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עֵדָה

𐤏𐤃𐤄

ʻêdâh

H5712 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עוד to appoint, witness, testify

Definition

An assembly or gathering, typically of people meeting for a specific purpose, often used for the collective group of Israelites. The term spans contexts including organized assemblies for religious or judicial purposes, collective identity as a people, and more general gatherings. In some contexts, it designates the entire Israelite community, particularly when acting as a single entity.

Semantic Range

assembly, congregation, organized group of people, gathered community, gathering for worship or legal purpose, the collective Israelite community, (rare) company or multitude

Root / Etymology

Root: עֵד (ʻēd), related to the root ע-ו-ד (to appoint, witness, testify), though precise derivation for עֵדָה is debated. The term is the feminine form, originally denoting something fixed or appointed (i.e., a body gathered for a purpose), but has come to mean an organized group or assembly.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עֵדָה frequently refers to the full community of Israelites, especially in the Pentateuch and Numbers, when designating the collective group in the wilderness. It is used in narrative and legal texts to signify the group as a whole (e.g., against a backdrop of leadership, covenant, or judgment), but can also indicate smaller assemblies for governance or worship. The term is historically distinct from קָהָל (qāhāl), another term for 'assembly,' which sometimes refers to a more formal or legal convocation. Later religious tradition and English translations often rendered עֵדָה as 'congregation' or 'assembly,' and in some contexts, as 'community'; however, 'congregation' may narrow the term's original semantic breadth. During the Second Temple period, עֵדָה also acquired a more technical meaning to describe sectarian groups (e.g., among the Dead Sea Scrolls' 'community'). Some translations traditionally render עֵדָה as 'Jewish community,' but in the context of the Hebrew Bible, it more accurately denotes the assembled Israelites or their tribal groupings, not later religious or ethnic identities. Cf. קָהָל for related, sometimes overlapping usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of עֵד in the original sense of fixture; a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd); assembly, company, congregation, multitude, people, swarm. Compare עֵדָה.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עוד (ʿ-w-d) — appoint, witness, testify

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3034 יָדָה still him
H5704 עַד while still
H5707 עֵד witness
H5709 עֲדָא appointed assembly of
H5713 עֵדָה his witness-assemblies

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5712-09 הָֽ/עֵדָ֔ה haedah HTd/Ncfsa the congregation the appointed assembly 78
H5712-01 עֲדַ֤ת adat HNcfsc congregation appointed assembly of 42
H5712-05 בַּ/עֲדַת baadat HR/Ncfsc in the congregation in appointed assembly of 6
H5712-12 לָ/עֵדָ֤ה laedah HRd/Ncfsa for the congregation for the appointed assembly 3
H5712-02 עֲדָ֣תְ/ךָ֔ adatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your congregation your appointed assembly 3
H5712-13 מֵ/עֲדַ֣ת meadat HR/Ncfsc from the congregation from the assembly-of 2
H5712-14 וַ/עֲדַ֣ת vaadat HC/Ncfsc and a band and assembly of 2
H5712-08 עֵדָ֛ה edah HNcfsa O congregation appointed assembly 2
H5712-16 וְ/עֵדָֽה veedah HC/Ncfsa and congregation and appointed assembly 2
H5712-04 עֲדָת/וֹ֮ adato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his assembly his appointed assembly 2

Occurrences in Scripture

149 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5712-01 Exodus 12:3 עֲדַ֤ת adat HNcfsc congregation appointed assembly of
H5712-01 Exodus 12:6 עֲדַֽת adat HNcfsc of the congregation appointed assembly of
H5712-13 Exodus 12:19 מֵ/עֲדַ֣ת meadat HR/Ncfsc from the congregation from the assembly-of
H5712-01 Exodus 12:47 עֲדַ֥ת adat HNcfsc the congregation appointed assembly of
H5712-01 Exodus 16:1 עֲדַ֤ת adat HNcfsc congregation appointed assembly of
H5712-01 Exodus 16:2 עֲדַ֧ת adat HNcfsc congregation appointed assembly of
H5712-01 Exodus 16:9 עֲדַת֙ adat HNcfsc congregation appointed assembly of
H5712-01 Exodus 16:10 עֲדַ֣ת adat HNcfsc congregation appointed assembly of
H5712-09 Exodus 16:22 הָֽ/עֵדָ֔ה haedah HTd/Ncfsa the congregation the appointed assembly
H5712-01 Exodus 17:1 עֲדַ֨ת adat HNcfsc congregation appointed assembly of
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