The Greek word English Bibles render “church”, 114 times: in Greek any assembly called together, the town meeting at Ephesus as much as Israel gathered at Sinai.
An ekklēsia was a body of people called out to meet. In a Greek city it was the citizens’ assembly; in the Greek Old Testament it stands for the qahal, the assembly of Israel. The New Testament uses it for the gatherings of Jesus’ followers, and Jesus for what he will build on the rock. The same word is the crowd shouting in the theatre at Ephesus and the lawful assembly the town clerk points them to. English Bibles have long said “church” for the Christian assembly; the WEB, LSV, YLT and Darby say “assembly” throughout, and the KJV says “church” even for Israel in the wilderness.
ἐκκλησία ekklēsia, 114 times
How the BSB renders it. In Greek an ekklēsia was any body of people called out to meet: a city’s voting assembly, or the assembly of Israel in the Greek Old Testament, where it stands for the Hebrew qahal. The BSB keeps “assembly” where the word is not the church:
Three assemblies, ten translations
| Translation | Matthew 16:18 | Acts 7:38 | Acts 19:32 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WEB | build my assembly | in the assembly in the wilderness | the assembly was in confusion |
| LSV | build My Assembly | in the assembly in the wilderness | the assembly was confused |
| YLT | build my assembly | in the assembly in the wilderness | the assembly was confused |
| DBY | build my assembly | in the assembly in the wilderness | the assembly was tumultuous |
| BSB | build My church | in the assembly in the wilderness | the assembly was in turmoil |
| OEB | build my church | at the assembly in the desert | the Assembly was all in confusion |
| FBV | build my church | God's assembled people | the crowd that had gathered |
| KJV | build my church | in the church in the wilderness | the assembly was confused |
| ASV | build my church | in the church in the wilderness | the assembly was in confusion |
| T4T | congregations of people | when they gathered together | The crowd of people |
The word Jesus uses for what he will build, the word for Israel gathered at Sinai, and the word for a town meeting in uproar are the same. The WEB, LSV, YLT and Darby say “assembly” all three times; the KJV and ASV say “church” even for Israel in the wilderness.
Where it is used
Of the gospels only Matthew uses it, three times (16:18 and twice in 18:17). Counted in the site’s Greek by Strong’s number G1577, with the BSB’s English for each from its translation tables; qahal (H6951) is used 123 times in the Hebrew Bible.