Original Word: עֲצָרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `atsarah
Pronunciation: ah-tsaw-RAW or ah-tseh-RETH
Phonetic Spelling: (ats-aw-raw')
KJV: (solemn) assembly (meeting)
NASB: solemn assembly, assembly, solemn assemblies
Word Origin: [from H6113 (עָצַר - shut)]

1. an assembly, especially on a festival or holiday

solemn assembly meeting

Or matsereth {ats-eh'-reth}; from atsar; an assembly, especially on a festival or holiday -- (solemn) assembly (meeting).

see HEBREW atsar

Word Origin
from atsar
Definition
an assembly
NASB Translation
assembly (2), solemn assemblies (1), solemn assembly (8).

עֲצָרָה, עֲצֶ֫רֶת noun feminine assembly (? as confined, held in); — absolute עֲצָרָה Isaiah 1:13 2t.; עֲצֶ֫רֶת Deuteronomy 16:8 3t., עֲצָ֑רֶת2Chronicles 7:9; construct עֲצֶ֑רֶת Jeremiah 9:1; plural suffix עַצְרֹתֵיכֶם Amos 5:21; —

1 sacred assembly, rejected by ׳י, Isaiah 1:13 and (at Bethel, etc.) Amos 5:21; for Baal 2 Kings 10:20; Deuteronomy 16:8 (last day of Maƒƒoth), Leviticus 23:36 (P), Numbers 29:35 (P), Nehemiah 8:18 (all of day after feast of booths), compare 2 Chronicles 7:9 [Late Hebrew of feast of weeks, ᵑ7 עֲצַרְתָּא Jos^{Ant. iii. 10}, 6 Ἀσάρτα]; occasional, Joel 1:14; Joel 2:15.

2 assemblage, company (in General), בֹּגְדִים ׳ע Jeremiah 9:1 an assemblage of deceivers (Gr עֲדַת; Che חֶבְרַת).

Overview

עֲצָרָה designates a divinely prescribed gathering in which ordinary work ceases and corporate attention is fixed on the Lord. Its usage ranges from festal climaxes to emergency convocations, and it appears eleven times across the Old Testament record.

Festival Contexts

1. Feast of Unleavened Bread – Deuteronomy 16:8 closes the week with a day set apart: “On the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God; you must not do any work.” The cessation of labor highlights the Lord’s sufficiency after the exodus deliverance.
2. Feast of Tabernacles – Leviticus 23:36 and Numbers 29:35 appoint an eighth-day עֲצָרָה, separating the festival from normal life and foreshadowing the eschatological rest of God’s people.

These convocations serve as covenant seals: after days of offerings and joy, Israel gathers once more to affirm exclusive loyalty to Yahweh before returning to routine life.

Sacred Assembly as Covenant Renewal

Nehemiah 8:18 shows post-exilic Israel reenacting the ordinance: “They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day…there was a solemn assembly.” Reading the Law and responding in worship re-established communal identity around Scripture after captivity, modeling how every generation is called to rehearse God’s acts and commandments together.

Historical Gatherings

2 Chronicles 7:9 links an עֲצָרָה to Solomon’s temple dedication. Seven days of altar consecration were followed by the solemn assembly, underscoring that sustained celebration culminates in collective stillness before God.

By contrast, 2 Kings 10:20 records Jehu’s deceptive “solemn assembly for Baal,” illustrating that the form without truth can be manipulated. The event warns that sacred terminology does not sanctify idolatry.

Prophetic Condemnation of Empty Assemblies

When external religion masks injustice, God rejects the gathering itself.

Isaiah 1:13: “I cannot endure iniquity with a solemn assembly.”

Amos 5:21: “I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.”

The prophets insist that authentic עֲצָרָה demands moral alignment with covenant ethics; otherwise, the very institution invites divine displeasure.

Call to Corporate Repentance

Joel turns the concept from festal joy to urgent lament:

“Consecrate a fast; proclaim a sacred assembly… and cry out to the LORD” (Joel 1:14; cf. 2:15).

Here the assembly becomes a platform for national repentance, proving its adaptability to crisis. God’s answer (Joel 2:18–19) shows that humble gatherings can reverse impending judgment.

Portrait of a Faithless Congregation

Jeremiah 9:2 laments, “They are all adulterers—an assembly of faithless men.” The word paints society itself as a perpetual convocation of sin, sharpening the contrast between holy and profane assemblies and anticipating the need for a new covenant community transformed from within.

Spiritual and Ministry Applications

• Worship leaders should design corporate meetings that culminate in God-ward reflection, not mere activity, mirroring the festival pattern of celebration followed by solemnity.
• Periodic cessation from labor for focused worship remains a means of cultivating dependence on divine provision.
• Repentance should be practiced corporately, using gathered silence, fasting, and Scripture reading to unite the body in humility.
• Pastoral vigilance is required to ensure form does not replace faith; the prophets remind us that God discerns heart-integrity behind every assembly.

Typological Insights

The eighth-day עֲצָרָה, occurring after seven days of dwelling in booths, points forward to ultimate rest (Hebrews 4:9) and the consummated kingdom when God’s people will cease from works and rejoice in His completed redemption. Contemporary Christians taste this reality each Lord’s Day, assembling around the risen Christ and anticipating the eternal congregation in the New Jerusalem.

בְּעַצְּרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ בעצרתיכם׃ וַעֲצָרָֽה׃ ועצרה׃ עֲצֶ֖רֶת עֲצֶ֙רֶת֙ עֲצֶ֣רֶת עֲצָ֑רֶת עֲצָרָ֔ה עֲצָרָ֛ה עֲצָרָֽה׃ עצרה עצרה׃ עצרת ‘ă·ṣā·rāh ‘ă·ṣā·reṯ ‘ă·ṣe·reṯ ‘ăṣārāh ‘ăṣāreṯ ‘ăṣereṯ atzaRah aTzaret aTzeret bə‘aṣṣərōṯêḵem bə·‘aṣ·ṣə·rō·ṯê·ḵem beatztzeRoteiChem vaatzaRah wa‘ăṣārāh wa·‘ă·ṣā·rāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts