A congregation is a group of people with common loves, interests, and purposes. It often refers to a church group. In the Word it is almost always used to speak of the whole group of the Children of Israel, as the tabernacle of the congregation, or the people of the congregation. Sometimes the original Hebrew is translated as assembly, too. This is a case where readers and translators need to be aware of the context and potential nuances of meaning. Swedenborg writes that,'The congregation of the people' stands for people who are ruled by truths constituting intelligence, since 'congregation' is used with reference to truths... as also is 'people'... 'the assembly of the old' stands for people who are ruled by good. The usage of the term congregation also implies an ordering, or arrangement of truths.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Explained 417; Arcana Coelestia 6338, 7843, 7891; The Apocalypse Explained 724 [17])

In Genesis 25:3, this signifies knowledge of celestial things or people who uphold the doctrine of charity. (Arcana Coelestia 3240[3])

In Ezekiel 27:15, this signifies knowledges of lower celestial matters in rituals. (Arcana Coelestia 1172)

In Jeremiah 49:8, this signifies rituals lacking internal worship or adoration of the Lord from the heart. (Arcana Coelestia 1172) Dedan, in Jeremiah 49:8, signifies rituals wherein there is no internal worship. Dedan (Genesis 10) signifies the knowledges of celestial things of an inferior order, such as those in ritual observances.