore, coming, be ye cured, and not the day of the sabbath.
Then said the Jews among themselves, Where is he about to go, that we shall not find him? is he not about to go to the dispersion of the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
And certain of them arose from the synagogue, called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrian, and of them from Cilicia and Asia, seeking out with Stephen.
He asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, so that if he find certain men being of the way, and also women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
And being in Salamis, they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John a servant.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
For Moses of ancient generations has them proclaiming him in every city, being read in the synagogues in every sabbath.
And the day of the sabbaths we came out of the city by the river, where prayer was customary to be; and having sat down, we spake to the women come together.
When if thou praise in the spirit, how shall he filling the place of the private individual say Amen at thy thanksgiving) since he knows not what thou sayest
James, servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, health.
I know thy works, and pressure, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and the blasphemy of them saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but the synagogue of the adversary.
Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but they lie; behold, I will make them that they come and worship before thy feet, and they should know that I have loved thee.
Morish
This word occurs but once in the A.V. of the Old Testament, Ps 74:8, but the same Hebrew word (moed) is many times translated 'congregation.' Mr. Darby, and the R.V. margin translate in Ps 74:8 "places of assembly." The word ???????? occurs very often in the LXX, but as a translation of some twenty different Hebrew words: 'congregation' or 'gathering' is the main thought. As far as is known there were no buildings called synagogues in Old Testament times. It has been judged that they arose after the captivity, and may perhaps have been occasioned by a desire to perpetuate the work begun by the people calling upon Ezra to read to them the book of the law, when those who heard were deeply affected. Neh. 8, Neh. 9.
In the exploration of Palestine remains of buildings have been discovered, which are judged to have been synagogues. They are uniform in plan, and differ from the ruins of churches, temples, and mosques. In two of them an inscription in Hebrew was over the main entrance, one in connection with a seven-branched candlestick, and the other with figures of the paschal lamb. A plain rectangular building answered the purpose. They were often erected by general contributions, though at times by a rich Jew, or in some instances by a Gentile, as the one built by the centurion at Capernaum. Lu 7:5.
An ark was placed at one end, in which were deposited the sacred books. Near this was the place of honour, or the 'chief seats,' which some sought after, Mt 23:6, and Jas 2:2-3 (where the word translated 'assembly' is 'synagogue'). Nearer the centre of the building was a raised platform with a kind of desk or pulpit, where the reader stood. A screen separated the women from the men.
It is known that a portion of the law and of the prophets was read every Sabbath, and it is clear from Ac 13:15 that if any one was present who had a "word of exhortation for the people," the opportunity was given for its delivery. Prayers also were doubtless offered, but how far these resembled the modern Jewish ritual is not known. The Lord spoke of the hypocrites who loved to pray standing in the synagogues, where they also ostentatiously offered their alms. Mt 6:2,5.
It was the custom of the Lord to visit the synagogues, and in them He wrought some of His miracles and taught the people. Mt 4:23. In Luke 4 the Lord, in the synagogue at Nazareth, stood up to read, and there was handed to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. After reading a portion which set forth His own attitude among them (stopping in the middle of a sentence), He sat down and spake "gracious words" to them. His exposition of the passage is not given except "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." It is recorded that the people were in the habit of freely expressing their opinions respecting what was taught, and here they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" In Ac 13:45 the Jews "spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming."
Paul also was permitted to speak in the synagogue at Damascus, when he showed the Jews that Jesus was the Son of God, Ac 9:20; and often afterwards he 'reasoned' or 'disputed' (??????????) with the Jews in their synagogues. Ac 18:4,19; 19:8.
It is important to see that everywhere in their own buildings a clear testimony was borne by the Lord Himself as to the significance of His appearance among them; and afterwards by Paul and others to the work He had accomplished by His death and resurrection for them
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They said in their heart, We will rage against them together: they burnt up all the appointments of God in the earth.
They said in their heart, We will rage against them together: they burnt up all the appointments of God in the earth.
And Jesus went about the whole of Galilee, teaching in their assemblies, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing disease, and every weakness in the people.
When therefore thou doest alms, thou shouldst not sound the trumpet before thee, as hypocrites do in the assemblies, and in the streets, that they might be praised by men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites; for they love in the assemblies, and in the corners of the broad ways to stand praying, so that they might appear to men. Verily I say to you, that they have their reward.
And hold ye from men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their assemblies will they scourge you.
