Original Word: מִקְרָא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: miqra'
Pronunciation: mik-raw'
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-raw')
KJV: assembly, calling, convocation, reading
NASB: convocation, convocations, assemblies, assembly, reading, summoning
Word Origin: [from H7121 (קָרָא - called)]

1. something called out, i.e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place)
2. also a rehearsal

assembly, calling, convocation, reading

From qara'; something called out, i.e. A public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal -- assembly, calling, convocation, reading.

see HEBREW qara'

Word Origin
from qara
Definition
a convocation, convoking, reading
NASB Translation
assemblies (2), assembly (2), convocation (14), convocations (3), reading (1), summoning (1).

מִקְרָא₂₃ noun masculine^{Exodus 12:16} convocation; convoking, reading; — ׳מ absolute Isaiah 1:13; Nehemiah 8:8; cstr Exodus 12:16 +; plural construct מִקְרָאֵי Leviticus 23:2 +; suffix מִקְרָאֶהָ (Ges^{§ 91k}) Isaiah 4:5; —

1 convocation, sacred assembly Isaiah 1:13 (after קְרֹא), Isaiah 4:5; usually explicitly קֹדֶשׁ ׳מ, technical term in P for religious gathering on Sabbath and certain sacred days, Exodus 12:16 (twice in verse) + 14 t. Leviticus 23; Numbers 28:1; Numbers 29, + (plural) Leviticus 23:2,4,37.

2 (verbal noun, as Aramaic Infinitive, Ges^{§ 45e}, compare 115 d) convoking, הָעֵדָה ׳מ Numbers 10:2

3 reading Nehemiah 8:8.

Overview of the Concept

Across the Old Testament, מִקְרָא designates the divinely ordained gathering of God’s people for worship and instruction. Whether occurring weekly on the Sabbath, annually at the feasts, or on special occasions announced by trumpet, each assembly is portrayed as “holy,” set apart for the Lord’s purposes. The summons unites worship, rest, remembrance, and the public proclamation of Scripture, shaping Israel’s covenant identity and foreshadowing the corporate life of the Church.

Instituted Gatherings in the Torah

1. A Pattern Established at the Exodus

The first occurrences (Exodus 12:16) frame the week of Unleavened Bread. “On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly, and another on the seventh day”. The rhythm of worship is linked to redemption; Israel meets because God has delivered.

2. Sabbath Rest and Weekly Assembly

Leviticus 23:3 calls the seventh day “a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred assembly.” Rest, worship, and shared hearing of God’s word form an inseparable triad that shapes weekly life.

3. The Seven Annual Feasts (Leviticus 23; Numbers 28–29)

• Passover and Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:7–8; Numbers 28:18, 25)
• Firstfruits/Pentecost (Leviticus 23:21; Numbers 28:26)
• Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1)
• Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27; Numbers 29:7)
• Feast of Tabernacles, culminating in an eighth-day assembly (Leviticus 23:35–36; Numbers 29:12)

Each festival convocation recites salvation history and anticipates its fulfillment in Messiah.

Sound of Trumpets – Summoning the Congregation

Numbers 10:2 orders two silver trumpets “to summon the congregation.” The audible call reinforces that worship is not a human initiative but a divine summons, a theme later echoed when “the Lord Himself will descend…with the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Public Reading of Scripture

Nehemiah 8:8 records a post-exilic assembly where the Levites “read from the Book of the Law of God, translating it and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read”. The scene highlights a central purpose of every holy gathering: clear, faithful exposition that moves hearts toward obedience.

Prophetic Assessment

• False Assemblies Condemned – Isaiah 1:13: “I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.” When worship is divorced from righteousness, the gathering becomes an offense.
• Future Glory Foretold – Isaiah 4:5 envisions a purified Zion where the Lord’s glory covers “every assembly,” assuring that God will ultimately perfect corporate worship.

Theological Themes

• Covenant Identity – The people are continually re-oriented around God’s redemptive acts.
• Holiness and Rest – Separation from ordinary work underscores belonging to a holy God.
• Memorial and Anticipation – Past deliverance is remembered even as future redemption is anticipated.
• Word-Centered Worship – Public reading and explanation of Scripture safeguard orthodoxy and foster obedience.
• Leadership Responsibility – Priests, Levites, and later elders model and maintain the integrity of the assembly.

Messianic and New Covenant Resonances

The convocations find their substance in Christ: Passover in His death, Firstfruits in His resurrection, Pentecost in the outpouring of the Spirit, Trumpets in the promised return, Atonement in His high-priestly mediation, and Tabernacles in the consummated dwelling of God with humanity (Revelation 21:3). The early Church continues the pattern, devoting itself to “the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Contemporary Ministry Applications

• Weekly Lord’s-Day worship reflects the Sabbath convocation, centering on Word and Table.
• Special seasons such as Easter and Pentecost find biblical precedent in the annual feasts.
• Clear, expositional preaching follows the Nehemiah model, ensuring that every generation understands God’s revelation.
• Calls to assemble—whether a church bell or digital notification—echo the silver trumpets, reminding believers that worship begins with God’s summons.
• Pursuit of holiness ensures that gathering remains pleasing to the Lord, avoiding the hypocrisy condemned in Isaiah 1:13.

Miqra therefore stands as a rich biblical motif that shapes the rhythm, content, and hope of corporate worship from Sinai to the New Jerusalem.

בַּמִּקְרָֽא׃ במקרא׃ לְמִקְרָ֣א למקרא מִֽקְרָא־ מִקְרָ֔א מִקְרָאֵ֖י מִקְרָאֵ֣י מִקְרָאֶ֗הָ מִקְרָא־ מקרא מקרא־ מקראה מקראי bam·miq·rā bammikRa bammiqrā lə·miq·rā lemikRa ləmiqrā mikra mikraEha mikraEi miq·rā miq·rā- miq·rā·’ê miq·rā·’e·hā miqrā miqrā- miqrā’ê miqrā’ehāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts