Places & biblical world
Synagogue
A meeting place where Jewish communities gathered to hear Scripture read and taught.
Also called · assembly
What it means
In Luke 4, Jesus enters the synagogue at Nazareth on the Sabbath and reads from Isaiah. He returns the book to the attendant, sits down, and says the Scripture has been fulfilled that day.
In Acts 13, the law and the prophets are read in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia. Its rulers invite Paul and his companions to offer an exhortation; Paul addresses Israelites and those who fear God.
How it appears in the Bible
James 2 warns against favoring a wealthy person over a poor person who enters the gathering. Nehemiah 8 places Ezra’s reading in the open area before the water gate, rather than identifying a synagogue building.
Translation note
The selected World English Bible uses synagogue in Luke, Acts, and James. Keep the local synagogue distinct from the Jerusalem temple and its sacrificial rites.