And love the first place at suppers, and the first seat in the assemblies,
And, behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue comes, Jairus by name; and having seen him, he fell at his feet,
He yet speaking, they come from the ruler of the synagogue, saying, That thy daughter is dead: why yet dost thou importune the Teacher? And Jesus having quickly heard the word spoken, says to the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only believe.
And he comes to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and sees an uproar, they weeping and wailing much.
And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
And having heard of Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him, that having come, he would save his servant.
For he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.
He yet speaking, there comes a certain of the ruler of the assembly, saying to him, That thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Teacher.
And the ruler of the assembly having answered, feeling pain because Jesus cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd, Six days there are in which they ought to work; in those therefore, coming, be ye cured, and not the day of the sabbath.
These said his parents, for they feared the Jews: for already had the Jews agreed, that if any should acknowledge him Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
They answered and said to him, In sins wert thou wholly born, and teachest thou us? And they cast him without. Jesus heard that they cast him without; and having found him, said to him, Believest thou in the Son of God? read more. He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him? And Jesus said to him, Thou hast also seen him, and he speaking with thee, the same is he. And he said I believe, Lord. And he worshipped him.
Yet nevertheless also many of the rulers believed in him; but on account of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge, lest they should be excluded from the synagogue: For they loved the honour of men more than the honour of God.
They shall make you excluded from the synagogue: but the hour comes that every one having slain you should think to bring service to God.
Then said Pilate to them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. Then said the Jews to him, It is not lawful for us to kill any one:
And quickly in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And the Jews, having seen the crowds, were filled with envy, and spake against the things said by Paul, contradicting and defaming.
And he discussed in the synagogue on every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
And Crispus, ruler of the synagogue, believed the Lord with his whole house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptised.
And all the Greeks having taken Sosthenes, ruler of the synagogue, beat before the judgment seat. And,Gallio cared for none of these.
And Paul arrived at Ephesus, and left those of his: and he having come into the synagogue, discussed with the Jews.
And having come into the synagogue, he spake freely, discoursing for three months, and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
And I said, Lord, these know that I was imprisoning and skinning in the synagogues them believing on thee:
Of the Jews five times I received forty, except one.
For if there come into your synagogue a man wearing gold rings on is fingers, in brilliant clothing, and there come in also a beggar in filthy clothing; And ye look toward him bearing the brilliant clothing, and ye say to him, Sit thou well here; and to the beggar ye say, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
I know thy works, and pressure, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and the blasphemy of them saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but the synagogue of the adversary.
Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but they lie; behold, I will make them that they come and worship before thy feet, and they should know that I have loved thee.
Smith
Synagogue.
1. History. --The word synagogue (sunagoge), which means a "congregation," is used in the New Testament to signify a recognized place of worship. A knowledge of the history and worship of the synagogues is of great importance, since they are the characteristic institution of the later phase of Judaism. They appear to have arisen during the exile, in the abeyance of the temple-worship, and to have received their full development on the return of the Jews from captivity. The whole history of Ezra presupposes the habit of solemn, probably of periodic, meetings.
Ezr 8:15; Ne 8:2; 9:1; Zec 7:5
After the Maccabaean struggle for independence, we find almost every town or village had its one or more synagogues. Where the Jews were not in sufficient numbers to be able to erect and fill a building, there was the proseucha (proseuche), or place of prayer, sometimes open, sometimes covered in, commonly by a running stream or on the seashore, in which devout Jews and proselytes met to worship, and perhaps to read.
Juven. Sat. iii. 296. It is hardly possible to overestimate the influence of the system thus developed. To it we may ascribe the tenacity with which, after the Maccabaean struggle, the Jews adhered to the religion of their fathers, and never again relapsed into idolatry.
2. Structure. --The size of a synagogue varied with the population. Its position was, however, determinate. If stood, if possible, on the highest ground, in or near the city to which it belonged. And its direction too was fixed. Jerusalem was the Kibleh of Jewish devotion. The synagogue was so constructed that the worshippers, as they entered and as they prayed, looked toward it. The building was commonly erected at the cost of the district. Sometimes it was built by a rich Jew, or even, as in
Lu 7:5
by a friend or proselyte. In the internal arrangement of the synagogue we trace an obvious analogy to the type of the tabernacle. At the upper or Jerusalem end stood the ark, the chest which, like the older and more sacred ark contained the Book of the Law. It gave to that end the name and character of a sanctuary. This part of the synagogue was naturally the place of honor. Here were the "chief seats," for which Pharisees and scribes strove so eagerly,
and to which the wealthy and honored worshipper was invited.
