services (held by a congregation)

〈 religie〉

1 [vereniging van personen die geloften hebben afgelegd] congregation ⇒ order

2 [kerkelijk goedgekeurde vereniging van leken] congregation ⇒ sodality

3 [godsdienstoefeningen] services (held by a congregation)

4 [groep van kardinalen] Congregation

συναγωγή, ῆς, ἡ (Thu. et al.; ins, pap, LXX, Just.). The term ς. is fluid, and its use as a loanword in Eng. in connection with cult suggests a technical usage that belies the extraordinary breadth of use of ς. Orig. in act. sense ‘a bringing together, assembling’, then in LXX and contemporary documents ‘a gathering’ or ‘place of assembly’.—For ins evidence relating to cultic usage s. ROster, NTS 39, ’93, 181 n. 14 (the principal corpora); for synonyms, p. 186; cp. New Docs 4, 202f.

① a place where someth. collects, gathering place of the basins in which water is gathered at the creation (Gen 1:9; cp. Jos., Ant. 15, 346 ς. ὑδάτων; Did., Gen. 25, 14 ς., ἣν καλεῖν εἰώθασιν ὠκεανόν) 1 Cl 20:6.

② a place of assembly (Cybeleins [Bilderatlas z. Religionsgesch. 9–11, 1926 p. xix no. 154] ἐν τῇ τοῦ Διὸς συναγωγῇ; s. New Docs 3, 43. Sb 4981, 6f [restored].—On συναγωγή as a room for meetings cp. συνέδρια of the meeting-houses of the Pythagoreans Polyb. 2, 39, 1).

ⓐ of the Jewish synagogue (it is used for a place of assembly for Jews in Philo, Omn. Prob. Lib. 81 [w. ref. to the Essenes]; Jos., Bell. 2, 285; 289; 7, 44, Ant. 19, 300; 305; CIG 9894; 9904; BCH 21, 1897 p. 47; Συναγωγὴ Ἑβραίων in Corinth [s. Κόρινθος, end], in Rome [CIG IV, 9909] and ILydiaKP III, 42 p. 32ff.—S. AvHarnack, Mission⁴ II 1924, p. 568, 2; GKittel, TLZ 69, ’44, 11f.—Orig., C. Cels. 6, 23, 3; Hippol., Ref. 9, 12, 7); people came to the συν. to worship God Mt 4:23; 6:2, 5; 9:35; 12:9; 13:54; Mk 1:39; 3:1; 6:2; Lk 4:15; 6:6; J 18:20. In the same buildings court was also held and punishment was inflicted: Mt 10:17; 23:34; Mk 13:9; Lk 12:11; 21:12; Ac 22:19; 26:11 (HKee, NTS 36, ’90, 1–24 perceives Acts as reading a post-70 situation into Paul’s career; rejoinder ROster, ibid 39, ’93, 178–208, with caution against reliance on mere transliteration of ς. and w. conclusion that Luke is not guilty of anachronism; response by Kee, ibid. 40, ’94, 281–83 [also 41, ’95, 481–500], w. observation that the inscription from the syngagogue of Theodotus in Jerusalem [s. Dssm. LO 378–80=LAE 439–41; Boffo, Iscrizioni no. 31] may well be no earlier than IV A.D.; for critique of Kee’s views s. also ESanders, Jewish Law from Jesus to the Mishnah, ’87, 341–43 notes 28 and 29. For early use in reference to a Jewish synagogue, s. New Docs 4, 202, IBerenike 16, 5 [55 A.D.] of a building, ln. 3 of members meeting in it). Synagogues are also mentioned as existing in Antioch in Pisidia 13:14; Athens 17:17; Berea vs. 10; Damascus 9:20; Ephesus 18:19 (GHorsley, The Inscriptions of Ephesus and the NT: NovT 34, ’92, 105–68); Capernaum Mk 1:21; Lk 4:33; 7:5; J 6:59 (HKohl and CWatzinger, Antike Synagogen in Galiläa 1916; HVincent, RB 30, 1921, 438ff; 532ff; GOrfali, Capharnaum et ses ruines 1922); Corinth Ac 18:4 (s. New Docs 3, 121); Ephesus 19:8; Nazareth Lk 4:16; Salamis on the island of Cyprus Ac 13:5; Thessalonica 17:1.—ESukenik, Ancient Synagogues in Palestine and Greece ’34.—On the building of synagogues by patrons s. TRajak, Benefactors in the Greco-Jewish Diaspora, in MHengel Festschr. I ’96, 307 n. 7 lit.—On the relationship betw. συναγωγή and προσευχή (q.v. 2) s. SKrauss, Synagogale Altertümer 1922, 11; Boffo, Iscrizioni 39–46; Pauly-W. 2d ser. IV ’32, 1284–1316; ERivkin, AHSilver Festschr. ’63, 350–54.—AGroenman, De Oorsprong der Joodsche Synagoge: NThT 8, 1919, 43–87; 137–88; HStrack, RE XIX 221–26; Elbogen² 444ff; 571ff; Billerb. IV, 115–52 (the Syn. as an institution), 153–88 (the Syn. services); GDalman, Jesus-Jeshua (tr. PLevertoff) 1929, 38–55; SSafrai, MStern et al., The Jewish People in the 1st Century II, ’77, 908–44; LLevine, The Second Temple Synagogue, The Formative Years: The Synagogue in Late Antiquity ’87, 7–31; Schürer II 423–63; III 138–49; s. also lit. cited by Oster, Kee, and Boffo above.

