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עֵדָה

𐤏𐤃𐤄

ʻêdâh

H5713 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עוד to bear witness, testify, repeat

Definition

Assembly, congregation, or community, particularly of the Israelite people; by extension, a formal or representative body assembled for deliberations, religious purposes, or as a witness. The term is often used to denote the collective of Israelites as a community bound by covenant and law, but can also refer to specific groupings gathered for decision-making or witness functions.

Semantic Range

assembly, congregation, community, gathering for deliberation, body of representatives, group of witnesses, covenant community

Root / Etymology

From the root ע-ו-ד (עוד), meaning 'to testify, bear witness, repeat'; the noun עֵדָה is a feminine derivative stemming from the root's sense of assembling to bear witness or give testimony.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עֵדָה primarily refers to the whole body of Israelites, particularly as a covenant community, often translated 'congregation' or 'assembly.' Pre- and early-monarchic usage highlights the collective presence of the Israelite people, especially in legal, cultic, and narrative contexts (e.g., Exod 12:3 'all the congregation of Israel'). In later periods, particularly in Priestly and Deuteronomistic sources, עֵדָה carries increasingly formal and institutional connotations, sometimes distinguishing the community as a legal or ritual body. Contrast is observed between עֵדָה (assembly as an organized community) and קָהָל (gathering, assembly more generally or physically). English 'congregation' or 'assembly' sometimes flattens the nuance, as עֵדָה frequently carries strong covenantal, legal, or ritual implications. During the post-exilic and Second Temple periods, related terms come to denote official or representative councils (cf. Greek συναγωγή). Translational traditions sometimes later render this term as 'synagogue' or even 'church,' but such uses reflect later institutional developments not yet present in biblical tradition.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of עֵד in its techn. sense; testimony; testimony, witness. Compare עֵדָה.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עוד (ʿ-w-d) — to bear witness, testify, repeat

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3034 יָדָה still him
H5704 עַד while still
H5707 עֵד witness
H5709 עֲדָא appointed assembly of
H5712 עֵדָה appointed assembly of

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5713-02 עֵֽדֹתֶ֨י/ךָ edoteykha HNcfpc/Sp2ms your testimonies your witnessing-assemblies 11
H5713-04 לְ/עֵדָ֔ה leedah HR/Ncfsa a witness to a witness-assembly 3
H5713-07 וְ/עֵדֹתָ֥י/ו veedotayv HC/Ncfpc/Sp3ms and his testimonies and his witness-assemblies 3
H5713-08 בְ֭/עֵדֹתֶי/ךָ veedoteykha HR/Ncfpc/Sp2ms and Your testimonies your assemblies-of-witness 2
H5713-03 הָֽ/עֵדֹ֔ת haedot HTd/Ncfpa are the testimonies the witness-assemblies 2
H5713-01 עֵ֝דֹתָ֗י/ו edotayv HNcfpc/Sp3ms his testimonies his witness-assemblies 2
H5713-09 וְ/עֵדֹתִ֥/י veedoti HC/Ncfpc/Sp1cs and My testimonies and my witness-assemblies 1
H5713-05 מֵ/עֵדֹתֶ֑י/ךָ meedoteykha HR/Ncfpc/Sp2ms from your testimonies from your assemblies 1
H5713-06 וְ/עֵדָ֖ה veedah HC/Ncfsa and witness and witness-assembly 1

Occurrences in Scripture

26 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5713-04 Genesis 21:30 לְ/עֵדָ֔ה leedah HR/Ncfsa a witness to a witness-assembly
H5713-06 Genesis 31:52 וְ/עֵדָ֖ה veedah HC/Ncfsa and witness and witness-assembly
H5713-03 Deuteronomy 4:45 הָֽ/עֵדֹ֔ת haedot HTd/Ncfpa are the testimonies the witness-assemblies
H5713-07 Deuteronomy 6:17 וְ/עֵדֹתָ֥י/ו veedotayv HC/Ncfpc/Sp3ms and His testimonies and his witness-assemblies
H5713-03 Deuteronomy 6:20 הָ/עֵדֹ֗ת haedot HTd/Ncfpa the testimonies the witness-assemblies
H5713-04 Joshua 24:27 לְ/עֵדָ֔ה leedah HR/Ncfsa a witness to a witness-assembly
H5713-04 Joshua 24:27 לְ/עֵדָ֔ה leedah-2 HR/Ncfsa a witness to a witness-assembly
H5713-07 Psalms 25:10 וְ/עֵדֹתָֽי/ו veedotayv HC/Ncfpc/Sp3ms and his testimonies and his witness-assemblies
H5713-07 Psalms 78:56 וְ֝/עֵדוֹתָ֗י/ו veedotayv HC/Ncfpc/Sp3ms his testimonies and his witness-assemblies
H5713-02 Psalms 93:5 עֵֽדֹתֶ֨י/ךָ edoteykha HNcfpc/Sp2ms Your testimonies your witnessing-assemblies
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