Here too, in front of the ark, still reproducing the type of the tabernacle, was the eight-branched lamp, lighted only on the greater festivals. Besides this there was one lamp kept burning perpetually. More toward the middle of the building was a raised platform, on which several persons could stand at once, and in the middle of this rose a pulpit, in which the reader stood to read the lesson or sat down to teach. The congregation were divided, men on one side, women on the other a low partition, five or six feet high, running between them. The arrangements of modern synagogues, for many centuries, have made the separation more complete by placing the women in low side-galleries, screened off a lattice-work.
3. Officers. --In smaller towns there was often but one rabbi. Where a fuller organization was possible, there was a college of elders,
Lu 7:3
presided over by one who was "the chief of the synagogue."
The most prominent functionary in a large synagogue was known as the sheliach (= legatus), the officiating minister who acted as the delegate of the congregation and was therefore the chief reader of prayers, etc.., in their name. The chazzan or "minister" of the synagogue,
Lu 4:20
had duties of a lower kind, resembling those of the Christian deacon or sub-deacon. He was to open the doors and to prepare the building for service. Besides these there were ten men attached to every synagogue, known as the ballanim, (--otiosi). They were supposed to be men of leisure not obliged to labor for their livelihood able therefore to attend the week-day as well as the Sabbath services. The legatus of the synagogues appears in the angel,
perhaps also in the apostle of the Christian Church.
4. Worship. --It will be enough, in this place, to notice in what way the ritual, no less than the organization, was connected with the facts of the New Testament history, and with the life and order of the Christian Church. From the synagogue came the use of fixed forms of prayer. To that the first disciples had been accustomed from their youth. They had asked their Master to give them a distinctive one, and he had complied with their request,
Lu 11:1
as the Baptist had done before for his disciples, as every rabbi did for his. "Moses" was "read in the synagogues every Sabbath day,"
the whole law being read consecutively, so as to be completed, according to one cycle, in three years. The writings of the prophets were read as second lessons in a corresponding order. They were followed by the derash
the exposition, the sermon of the synagogue. The conformity extends also to the times of prayer. In the hours of service this was obviously the case. The third, sixth and ninth hours were in the times of the New Testament,
and had been probably for some time before,
the fixed times of devotion. The same hours, it is well known, were recognized in the Church of the second century, probably in that of the first also. The solemn days of the synagogue were the second, the fifth and the seventh, the last or Sabbath being the conclusion of the whole. The transfer of the sanctity of the Sabbath to the Lord's day involved a corresponding change in the order of the week, and the first, the fourth the sixth became to the Christian society what the other days had been to the Jewish. From the synagogue, lastly, come many less conspicuous practices, which meet us in the liturgical life of the first three centuries: Ablution, entire or partial, before entering the place of meeting,
Joh 13:1-15; Heb 10:22
standing, and not kneeling, as the attitude of prayer,
Lu 18:11
the arms stretched out; the face turned toward the Kibleh of the east; the responsive amen of the congregation to the prayers and benedictions of the elders.
5. Judicial functions. --The language of the New Testament shows that the officers of the synagogue exercised in certain cases a judicial power. If is not quite so easy, however to define the nature of the tribunal and the precise limits of its jurisdiction. In two of the passages referred to--
they are carefully distinguished from the councils. it seems probable that the council was the larger tribunal of twenty-three, which sat in every city, and that under the term synagogue We are to understand a smaller court, probably that of the ten judges mentioned in the Talmud. Here also We trace the outline of a Christian institution. the Church, Either by itself or by appointed delegates, was to act as a court of arbitration in all disputes its members. the elders of the Church were not however to descend to the trivial disputes of daily life. for the elders, as for those of the synagogue, were reserved the graver offences against religion and morals.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And I shall gather them together to the river going to Ahava, and there we shall encamp three days: and I shall look upon the people and upon the priests, and from the sons of Levi I found not these.
And Ezra the priest will bring the law before the convocation, from man and even to woman, and all understanding to hear in one day to the seventh month.
And in the twenty and fourth day to this month, the sons of Israel were gathered together with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
Evening and morning and noon I will meditate and make a noise, and he will hear my voice.
And Daniel as soon as he knew that the writing was signed, went up into his house; and the windows being opened to him in his upper chambers before Jerusalem, three times in the day he kneeled upon his knees, and praying and praising before his God, for the cause that he did from before this
Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh, and this seventy years, fasting, fasted ye to me, me?
And hold ye from men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their assemblies will they scourge you.
