English · KJV
H4721

מַקְהֵל

maqhêl /mak-hale'/ Ask about this word
Rootor (feminine) מַקְהֵלָה · from קָהַל
Meaningan assembly
KJV usagecongregation.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of maqhêl — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word maqhêl, represented by H4721, refers to an assembly; congregation. It is a specific term that appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, consistently denoting a gathering of people for the purpose of worship.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H4721 exclusively appears in the Psalms as the setting for blessing God. In Psalms 26:12, the psalmist declares that with his foot standing in an even place, he will bless the LORD in the congregations. Similarly, Psalms 68:26 issues a command to "Bless ye God in the congregations," identifying this assembly as coming from the "fountain of Israel." In both instances, the term defines the corporate context for praise and adoration.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context of worship within these assemblies:

  • H1288 bârak: This root word means to bless God (as an act of adoration). It is the central action performed within the congregations in both of its occurrences, highlighting the primary purpose of the gathering Psalms 26:12.
  • H5975 ʻâmad: This term means to stand. Its use in Psalms 26:12, "My foot standeth," connects the physical posture of stability and presence with the act of worship within the assembly.
  • H3478 Yisrâʼêl: Meaning he will rule as God, this name identifies the people forming the assembly. The call to worship in the congregations is directed to those from the fountain of Israel Psalms 68:26.
  • H4726 mâqôwr: This word for fountain, issue, spring, well(-spring) is used figuratively to describe the origin of the people gathered. The congregation is identified as being from the fountain of Israel, pointing to a shared source and heritage Psalms 68:26.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4721 is centered on the nature of corporate worship.

  • A Setting for Blessing: The primary function of the congregation is to be a place where God is blessed. This is the explicit purpose stated in both Psalms 26:12 and Psalms 68:26, making corporate praise a key theme.
  • The Assembly of the Righteous: The word is connected to a posture of stability and integrity. The declaration to worship in the congregations comes from one whose "foot standeth in an even place" H4334, suggesting that communal worship is grounded in righteousness Psalms 26:12.
  • The People of God: The term is explicitly linked to the identity of Israel. The call to bless God in the congregations is addressed to those "from the fountain of Israel" H3478, framing corporate worship as an activity of God's covenant people Psalms 68:26.

Summary

In summary, H4721 provides a specific and focused term for an assembly gathered for worship. Though it appears only twice, its use in the Psalms establishes the congregation as the proper and designated place for blessing the LORD. It connects the act of communal praise with the stability of the righteous and the collective identity of the people of Israel.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מַקְהֵלוֹת
  • מַקְהֵלִים

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1288 בָרַךְ a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); a H5975 עָמַד a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive); abide (behind), H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel H4726 מָקוֹר or מָקֹר; from קוּר; properly, something dug, i.e. a (general) source (of water, even when naturally flowing; also of te H4334 מִישׁוֹר or מִישֹׁר; from יָשַׁר; a level, i.e. a plain (often used (with the article prefix) as a proper name of certain distric

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

2 verses, all in Psalms — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.