A Solemn Assembly

From: The Prospect
Narrator: Ivona Gentwo
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IT probably happens that an English reader of the Bible is sometimes perplexed by finding the words "solemn assembly" in the text, and “day of restraint “in the margin. (See Lev. 23:3636Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. (Leviticus 23:36); Deut. 16:88Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work therein. (Deuteronomy 16:8); 2 Chron. 7:99And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. (2 Chronicles 7:9); Neh. 8:1818Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner. (Nehemiah 8:18).) If acquainted with Greek and not with Hebrew, he would wonder still more to find the word έξόδιονoccasionally used as a rendering of the Hebrew word; but, in reality, there is a connection between the ideas suggested by each of the three terms employed. Let it be first remarked, that the word "holy days" in the margin (Amos 5:2121I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. (Amos 5:21)) might have been better than those inserted either in the text or in the margin elsewhere, as the rendering of the Hebrew word עצרחThen let the following supposed case be employed as an illustration of the meaning of the three words or phrases:
 
Hebrew.
Greek.
English.
 
עצרח
ἐξόδιον
holiday
 
restraint
exit, departure,- q.d. leave of absence.
(holy day) or solemn assembly.
A stranger arrives in London from the country, and is disappointed at finding it is a holiday at the Bank. He would probably meet with the following explanation: Do you not see the people are all going to Church? (ἐκκλησία, solemn assembly.) Business is restrained (עצרח).and the clerks at the Bank, &c., have leave to go out. (ἐξόδιον.)
N.B. It should be remarked, however, that it is possible the Greek word may refer to the celebration of the Exodus, but this does not seem very probable. Also, Amos, in the passage referred to, uses another word. SAMECH.