And love the first place at suppers, and the first seat in the assemblies,
And see ye to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues shall ye be stripped: and shall be set before rulers and kings for my sake, for testimony to them.
And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
And having heard of Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him, that having come, he would save his servant.
For he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.
And, behold, a man came, to whom the name of Jairus, and he was ruler of the assembly: and having fallen before the feet of Jesus, he besought him to come to his house:
He yet speaking, there comes a certain of the ruler of the assembly, saying to him, That thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Teacher.
And it was in his being in a certain place praying, when he ceased, a certain of his disciples said to him Lord, teach us to pray, as John also -taught his disciples.
And the ruler of the assembly having answered, feeling pain because Jesus cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd, Six days there are in which they ought to work; in those therefore, coming, be ye cured, and not the day of the sabbath.
The Pharisee having stood, prayed these to himself, O God, I return thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or also as this publican.
And before the feast of the pascha, Jesus knowing that his hour had come that he should pass out of this world to the Father, having loved his own in the world, he loved them to the end. And supper having been, the devil having already cast into the heart of Judas Iscariot, of Simon, that he should deliver him up; read more. Jesus knowing that the Father has given all things to him into the hands, and that he came out from God, and retired to God; He arises from supper, and lays down the garments; and having taken a linen cloth, he girded himself. Then casts he water into a washing vessel, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe with the linen cloth with which he was girded. And he comes to Simon Peter: and he says to him, Lord, washest thou my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know after these. Peter says to him, Thou shouldest never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Except I wash thee, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter says to him, Lord, not my feet only, but the hands and head. Jesus says to him, He washed has no need but to have the feet washed, but is wholly clean: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew him delivering him up, therefore he said, Ye are not all clean. When therefore he washed their feet; and took his garments, going to recline again, he said to them, Knew ye what I have done to you? Ye call one Teacher and Lord: and ye say well; for I am. If therefore, I washed your feet, the Lord and Teacher; ye also ought to wash the feet of one another: For I have given you a pattern, as I have done to you, also should ye do.
And Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth.
He saw in a vision manifestly about the ninth hour of the day a messenger of God having come in to him, and saying to him, Cornelius.
And the morrow, these travelling, and drawing near to the city, Peter went up upon the house to pray about the sixth hour:
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
For Moses of ancient generations has them proclaiming him in every city, being read in the synagogues in every sabbath.
And the day of the sabbaths we came out of the city by the river, where prayer was customary to be; and having sat down, we spake to the women come together.
And Crispus, ruler of the synagogue, believed the Lord with his whole house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptised.
And all the Greeks having taken Sosthenes, ruler of the synagogue, beat before the judgment seat. And,Gallio cared for none of these.
When if thou praise in the spirit, how shall he filling the place of the private individual say Amen at thy thanksgiving) since he knows not what thou sayest
Let us approach with a true heart in complete certainty of faith, having our hearts besprinkled from an evil consciousness, and having our bodies washed with pure water.
For if there come into your synagogue a man wearing gold rings on is fingers, in brilliant clothing, and there come in also a beggar in filthy clothing; And ye look toward him bearing the brilliant clothing, and ye say to him, Sit thou well here; and to the beggar ye say, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Watsons
SYNAGOGUE, ????????, "an assembly," Re 2:9; 3:9. The word often occurs in the Gospels and in the Acts, because Jesus Christ and his Apostles generally went to preach in those places. Although the sacrifices could not be offered, except in the tabernacle or the temple, the other exercises of religion were restricted to no particular place. Accordingly we find that the praises of God were sung, at a very ancient period, in the schools of the prophets; and those who felt any particular interest in religion, were assembled by the seers on the Sabbath, and the new moons, for prayers and religious instruction, 1Sa 10:5-11; 19:18-24; 2Ki 4:23. During the Babylonish captivity, the Jews, who were then deprived of their customary religious privileges, were wont to collect around some prophet or other pious man, who taught them and their children in religion, exhorted to good conduct, and read out of the sacred books, Eze 14:1; 20:1; Da 6:11; Ne 8:18. These assemblies, or meetings, became, in progress of time, fixed to certain places, and a regular order was observed in them. Such appears to have been the origin of synagogues. In speaking of synagogues, it is worthy to be noticed, that