Lexical Summary asuppah: Gathering, collection, storehouse Original Word: אֲסֻפָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance assembly Fem of 'acuph.; a collection of (learned) men (only in the plural) -- assembly. see HEBREW 'acuph NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom asaph Definition a collection NASB Translation collections (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אֲסֻמָּה] noun feminine collection (compare Phoenician אספת assembly) only בַּעֲלֵי אֲסֻמּוֺת Ecclesiastes 12:11 (דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים) compared to driven nails; members of learned assemblies Thes MV and others; so Post-Biblical Hebrew NHWBi. 127; but Hi-Now and others refer to the wise utterances, called lords (possessors) of collection because of their well-connected grouping. Topical Lexicon Core Conceptאֲסֻפָה describes a deliberate gathering into one place—whether of sayings, objects, or people—with the intention that the accumulated whole become more useful, enduring, and accessible than its scattered parts. Canonical Context Ecclesiastes 12:11 is the single canonical occurrence: “The words of the wise are like goads, and the collected sayings are like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd.” Here the term characterizes wisdom statements that have been brought together under divine oversight. The verse depicts three complementary images: 1. Goads that prod the hearer toward righteous action. The “collected sayings” are not random anecdotes but an ordered corpus designed for covenant formation. The verse therefore affirms both the providential preservation of wisdom literature and its practical, even pastoral, purpose. Historical Setting Jewish tradition associates Ecclesiastes with the post-exilic period when Israel’s sages curated earlier Solomonic material for a community now scattered yet yearning for cohesion. During such times, written anthologies replaced royal courts as the primary venue for wisdom. The careful compilation implied by אֲסֻפָה mirrors other editorial efforts: Each episode highlights the Spirit-guided process of preserving, organizing, and re-presenting earlier revelation for a new generation. Theology of Gathering Scripture frequently connects divine gathering with covenant grace: • Physical assembly: “I will gather you from all the nations” (Jeremiah 29:14). אֲסֻפָה therefore participates in a larger narrative: God gathers a people, a body of truth, and finally all things in His Son. Ministry Implications 1. Textual Confidence Ecclesiastes 12:11 locates the origin of assembled wisdom in “one Shepherd,” underscoring that the ultimate editor of Scripture is God Himself. The church may therefore approach the biblical canon not as a human scrapbook but as a divinely supervised anthology. 2. Preaching and Teaching Sermons and lessons should imitate the principle of אֲסֻפָה by drawing diverse passages into coherent proclamation. Like “firmly embedded nails,” well-chosen cross-references fasten doctrine to the conscience. 3. Discipleship Resources Modern study Bibles, catechisms, and confessions function as contemporary collections. Their validity rests on fidelity to the Shepherd’s voice, not on novelty. 4. Congregational Life Small groups and corporate worship embody the same principle: God gathers individuals so that truth may take root communally, reinforcing personal faith with shared conviction. Intertextual Echoes Though אֲסֻפָה itself appears only once, its thematic cousins permeate Scripture: • “Bind them continually upon your heart” (Proverbs 6:21) — stitching commands together. Summary אֲסֻפָה in Ecclesiastes 12:11 encapsulates God’s pattern of bringing scattered wisdom under a single, authoritative Shepherd. It validates the compiled form of biblical revelation, teaches the church to prize curated truth, and invites every generation to participate in the holy task of gathering and guarding the words of life. Forms and Transliterations אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת אספות ’ă·sup·pō·wṯ ’ăsuppōwṯ asupPotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 12:11 HEB: נְטוּעִ֖ים בַּעֲלֵ֣י אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת נִתְּנ֖וּ מֵרֹעֶ֥ה NAS: and masters of [these] collections are like well-driven KJV: [by] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given INT: well-driven and masters of collections are given Shepherd 1 Occurrence |
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