וַיִּקָּ֨הֲל֜וּ אֶל־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה֙ כׇּל־אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּיֶ֥רַח הָאֵתָנִ֖ים בֶּחָ֑ג ה֖וּא הַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי׃
The entire body of Israel* gathered before King Solomon at the Feast [of Booths], in the month of Ethanim—that is, the seventh month.
*The entire body of Israel I.e., the elders of vv. 1 and 3, representing the nation.
(The above rendering comes from the RJPS translation, an adaptation of the NJPS translation. Before accounting for this rendering, I will analyze the plain sense of the Hebrew term אִישׁ, by employing a situation-oriented construal as outlined in this introduction, pp. 11–16.)
On the meaning of the definite noun phrase כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל here, see my comment at Deut 29:9.
- Like there, in the context of covenant ratification, this expression situates the people Israel in its covenant with God.
- Like there, this instance also includes a linguistic device that expresses the representation of the people by their leadership: כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל functions as a metonym. It collectively denote the Israelite leadership (namely, the “elders” mentioned in vv. 1 and 3) in terms of that representation.
As for the translation, the NJPS “All the people of Israel” is unlikely, as explained at Deut 29:9. The revised rendering reflects a situating approach, expressed in English idiom.