there is nothing said in respect to the existence of such buildings in Palestine, during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. They are, therefore, by some supposed to have been first erected under the Maccabean princes, but that, in foreign countries, they were much more ancient. Whether this statement be correct or not, it is nevertheless certain, that in the time of the Apostles, there were synagogues wherever there were Jews. They were built, in imitation of the temple of Jerusalem, with a court and porches, as is the case with the synagogues in the east at the present day. In the centre of the court is a chapel, supported by four columns, in which, on an elevation prepared for it, is placed the book of the law, rolled up. This, on the appointed days, is publicly read. In addition to the chapel, there is erected within the court a large covered hall or vestry, into which the people retire, when the weather happens to be cold and stormy, and each family has its particular seat. The uppermost seats in the synagogue, that is, those which were nearest the chapel where the sacred books were kept, were esteemed peculiarly honourable, Mt 23:6; Jas 2:3. The "proseuchae," ?????????, are understood by some to be smaller synagogues, but by others are supposed to be particular places under the open sky, where the Jews assembled for religious exercise. But Josephus calls the proseucha of Tiberias a large house, which held very many persons. See Proseuchae. The Apostles preached the Gospel in synagogues and proseuchae, and with their adherents performed in them all the religious services. When excluded, they imitated the Jews in those places, where they were too poor to erect these buildings, and held their religious meetings in the houses of individuals. Hence we not only hear of synagogues in houses in the Talmud, but of churches in houses in the New Testament, Ro 16:5; 1Co 16:19; Col 4:15; Php 2; Ac 3:26; 5:42. The Apostles sometimes hired a house, in which they performed religious services, and taught daily, Ac 19:9; 20:8. ???????? means literally a convention or assembly, but by metonymy, was eventually used for the place of assembling; in the same way that ????????, which means literally a calling together, or convocation, signifies also at the present time the place of convocation. Synagogues were sometimes called by the Jews schools; but they were careful to make an accurate distinction between such, and the schools, properly so called, the ??????, or "sublimer schools," in which the Talmud was read, while the law merely was read in the synagogues, which they placed far behind the Talmud.
The mode of conducting religious instruction and worship in the primitive Christian churches, was derived for the most part from the practice which anciently prevailed in synagogues. But there were no regular teachers in the synagogues, who were officially qualified to pronounce discourses before the people; although there were interpreters who rendered into the vernacular tongue, namely, the Hebraeo-aramean, the sections, which had been publicly read in the Hebrew.
The "synagogue preacher," ????, whose business it is, in consequence of his office, to address the people, is an official personage that has been introduced in later times; at least we find no mention of such a one in the New Testament. On the contrary, in the time of Christ, the person who read the section for the Sabbath, or any other person who was respectable for learning and had a readiness of speech, addressed the people, Lu 4:16-21; Ac 13:5,15; 15:21; Mt 4:23.
The other persons who were employed in the services and government of the synagogue, in addition to the one who read the Scriptures, and the person who rendered them into the vernacular tongue, were as follows:
1. "The ruler of the synagogue," ?????????????, ??? ?????, who presided over the assembly, and invited readers and speakers, unless some persons who were acceptable voluntarily offered themselves, Mr 5:22,35-38; Lu 8:41; 13:14-15; Ac 13:15.
2. "The elders of the synagogue," ?????, ???????????. They appear to have been the counsellors of the head or ruler of the synagogue, and were chosen from among the most powerful and learned of the people, and are hence called ?????????????, Ac 13:15. The council of elders not only took a part in the management of the internal concerns of the synagogue, but also punished transgressors of the public laws, either by turning them out of the synagogue, or decreeing the punishment of thirty- nine stripes, Joh 12:42; 16:2; 2Co 11:24.
3. "The collectors of alms," ???? ????, ????????, "deacons." Although every thing which is said of them by the Jews was not true concerning them in the time of the Apostles, there can be no doubt that there were such officers in the synagogues at that time, Acts 6.
4. "The servants of the synagogue," ???, ????????, Lu 4:20; whose business it was to reach the book of the law to the person who was to read it, and to receive it back again, and to perform other services. The ceremonies which prevail in the synagogues at the present day in presenting the law were not observed in the time of our Saviour.
5. "The messenger or legate of the synagogue," ???? ????. This was a person who was sent from synagogues abroad, to carry alms to Jerusalem. The name, messenger of the synagogue, was applied likewise to any person, who was commissioned by a synagogue, and sent forth to propagate religious knowledge. A person likewise was denominated the messenger, or angel, ????????, ??? ???????? ?????????, &c, who was selected by the assembly to recite for them the prayers; the same that is called by the Jews of modern times the synagogue singer, or cantilator, Re 2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14.
