noun · feminine
ekklēsas
Strong’sG1577
an assembly, congregation, church
stem ekklēs-114 times in the New Testamentin 17 of 27 books8 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Ἐκκλησία refers first to an assembly of people formally called together, such as a citizens' assembly regularly convened to conduct public business 13; it could also denote other kinds of official meetings or gatherings, including popular or religious ones 2. In later Greek writings outside the Bible, the word was also used for a building where such an assembly met 3.
In the Greek Old Testament, the word takes on the distinct sense of the congregation or community of Israel as a whole 13.
In the New Testament, ἐκκλησία becomes the term for the Christian church 124: it can mean a gathering of Christians meeting for worship, a local body of believers in a particular place (sometimes a congregation meeting in a house), or the whole body of Christians everywhere, including believers in heaven as well as on earth 12.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ἐκκλησία, -ας, ἡ
(< ἐκ-καλέω), [in LXX chiefly for קָהָל, otherwise for one of its cogn. forms;]
SYN.: συναγωγή, q.v. (v. Tr., Syn., §i; DB, i, 426; Hort, Ecclesia, esp. 4ff., 107ff.; Hamilton, People of God, ii, 37ff.; reff. s.vv. "Church," "Congregation," in DB and DCG; Cremer, 332).
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G1577 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidek-klay-see'-ah
a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both)
Fromfrom a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564;
King Jamesassembly, church.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
(ἔκκλητος) assembly duly summoned, less general than σύλλογος, Refs 5th c.BC+; applied to the Homeric Assemblies, Refs 4th c.BC+; to the Samian Assembly, Refs 5th c.BC+; to the Spartan, Refs 5th c.BC+; to the meeting of the Amphictyons at Delphi, Refs 4th c.BC+; at Athens, ἐ. κύριαι, opposed to σύγκλητοι, Arist.Refs 2nd c.AD+; κυρία ἐ., at Amorgos, Refs; ἐ. συναγείρειν, συνάγειν, συλλέγειν, ἀθροίζειν, call an assembly, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐ. γίγνεται an assembly is held, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐ. διαλύειν, ἀναστῆσαι, dissolve it, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐ. ἀνεβλήθη was adjourned, Refs 5th c.BC+
2=Latin Comitia, ἐ. λοχῖτις, φρατρική, = Comitia Centuriata, Curiata, Refs 1st c.BC+
3 ={ψήφισμα}, ἀναγιγνωσκομένης ἐ. Refs 2nd c.AD+
II in LXX, the Jewish congregation,.LXX
II.2 in NT, the Church, as a body of Christians, NT; as a building, Refs
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | ekklēsas9×ἐκκλησία | ekklēsais7×ἐκκλησίαι |
| object accusative | ekklēsan20×ἐκκλησίαν | ekklēsain3×ἐκκλησίας |
| direct address vocative | ekklēsar | ekklēsair |
| of, belonging to genitive | ekklēsau26×ἐκκλησίας | ekklēsaiu7×ἐκκλησιῶν |
| to, for dative | ekklēsa24×ἐκκλησίᾳ | ekklēsai18×ἐκκλησίαις |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
ekklēsa is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
114 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
ekklēsas“church”subjectnominative singular9×
Acts 9:31Tas men oun ekklēsas kata holau tau Ioudaiau kai Galilaiau …Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced …
Acts 19:32… allosem tinem krazale, ate gar tas ekklēsas sunchorēntas, kai tois polloterois ouk oidalelē …Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting …
1 Corinthians 14:5… ektos ei mē diermēneuateiō, hina tas ekklēsas oikodoman labateia.… unless he interprets so that the church may be edified.
1 Corinthians 14:23ean oun sunerchateia tas ekklēsas holas epi tem autem kai pantois …So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in …
Ephesians 5:24alla hōs tas ekklēsas hupotassotō to Christo, houtōs kai tais …Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives …
Philippians 4:15… hote exerchama apo Makedoniau, oudenas mi ekklēsas koinōnata eis logon dosiau kai lēmpsiau …… gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church but you partnered with me in …
Colossians 1:24… teu sōmeu autou, hem atō tas ekklēsas,… of His body, which is the church.
