The Sermon In Synagogue Worship

The sermon in synagogue worship was always in the context of prayers, benedictions, psalms, hymns, and the reading of Scripture. When Hebrew was no longer the spoken language for many Jews, the Scripture was first read in Hebrew, then translated into the spoken language. This translation from one language to another necessitated an interpretation. The interpretation, which at first may have been offhand comments, gradually grew into a more formal presentation. Preaching in the Synagogue Preaching in the synagogue took place within the established Jewish liturgy. The service in the synagogue would begin with the recitation of the shma. This was a confession of God's greatness and was taken from Deuteronomy 6:49; 11:13-21; and Numbers 15:37-41. There would then be a time of prayer that would usually be one of a cycle of eighteen prayers called "The Prayer. " Following the prayers came the reading of Scripture, which would first be a text from the Law, followed by a text from the proph…