ⓑ an assembly-place for Judeo-Christians (Nazarenes) can also be meant in Js 2:2 (so LRost, PJ 29, ’33, 53–66, esp. 54f but s. 4 below). εἰς ς. πλήρη ἀνδρῶν Hm 11:14 (cp. the superscription on a Marcionite assembly-place near Damascus συναγωγὴ Μαρκιωνιστῶν [OGI 608, 1 fr. 318/19 A.D.]; Harnack, SBBerlAK 1915, 754ff). S. 5 below.

③ the members of a synagogue, (the congregation of a) synagogue (Just., D. 53, 4 al.; references for this usage in Schürer II 423f; III 81–86; EPeterson, Byz.-Neugriech. Jahrbücher 2, 1921, 208)

ⓐ of localized synagogues Ac 6:9 (Schürer II 428; cp. CIJ 683 [=Corpus Ins. Regni Bosporani ’65 no. 70], for translation and ill. see RMackennan, Bar 22/2, ’96, 47); 9:2.

ⓑ in a limited sense, of those who consider themselves Ἰουδαῖοι but are hostile to Christians (who also identify themselves as Ἰουδαῖοι whether Israelite by descent or believers from the nations—on the mixed composition of the followers of Jesus Christ s. Ac 13:43; ISm 1:2), and are called (instead of συναγωγὴ κυρίου: Num 16:3; 20:4; 27:17; Josh 22:16; Ps 73:2) συναγωγὴ τοῦ σατανᾶ synagogue of Satan Rv 2:9; 3:9 (cp. Just., D. 104, 1 ἡ ς. τῶν πονηρευομένων; s. 5 below).

④ a synagogal meeting, a meeting, gathering for worship, of the Judeans λυθείσης τῆς συναγωγῆς Ac 13:43 (s. λύω 3).—Transferred to meetings of Judeo-Christian congregations (cp. TestBenj 11:2, 3; Just., D. 63, 5; 124, 1; Theoph. Ant. 2, 14 [p. 136, 12]) ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃ εἰς συναγωγὴν ὑμῶν Js 2:2 (this is the preferred interpr.: HermvSoden, Ropes, Meinertz, FHauck; s. 2b above). συναγωγὴ ἀνδρῶν δικαίων Hm 11:9, 13, cp. 14. πυκνότερον συναγωγαὶ γινέσθωσαν meetings (of the congregation) should be held more often IPol 4:2. (συναγ. is also found outside Jewish and Christian circles for periodic meetings; s. the exx. in MDibelius, Jakobus 1921 p. 124, 1. Also Philo Bybl.: 790 Fgm. 4, 52 Jac. [in Eus., PE 1, 10, 52] Ζωροάστρης ἐν τῇ ἱερᾷ συναγωγῇ τῶν Περσικῶν φησι; OGI 737, 1 [II B.C.] ς. ἐν τῷ Ἀπολλωνείῳ; PLond 2710 recto, 12: HTR 29, ’36, 40; 51.—Sb 8267, 3 [5 B.C.] honorary ins of a polytheistic ς.=association. W. ref. to the imperial cult BGU 1137, 2 [6 B.C.]. On the Christian use of the word s. also ADeissmann, Die Urgeschichte des Christentums im Lichte der Sprachforschung 1910, 35f).

⑤ a group of pers. who band together, freq. with hostile intent, band, gang ς. πονηρευομένων (Ps 21:17) B 5:13; 6:6; GJs 15:1 v.l. (for σύνοδος).—SSafrai, The Synagogue: CRINT I/2, 908–44; WSchrage, BHHW III 1906–10; Kl. Pauly V 451f.—S. ἀρχισυναγωγός and New Docs 4, 213–20. DELG s.v. ἄγω. EDNT. DLNT 1141–46. M-M. TW.