Matthew 25:38 Taking someone into a synagogue

Matthew 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [kjv]

ποτε δε σε ειδαμεν ξενον και συνηγαγομεν η γυμνον και περιεβαλομεν [gnt]

… hospitem … colleximus … [v]

The parable of the sheep and goats uses the words "stranger" and "took thee in".

"ξένος" ≈ "foreign, strange, usual".
"συναγωγή" ≈ "gathering" and is the source of the English word "synagogue".

Paraphrase: When did you see me an outside stranger and took the lead in inviting me into your assembly or gathering as a guest?

A modern version of this is taking an active role in "inviting someone to church". The follow-up might be to make help them get "clothed" in "righteousness".

More: Matthew 25: 31-46 Parable of the sheep and goats

More: Hosting strange and hostile guests and ghosts

Today, one thinks of a "synagogue" as a place where Jewish worship takes place. The word "synagogue" is a Greek word made of up two parts.

The prefix "syn" meaning together as in "symphony" (sounding together).
The root "ago" meaning leading or bringing, reduplicated as is not uncommon.

The meaning, both in the LXX (Septuagint) and GNT (Greek New Testament) (and today) is that of people being led to come or be brought together.

Matthew 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [kjv]

ποτε δε σε ειδαμεν ξενον και συνηγαγομεν η γυμνον και περιεβαλομεν [gnt]

… hospitem … colleximus … [v]

… herborles… herboreden … [wy]

… herbourlesse … lodged … [ty]

… Gast … beherberget… [lu]

The parable of the sheep and goats uses the words "stranger" and "took thee in". What does it mean to "take someone in"? One way to put the above together might be as follows.

When did you see me an outside stranger and took the lead in inviting me into your assembly or gathering as a guest?

A modern version of this is taking an active role in "inviting someone to church". The follow-up might be to make help them get "clothed" in "righteousness".

More: Matthew 25: 31-46 Parable of the sheep and goats

Matthew 25:38

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KJV: When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Greek: ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ειδαμεν ξενον και συνηγαγομεν η γυμνον και περιεβαλομεν

Latin: quando autem te vidimus hospitem et colleximus te aut nudum et cooperuimus

Wessex: hwanne ge-seage we þt þu cume waere. & we þe in-laðedon. oððe nacod & we þe scriddan

Wycliffe: and whanne sayn we thee herborles, and we herboreden thee; or nakid, and we hiliden thee?

Tyndale: when sawe we ye herbourlesse and lodged the? or naked and clothed the?

Gothic: hvanuh than thuk sehvum gast jah galathodedum? aiththau naqadana jah wasidedum?

Luther: Wann haben wir dich einen Gast gesehen und beherberget, oder nackend und haben dich bekleidet?

Matthew 25:38
#	Greek		Strongs		KJV
1.	*48	ποτε	G4219	*19
2.	*2,755	δε	G1161	*2,777
3.	*197	σε	G4771	*1,069
4.			G4219		When
5.			G1492		saw we
6.			G4571		thee
7.	*8	ειδομεν	G3708	*682
8.	*2	ξενον	G3581	*14	a stranger,
9.	*8,954	και	G2532	*8,954	and
10.	*1	συνηγαγομεν;	G4863	*59	took thee in?
11.	*1,412	η	G2228	*346	or
12.	*3	γυμνον	G1131	*15	naked,
13.	*8,954	και	G2532	*8,954	and
14.	*1	περιεβαλομεν;	G4016	*23	clothed thee?

The modern Greek word "συνηγαγόμεν" (see-nee-ga-GO-mehn) ≈ "take in" and is made of two main parts.

The modern Greek prefix "συν" (seen) ≈ "together, with" and is the source of English words such as "synergy", "synchronous", "symphony", etc.
The modern Greek word "αγώ" (a-GO) ≈ "I lead, bring".

So the Greek word has the idea of taking a lead in bringing together whoever it is that is mentioned.

In this case, the idea is that one might take the lead in bringing a "stranger" together as a "guest" in a group, dwelling, etc.

The present tense Greek word "συνάγω" (see-NA-go) ≈ "I gather together".

The modern Greek word "συναγωγή" (see-na-go-GEE) ≈ "assembly, gathering" and is the source of the English word "synagogue".

Exodus 4:29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: [kjv]

… ואהרן … [he]

επορευθη δε μωυσης και ααρων και συνηγαγον την γερουσιαν των υιων ισραηλ [lxx]

… congregaverunt … [v]

The Latin word "congrego" ≈ "herd into a flock" and is the source of the English word "congregation" as adopted by Tyndale about 1520 as a way to translate the modern Greek word "εκκλησία" (ehk-klee-SEE-a) ≈ "those called out, church" as a word for the "church".

