Community

A group, small or large, of people. In Scripture it denotes the people of Israel, especially in pre-monarchic times and particularly during the period of the wilderness wanderings.

The community of Israel in the wilderness

Exodus 16:1 See also Exodus 17:1; Numbers 13:26, Numbers 20:22, Numbers 20:29

On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai.

Moses and Aaron communicate God's instructions to the wilderness community

Exodus 35:1, Exodus 35:4, Exodus 35:20; Numbers 10:2–3

Rebellion, discontent and grumbling within the wilderness community

Exodus 16:2–10; Numbers 14:1–2, Numbers 14:27, Numbers 14:35–36, Numbers 16:8–33, Numbers 16:41, Numbers 20:1–4, Numbers 27:14

Responsibilities towards one another within the wilderness community

Leviticus 10:6; Numbers 1:53

Leaders and officials, under Moses, of the wilderness community

Exodus 16:22 See also Exodus 34:31; Numbers 26:9, Numbers 31:13, Numbers 31:26–27, Numbers 32:1–5

On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food — two omers per person — and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported this to Moses.

Censuses of the wilderness community

Numbers 1:1–3 See also Exodus 38:25; Numbers 1:17–19, Numbers 4:34

On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said: “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions— everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

The community identity of pre-monarchic Israel

The importance of a community identity in matters of worship

Leviticus 4:13–21 See also Exodus 12:3–19, Exodus 12:47–49; Leviticus 16:5, Leviticus 16:32–33; Numbers 3:6–7, Numbers 8:9–11, Numbers 8:20–21, Numbers 15:22–26, Numbers 19:9

The importance of a community in legal matters

Leviticus 20:1–5 See also Numbers 15:15

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him. And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name. And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech, then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.

God promised that the patriarchs' descendants would be a community of nations

Genesis 35:11 See also Genesis 28:3, Genesis 48:4

And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation — even a company of nations — shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.

The families of the priests and Levites described as a community

2 Chronicles 31:14–18

Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions to the LORD and the consecrated gifts. Under his authority, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divisions, old and young alike. In addition, they distributed portions to the males registered by genealogy who were three years of age or older — to all who would enter the house of the LORD for their daily duties for service in the responsibilities of their divisions — and to the priests enrolled according to their families in the genealogy, as well as to the Levites twenty years of age or older, according to their responsibilities and divisions. The genealogy included all the little ones, wives, sons, and daughters of the whole assembly. For they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy.

The Jews referred to as a community in NT times

Acts 25:24

Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.