1 Timothy 3:15… en oiko theou anastreforō, hotinas atō ekklēsas theou zōarōntou, stulos kai hedraiōmem tau …… in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar …
1 Timothy 5:16… eparkatōr autai, kai mē barotōr tas ekklēsas, hina tai ontōs chērai eparkateia.… assist them and not allow the church to be burdened, so that it …
ekklēsan“church”objectaccusative singular20×, 18 shown
Matthew 16:18… houta ta petra oikodomami mu tan ekklēsan, kai pulais hadou ouk katischuali autau;… this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will …
Acts 5:11… geneta fobos megos epi holan tan ekklēsan kai epi pantoin toin akouarōntoin houteim.… great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these …
Acts 8:1… ta hēmera diōgmos megos epi tan ekklēsan tan en Hierosolumei; pantois de diasparila …… great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the …
Acts 8:3Saulos de lumanote tan ekklēsan kata toin oikoin eisporeuorōntos, surarōntos tē …But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he …
Acts 13:1… de en Antiocheia kata tan arōntan ekklēsan profētois kai didaskalois tos tē Barnabos …Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and …
Acts 14:23cheirotonarantois de autoi kata ekklēsan presbuteroin proseucherantois meta nēsteiaiu paratithela autoin …… appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted …
Acts 14:27paragenerantois de kai sunagarantois tan ekklēsan anangelale hoseim poiata tos theos meta …When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God …
Acts 18:22… eis Kaisareian, anabainarantos kai aspazerantos tan ekklēsan, katabainata eis Antiocheian,… he went up and greeted the church at Jerusalem. Then he went down …
Acts 19:40“assembly”… houtau. kai houteim legarantos apoluata tan ekklēsan.… today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.”
Acts 20:28… tem hagiem titheta episkopoin, poimanarō tan ekklēsan tou theou, han peripoieta dia teu …… you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with …
Romans 16:5kai tan kata oikon autoiu ekklēsan. aspazevar Epaineton ton agapēton mu, hos …Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet …
1 Corinthians 14:4… glōssa heauton oikodomatō; tos de profēteuarōntos ekklēsan oikodomatō.… the one who prophesies edifies the church.
1 Corinthians 15:9… hikanos kalorō apostolos, dioti diōkama tan ekklēsan tou theou;… an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Galatians 1:13… Ioudaismo, hoti kata huperbolan diōkame tan ekklēsan tou theou kai porthame autan,… Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy …
Ephesians 5:25… kathōs kai tos Christos agapata tan ekklēsan kai heauton paradōata huper autau,… wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her
Ephesians 5:27hina parastēateia autos heauto endoxan tan ekklēsan, mē echarōntan spilon ē rutidan ē …… her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any …
Ephesians 5:29… autan, kathōs kai tos Christos tan ekklēsan,… it, just as Christ does the church.
Ephesians 5:32… legamō eis Christon kai eis tan ekklēsan.… am speaking about Christ and the church.
ekklēsau“church”of, belonging togenitive singular26×, 19 shown
Matthew 18:17… ta ekklēsa; ean de kai tau ekklēsau parakouateia, atōr si hōsper tos ethnikos …… refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a …
Acts 11:22… tos logos eis teim oueim tau ekklēsau tau arōntau en Ierousalēm peri autoiu, …… this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to …
Acts 12:1… cheirain kakara tinoin toiu apo tau ekklēsau.… harm some who belonged to the church.
Acts 12:5… de ate ektenōs genorōntas hupo tau ekklēsau pros ton theon peri autou.… was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for …
Acts 15:3tois men oun propempirantois hupo tau ekklēsau dierchole tan tē Foinikan kai Samareian …Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria …
Acts 15:4… de eis Hierosolumeim paradechila apo tau ekklēsau kai toiu apostoloiu kai toiu presbuteroiu, …… Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom …
Acts 20:17… eis Efesan metakaleta toin presbuteroin tau ekklēsau.… Ephesus for the elders of the church.
Romans 16:1… adelfan nu, arōntan kai diakonan tau ekklēsau tau en Kenchreai,… sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
Romans 16:23… tos xenos mu kai holau tau ekklēsau. aspazotō vin Erastosos tos oikonomos tau …… has hosted me and all the church, sends you greetings. Erastus, the city …
1 Corinthians 11:22… tem esthiarō kai pinarō? ē tau ekklēsau tou theou katafronavō, kai kataischunavō toin …… drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who …
1 Corinthians 14:12… avō pneumeiu, pros tan oikodoman tau ekklēsau zētavōr hina perisseuaveiō.… in gifts that build up the church.