The Hebrew word "ויאספו" (way-ya-as-pu) ≈ "and gathered together".

Exodus 4:29

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KJV: And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:

Hebrew: וילך משה ואהרן ויאספו את כל זקני בני ישראל׃

Greek: επορευθη δε μωυσης και ααρων και συνηγαγον την γερουσιαν των υιων ισραηλ

Latin: veneruntque simul et congregaverunt cunctos seniores filiorum Israhel

Wycliffe: And thei camen togidere, and gaderiden alle the eldere men of the sones of Israel.

Luther: Und sie gingen hin und versammelten alle Ältesten von den Kindern Israel.

Spanish: Y fueron Moisés y Aarón, y reunieron todos los ancianos de los hijos de Israel:

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [kjv]

εμβλεψατε εις τα πετεινα του ουρανου οτι ου σπειρουσιν ουδε θεριζουσιν ουδε συναγουσιν εις αποθηκας και ο πατηρ υμων ο ουρανιος τρεφει αυτα ουχ υμεις μαλλον διαφερετε αυτων [gnt]

Jesus mentions birds four times in Matthew. According to Jesus:

The birds do not sow.
The birds do not reap.
The birds do not gather into barns.

Who are the birds? What do they do? Might the code word meaning Jesus provides elsewhere be applicable to the generic "birds" or "fowls" of the "air" or "heaven" (same words in Greek) and provide a alternative meaning to the literal sense of the verse?

More: Matthew 6: The missing part worked out for the birds

Matthew 6:26

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KJV: Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Greek: εμβλεψατε εις τα πετεινα του ουρανου οτι ου σπειρουσιν ουδε θεριζουσιν ουδε συναγουσιν εις αποθηκας και ο πατηρ υμων ο ουρανιος τρεφει αυτα ουχ υμεις μαλλον διαφερετε αυτων

Latin: respicite volatilia caeli quoniam non serunt neque metunt neque congregant in horrea et Pater vester caelestis pascit illa nonne vos magis pluris estis illis

Matthew 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; [kjv]

προσεχετε δε απο των ανθρωπων παραδωσουσιν γαρ υμας εις συνεδρια και εν ταις συναγωγαις αυτων μαστιγωσουσιν υμας [gnt]

… synagogis … [v]

According to Jesus, those who do the His work may be persecuted by those who claim to be the church. Is this just a warning for that time alone?

Details are left as a future topic.

Matthew 10:17

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KJV: But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Greek: προσεχετε δε απο των ανθρωπων παραδωσουσιν γαρ υμας εις συνεδρια και εν ταις συναγωγαις αυτων μαστιγωσουσιν υμας

Latin: cavete autem ab hominibus tradent enim vos in conciliis et in synagogis suis flagellabunt vos

Matthew 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. [kjv]

και εξελθοντες οι δουλοι εκεινοι εις τας οδους συνηγαγον παντας ους ευρον πονηρους τε και αγαθους και επλησθη ο νυμφων ανακειμενων [gnt]

… congregaverunt … [v]

A place where the word for "synagogue" as "gathered together" is used in the GNT is in the parable of the wedding guests.

Matthew 22:10

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KJV: So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

Greek: και εξελθοντες οι δουλοι εκεινοι εις τας οδους συνηγαγον παντας οσους ους ευρον πονηρους τε και αγαθους και επλησθη ο γαμος νυμφων ανακειμενων

Latin: et egressi servi eius in vias congregaverunt omnes quos invenerunt malos et bonos et impletae sunt nuptiae discumbentium

Wessex: Ða eoden þa þeowes ut on þa wegas & ge-gaderedon ealle þa þe hyo ge-metton gode & yfele. Ða waeron þa gyfton-hus. mid sittenden mannen ge-felledde.

Tyndale: The seruauntes wet out into the hiewayes and gaddered to gedder as many as they coulde fynde both good and bad and ye weddinge was furnysshed with gestes.

John 6:13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. [kjv]

συνηγαγον ουν και εγεμισαν δωδεκα κοφινους κλασματων εκ των πεντε αρτων των κριθινων α επερισσευσαν τοις βεβρωκοσιν [gnt]

collegerunt … [v]

In the feeding of the multitude in John, the leftovers were "gathered".

Might this gathering of the fragments have any significance to the parable of the sheep and goats?

John 6:13

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KJV: Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

Greek: συνηγαγον ουν και εγεμισαν δωδεκα κοφινους κλασματων εκ των πεντε αρτων των κριθινων α επερισσευσεν επερισσευσαν τοις βεβρωκοσιν

Latin: collegerunt ergo et impleverunt duodecim cofinos fragmentorum ex quinque panibus hordiaciis quae superfuerunt his qui manducaverunt