The Jews anciently called those persons who, from their superior erudition, were capable of teaching in the synagogue, ??????, "shepherds," or "pastors." They applied the same term, at least in more recent times, to the elders of the synagogue, and also to the collectors of alms, or deacons. The ground of the application of this term in such a way, is as follows: the word ???? is, without doubt, derived from the Greek word ??????, "bread," or "a fragment of bread;" and, as it is used in the Targums, it corresponds to the Hebrew verb ???, "to feed." It is easy to see, therefore, how the word ???? might be applied to persons who sustained offices in the synagogue, in the same way as ??? is applied to kings, &c.
We do not find mention made of public worship in the synagogues, except on the Sabbath, Mt 12:9; Mr 1:21; 3:1; 6:2; Lu 4:16,32-33; 6:6; 13:10; Ac 13:14; 15:21; 16:13-25; 17:2; 18:4. What is said of St. Paul's hiring the school of one Tyrannus at Ephesus, and teaching in it daily, is a peculiar instance, Ac 19:9-10. Yet there can be no doubt that those Jews who were unable to go to Jerusalem attended worship on their festival days, as well as on the Sabbath, in their own synagogues. Individuals sometimes offered their private prayers in the
See Verses Found in Dictionary
After this thou shalt come to the hill of God, where there Philisteim standing: and it will be when thou comest there to the city, and thou didst light upon a band of prophets coming down out of Bamah, and before them a lyre, and a drum, and a pipe, and a harp; and they prophesying. And the shout of Jehovah fell suddenly upon thee and thou shalt prophesy with them, and be turned to another man. read more. And it was when these signs shall come upon thee, do for thyself what thy hand shall find, for God is with thee. And go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I come down to thee to bring up burnt offerings, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace: seven days shalt thou wait till my coming to thee, and I made known to thee what thou shalt do. And it was as he turned away his shoulder to go from Samuel, and God will turn to him another heart: and all these signs will come in that day. And they will come there to Gibeab, and behold, a band of prophets to meet him; and the spirit of God will fall suddenly upon him and he will prophesy in the midst of them. And it will be all will know him from yesterday the third day, and will see him and behold, he prophesied with the prophets, and the people will say, a man to his neighbor, What was this to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
And David fled, and he will escape and will come to Samuel at Ramah, and he will announce to him all that Saul did to him. And he went, and Samuel, and they dwelt in Naioth. And it will be announced to Saul, saying, Behold, David in Naioth in Ramah. read more. And Saul will send messengers to take David: and seeing the assembly of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing, being set up over them, and the spirit of God will be upon Saul's messengers, and they will prophesy, also they. And they will announce to Saul, and he will send other messengers, and they will prophesy, also they. And Saul will add and will send messengers the third time, and they will prophesy, also they. And he also will go to Ramah, and he will come even to the great pit which is in Sechu: and he will ask and and say, Where Samuel and David? And it will be said, Behold, in Naioth in Ramah. And he will go there to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God will be upon him, him also, and going, he will go and prophesy even till his coming into Naioth in Ramah. And he will also strip off his garments and prophesy, he also, before Samuel; and he will fall naked all that day and all the night. For this they will say, Is Saul also among the prophets.
And he will read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day even to the last day. And they will do a festival seven days; and in the eighth day a restraint according to judgment
And there will come to me men from the old men of Israel, and sit before me.
And it will be in the seventh year, in the fifth, in the tenth to the month, men from the old men of Israel came to seek Jehovah, and they sat before my face.
Then these men ran together with tumult and found Daniel seeking and making supplication before his God.
And Jesus went about the whole of Galilee, teaching in their assemblies, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing disease, and every weakness in the people.
And love the first place at suppers, and the first seat in the assemblies,
And they go into Capernaum; and quickly in the sabbaths, having entered into the synagogue, he taught.
And he went again into the synagogue; and a man was there having the hand dried up.
And, behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue comes, Jairus by name; and having seen him, he fell at his feet,
He yet speaking, they come from the ruler of the synagogue, saying, That thy daughter is dead: why yet dost thou importune the Teacher? And Jesus having quickly heard the word spoken, says to the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only believe. read more. And he permitted not any to follow him, except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he comes to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and sees an uproar, they weeping and wailing much.
And sabbath having come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing were struck with amazement, saying, Whence to this one these things? and what this wisdom given to him, that such powers are done by his hands?
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read.
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read.
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read.
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read.
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read.
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought up, and he went in, as was the custom to him in the day of the sabbaths, into the assembly, and stood up to read. And the book of Esaias the prophet was given to him. And having unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written,
And the book of Esaias the prophet was given to him. And having unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for which he anointed me to announce good news to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim a remission to the captives, and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send away with remission the bruised, read more. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him. And he began to say to them, That this day has this writing been filled up in your ears.
And they were struck with amazement at his teaching: for his word was with power. And in the assembly was a man having the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a great voice,
And it was also in another sabbath, he came into the assembly, and taught: and a man was there, and his right hand was withered.
And, behold, a man came, to whom the name of Jairus, and he was ruler of the assembly: and having fallen before the feet of Jesus, he besought him to come to his house:
And he was teaching in one of the assemblies in the sabbaths.
And the ruler of the assembly having answered, feeling pain because Jesus cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd, Six days there are in which they ought to work; in those therefore, coming, be ye cured, and not the day of the sabbath. Then answered the Lord and said, Hypocrite, does not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox or ass from the stall, and leading away, give to drink?
Yet nevertheless also many of the rulers believed in him; but on account of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge, lest they should be excluded from the synagogue:
They shall make you excluded from the synagogue: but the hour comes that every one having slain you should think to bring service to God.
And they were persevering in the teaching of the sent, and in mutual participation, and breaking of bread, and prayers.
To you first God, having raised up his child Jesus, sent him praising you, in turning away each from your wickedness.
And every day in the temple, and at the house, they ceased not teaching and announcing the good news, Jesus the Christ.
And certain of them arose from the synagogue, called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrian, and of them from Cilicia and Asia, seeking out with Stephen.
And being in Salamis, they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John a servant.
And they having passed from Perga, approached Antioch of Pisidia, and having come into the synagogue on the day of the sabbaths, they sat down. And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
And after reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if the word of encouragement is in you to the people, speak.
For Moses of ancient generations has them proclaiming him in every city, being read in the synagogues in every sabbath.
For Moses of ancient generations has them proclaiming him in every city, being read in the synagogues in every sabbath.
And having read, they rejoiced for the encouraging
And the day of the sabbaths we came out of the city by the river, where prayer was customary to be; and having sat down, we spake to the women come together. And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a dealer in purple garments, of the city of Thyatira, worshipping God, heard: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to things spoken by Paul. read more. And when she was immersed, and her house, she besought, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, having come into my house, remain. And she forced us. And it was we going for prayer, a certain young girl having the spirit of Python met us, who furnished much gain to her lords, prophesying: She having followed Paul and us, cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who announce to us the way of salvation. And this did she for many days. And Paul, having been exercised, and having turned back to the spirit, said, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out the same hour. And her lords having seen that the hope of their gain went out, taking Paul and Silas, they drew to the assembly to the rulers, And having brought them to the generals, they said, These the men who cause disturbance to our city, being Jews, And they announce customs, which it is not lawful for us to receive, nor do, being Romans. And the crowd set together against them: and the generals having rent their garments, commanded to scourge with rods. And many blows having been put upon them, they cast into prison, having commanded the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such an order, cast them into the inner prison, and placed their feet firmly in wood. And at midnight Paul and Silas praying, praised God: and the imprisoned heard them.
And according to custom to Paul, he went in to them, and upon three sabbaths discussed with them from the writings,
And he discussed in the synagogue on every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
And when certain were hardened, and believed not, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, having departed from them, he separated the disciples, discoursing in the day in the school of a certain Tyrannus.
And when certain were hardened, and believed not, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, having departed from them, he separated the disciples, discoursing in the day in the school of a certain Tyrannus. And this was for two years: so that all dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
And in one of the sabbaths, the disciples having been assembled together to break bread, Paul conversed with them being about to go forth the morrow; and he continued the word until midnight.
And in one of the sabbaths, the disciples having been assembled together to break bread, Paul conversed with them being about to go forth the morrow; and he continued the word until midnight. And sufficient lights were in the upper room, where they were assembled.
And sufficient lights were in the upper room, where they were assembled.
And sufficient lights were in the upper room, where they were assembled. And a certain young man by name Eutychus, sitting in the window, borne down by deep sleep, Paul conversing more and more, fell down below from the third story, and was taken up dead.
And a certain young man by name Eutychus, sitting in the window, borne down by deep sleep, Paul conversing more and more, fell down below from the third story, and was taken up dead. And Paul having gone down, fell upon him, and embracing, said, Be not disturbed, for his soul is in him.
And Paul having gone down, fell upon him, and embracing, said, Be not disturbed, for his soul is in him. And having gone up, and broken bread, and tasted, and conversed for a sufficient time, till the light, so he went forth.