Ephesians 3:10… exousiai en tei epouranei dia tau ekklēsau tas polupoikilas sofias tou theou,… purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should …
Ephesians 5:23… hōs kai tos Christos kefalas tau ekklēsau, autos sōtēros teu sōmeu.… Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is …
Colossians 1:18… atō tas kefalas teu sōmeu tau ekklēsau; hos atō archas, prōtotokos ek toiu …… the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn …
1 Timothy 3:5… idiou oikou prostēara ouk oidatē, pōs ekklēsau theou epimeliti… how can he care for the church of God?
Hebrews 2:12“congregation”… su toi adelfoi mu, en mese ekklēsau humnami sin;… will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the assembly.”
James 5:14… en vi? proskaletar toin presbuteroin tau ekklēsau, kai proseuchelar epi auton aleifarantois auton …… should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint …
3 John 1:6hois marturala su ta agapa enōpion ekklēsau, hoin kalōs poiasi propemparantos axiōs tou …They have testified to the church about your love. You will do …
3 John 1:10… toin boulorōntoin kōluatō kai ek tau ekklēsau ekbalatō.… even putting them out of the church.
ekklēsa“church”to, fordative singular24×, 19 shown
Matthew 18:17ean de parakouateia autoiu, legasar ta ekklēsa; ean de kai tau ekklēsau parakouateia, …… to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen …
Acts 7:38“congregation”houtos atō tos generantos en ta ekklēsa en ta erēma meta tou angelou …He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke …
Acts 11:26… kai eniauton holon sunagira en ta ekklēsa kai didaskara ochlon hikanon, chrēmatizara tē …… year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people …
Acts 15:22… kai toi presbuteroi sun hola ta ekklēsa eklegerantoin androin ek autoiu pempara eis …… apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among …
Acts 19:39… tinem peraiterō epizētavō, en ta ennoma ekklēsa epiluiti.… must be settled in a legal assembly.
1 Corinthians 1:2ta ekklēsa tou theou, hagiazorēntoi en Christo Iēso, …To the church of God in Corinth, to those …
1 Corinthians 4:17… Christo Iēso, kathōs pantachou en panta ekklēsa didaskamō.… what I teach everywhere in every church.
1 Corinthians 6:4… ean echaveiō, toin exouthenorēntoin en ta ekklēsa, houtoin kathizavō?… those of no standing in the church?
1 Corinthians 10:32… Ioudaioi genovōr kai Hellēnoi kai ta ekklēsa tou theou,… to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—
1 Corinthians 11:18prōtem men gar sunerchorōntoiu vu en ekklēsa akouamō schismeim en vi huparcharō, kai …… when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and …
1 Corinthians 12:28… men titheta tos theos en ta ekklēsa prōtem apostoloin, deuterem profētoin, tritem didaskaloin, …And in the church God has appointed first of all …
1 Corinthians 14:19alla en ekklēsa thelamō pente logoin to nouo mu …But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent …
1 Corinthians 14:28… de mē ateiō diermēneutos, sigatōr en ekklēsa, heauto de lalatōr kai to theo.… he should remain silent in the church and speak only to himself and …
1 Corinthians 14:35… aischrem gar atō gunaika lalarō en ekklēsa.… a woman to speak in the church.
1 Corinthians 16:19… Priskas sun ta kata oikon autoiu ekklēsa.… the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
2 Corinthians 1:1… theou kai Timotheos tos adelfos ta ekklēsa tou theou ta arōnta en Korintha, …… and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with …
Ephesians 1:22… auton dōata kefalan huper panteim ta ekklēsa,… Him head over everything for the church,
Ephesians 3:21auto tas doxas en ta ekklēsa kai en Christo Iēso eis pantain …… Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all …
Colossians 4:16… poiavar hina kai en ta Laodikevoiu ekklēsa anagnōskiteia, kai tan ek Laodikeiau hina …… it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you …
ekklēsais“churches”subjectnominative plural7×
Acts 16:5tais men oun ekklēsais stereoole ta pistia kai perisseuale to …So the churches were strengthened in the faith and …
Romans 16:4… monos eucharistamō alla kai pantais tais ekklēsais teiu ethneiu,… Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to …
Romans 16:16… en filēme hagie. Aspazolō vin tais ekklēsais pantais tou Christou.… with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
1 Corinthians 11:16… toioutan sunētheian ouk echanō, oude tais ekklēsais tou theou.… no other practice, nor do the churches of God.