And having gone up, and broken bread, and tasted, and conversed for a sufficient time, till the light, so he went forth.
And the church in their house. Embrace my beloved Epenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ.
And every woman praying or prophesying with head uncovered shames her head: for it is one and the same to her having been shaved.
But neither the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman by the man, so also the man by the woman; and all things of God. read more. Judge in yourselves: is it suitable for a woman to pray to God uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you, that, if a man truly have long hair, it is a dishonour to him? And if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for the hair has been given her for a cloak. And if any one seem to be loving strife, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
Pursue love, and be emulous of spiritual things, and rather that ye might prophesy. For he speaking in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God: (for none hears; and in the spirit he speaks mysteries.) read more. And he prophesying speaks to men for building the house, and entreaty, and encouragement. And he speaking in a tongue builds himself; and he prophesying builds the church. And I will ye all to speak with tongues, and rather that ye prophesy; for geater he prophesying, than he speaking with tongues, unless he interpret accurately, that the church receive building up. And now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in teaching? As inanimate things giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if it give not a distinction to sounds, how shall the piping or harping be known? For also if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war? So also ye, except by the tongue ye give an evident word, how shall the speaking be known? for ye shall be speaking into the air. If perchance, such kind of voices be in the world, and none of them speechless. If therefore I know not the power of the voice, I shall be to him speaking a foreigner, and he speaking a foreigner to me. So also ye, since ye are zealous of spirits, for the building up of the church seek that ye may abound. Wherefore he speaking in a tongue, let, him pray that he might interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, and my mind is unfruitful. What therefore is it? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray also with the mind: I will play on the harp in the spirit, and I will play also on the harp in the mind. When if thou praise in the spirit, how shall he filling the place of the private individual say Amen at thy thanksgiving) since he knows not what thou sayest For thou truly givest thanks well, but the other is not built up. I thank my God, speaking in tongues more than you all: But in the church, I will to speak five words by my mind, that I might also sound. in the ears of others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brethren, be not children in reflection: but in wickedness act like children, and in reflection be ye perfected. It has been written in the law, That in other tongues and in other lips will I speak to this people; and not so will they hear me, says the Lord. So that tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving: and the gift of prophecy, not to the unbelieving, but to the believing. If therefore the whole church come together upon the same, and all speak with tongues, and the private individual, or unbelieving, come in, will they not say that ye are enraged? And If all prophesy, and any unbelieving, or ignorant private individual come in, he is refuted by all, he is examined by all: And so the hidden things of his heart are made manifest; and so having fallen upon the face, he will worship God, proclaiming that God is truly with you. Therefore, what is it brethren when ye come together, every one of you has a Psalms, has teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretatior. Let all things be for the building of the house. Whether any speak in a tongue, by two, or the most by three, and in part; and let one interpret. And if there be no interpreter, let him be silent in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. And let the prophets speak two or three, and let others decide. And if to another sitting by it be revealed, let the first be silent. For ye are all able to prophesy one by one, that all might learn, and all might be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subjected to the prophets. For God is not of unsteadiness, but of peace, as in all the churches of the holy ones. Let your women be silent in the churches: for it has not been committed to them to speak; but to be subjected, as also says the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their own husbands in the house; for it is shameful for women to speak in the church. Or came out the word of God from you or did it arrive to you only? If any think to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him observe what I write to you, that they are the commands of the Lord. And if any is ignorant, let him be ignorant. Therefore, brethren, be zealous to prophesy, and hinder not to speak in tongues. Let all things be becomingly and according to order.
But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart
Greet the brethren in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church in his house.
And ye look toward him bearing the brilliant clothing, and ye say to him, Sit thou well here; and to the beggar ye say, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
To the messenger of the Ephesian church write: Thus says he holding the seven stars in his right hand, he walking about in the midst of the seven golden chandeliers;
And to the messenger of the church of the Smyrnians write; Thus says the first and the last, who was dead and he lived; I know thy works, and pressure, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and the blasphemy of them saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but the synagogue of the adversary.
And to the messenger to the calling out in Pergamos write: Thus says he having the sharp two-mouthed sword;
And to the messenger of the church among the Thyatirians write; Thus says the Son of God, having his eyes as a flame of fire, and his feet like the brass of Lebanon;
And to the messenger of the church in Sardis write: Thus says he having the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead:
And to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write; Thus says the holy, the true, he having the key of David, he opening, and no one shuts; and he shuts, and no one opens;
Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but they lie; behold, I will make them that they come and worship before thy feet, and they should know that I have loved thee.
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;