1 Corinthians 16:19Aspazolō vin tais ekklēsais tau Asiau. aspazotō vin en kurio …The churches in the province of Asia send …
Revelation 1:20… kai tais luchnais tais hepta hepta ekklēsais alō.… the seven lampstands are the seven churches.[’’]
Revelation 2:23… en thanato; kai gnōskeli pantais tais ekklēsais hoti mis amō tos eraunarōntos nefroin …… her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the …
ekklēsain“churches”objectaccusative plural3×
Acts 15:41… Surian kai tan Kilikian epistērizarōntos tain ekklēsain.… through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
2 Corinthians 11:8allosain ekklēsain sulama labarantos opsōniem pros tan vu …I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order …
2 Corinthians 12:13… atō hem hēttiva huper tain loipain ekklēsain, ei mē hoti autos mis ouk …… were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a …
ekklēsaiu“churches”of, belonging togenitive plural7×
2 Corinthians 8:18… en te euangelie dia pantaiu taiu ekklēsaiu… who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.
2 Corinthians 8:19… de alla kai cheirotonirantos hupo taiu ekklēsaiu sunekdēmos nu sun ta charita houta …… this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious …
2 Corinthians 8:23… vin sunergos; eite adelfois nu, apostolois ekklēsaiu, doxas Christou.… brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.
2 Corinthians 8:24… eis autoin endeikorōntois eis prosōpem taiu ekklēsaiu.In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof …
2 Corinthians 11:28… kata hēmeran, tas merimnas pantaiu taiu ekklēsaiu.… of my concern for all the churches.
1 Thessalonians 2:14vis gar mimētois geniva, adelfoir, taiu ekklēsaiu tou theou taiu arōntaiu en ta …… you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are …
Revelation 1:20… tois hepta asterois angelois taiu hepta ekklēsaiu alō, kai tais luchnais tais hepta …… are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the …
ekklēsai“churches”to, fordative plural18×
1 Corinthians 7:17… houtōs peripatatōr; kai houtōs en tai ekklēsai pantai diatassomō.… what I prescribe in all the churches.
1 Corinthians 14:33… alla eirēnau, hōs en pantai tai ekklēsai toiu hagioiu.… of peace— as in all the churches of the saints.
1 Corinthians 14:34Tais gunaikais en tai ekklēsai sigalōr, ouk gar epitrepotō autai lalarō; …… are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak …
1 Corinthians 16:1… eis toin hagioin, hōsper diatassama tai ekklēsai tau Galatiau, houtōs kai vis poiavar.… to do as I directed the churches of Galatia:
2 Corinthians 8:1… tou theou tan dōorēntan en tai ekklēsai tau Makedoniau,… grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.
Galatians 1:2… tois sun mi pantois adelfois, tai ekklēsai tau Galatiau;… the brothers with me, To the churches of Galatia:
Galatians 1:22ome de agnoorōntos te prosōpe tai ekklēsai tau Ioudaiau tai en Christo,… was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:4… nin en vi enkauchorō en tai ekklēsai tou theou huper tau hupomonau vu …… is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in …
Revelation 1:4Iōannos tai hepta ekklēsai tai en ta Asia; charitas vi …John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace …
Revelation 1:11… eis bibliem kai pempasar tai hepta ekklēsai, eis Efesan kai eis Smurnan kai …… and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis …
Revelation 2:7… akouatar tinem tem pneumem legatō tai ekklēsai. to nikarōnto dōami auto esthiara ek …… what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I …
Revelation 2:11… akouatar tinem tem pneumem legatō tai ekklēsai. tos nikarōntos ouk mē adikiteia ek …… what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not …
Revelation 2:17… akouatar tinem tem pneumem legatō tai ekklēsai. to nikarōnto dōami auto teu manna …… what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I …
Revelation 2:29… akouatar tinem tem pneumem legatō tai ekklēsai.… what the Spirit says to the churches.[’’]
Revelation 3:6… akouatar tinem tem pneumem legatō tai ekklēsai.… what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 3:13… akouatar tinem tem pneumem legatō tai ekklēsai.… what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 3:22… akouatar tinem tem pneumem legatō tai ekklēsai.… what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 22:16… mu marturara vi houteim epi tai ekklēsai. mis amō tas rizas kai tem …… give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the …