Strong's Lexicon
ethnos: Nation, Gentile, people
Original Word:ἔθνος
Part of Speech:Noun, Neuter
Transliteration:ethnos
Pronunciation:ETH-nos
Phonetic Spelling:(eth'-nos)
Definition:Nation, Gentile, people
Meaning:a race, people, nation; the nations, heathen world, Gentiles.
Word Origin:Derived from a root word meaning "a multitude" or "a company."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H1471 גּוֹי (goy): Often translated as "nation" or "Gentile," used in the Old Testament to refer to non-Israelite nations.
Usage:In the New Testament, "ethnos" primarily refers to a group of people or a nation, often used to denote non-Jewish peoples, or Gentiles. It can also refer to a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus. The term is used to distinguish between the Jewish people and other nations, emphasizing the universality of the Gospel message.
Cultural and Historical Background:In the Greco-Roman world, "ethnos" was commonly used to describe a group of people bound by common culture, language, and heritage. In the Jewish context, it often referred to those outside the covenant community of Israel, highlighting the distinction between Jews and Gentiles. The New Testament usage reflects the early Christian mission to spread the Gospel beyond Jewish boundaries, fulfilling the Abrahamic promise that all nations would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 12:3).
HELPS Word-studies
1484éthnos (fromethō, "forming a custom, culture") – properly, people joined by practicing similar customs or common culture;nation(s), usually referring to unbelievingGentiles (non-Jews).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originprobably from a prim. root
Definitiona race, a nation, pl. the nations (as distinct from Isr.)
NASB TranslationGentiles (93), nation (30), nations (37), pagans (1), people (2).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1484: ἔθνοςἔθνος,
ἔθνους,
τό:
1.a multitude (whether of men or of beasts)associated or living together; a company, troop, swarm:ἔθνοςἑταίρων,ἔθνοςἈχαιων,ἔθνοςλαῶν,Homer, Iliad;ἔθνοςμελισσαων, 2, 87;μυιαωνἐθνεα, ibid. 469.
2. "a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus (τόἔθνοςτόθῆλυἤἀρρεν,Xenophon, oec. 7, 26):πᾶνἔθνοςἀνθρώπων,the human race,Acts 17:26 (but this seems to belong under the next entry).
3.race, nation:Matthew 21:43;Acts 10:35, etc.;ἔθνοςἐπίἔθνος,Matthew 24:7;Mark 13:8:οἱἄρχοντες,οἱβασιλεῖςτῶνἐθνῶν,Matthew 20:25;Luke 22:25; used (in the singular) of the Jewish people,Luke 7:5;Luke 23:2;John 11:48, 50-53;John 18:35;Acts 10:22;Acts 24:2 (),;.
4. (τάἔθνη, likeהַגויִם in the O. T.,foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles, (cf.Trench, § xcviii.):Matthew 4:15 (Γαλιλαίατῶνἐθνῶν),; (3 John 1:7RG; cf.Revelation 15:3GLTTrWH marginal reading afterJohn 10:7), and very often; in plain contradistinction to the Jews:Romans 3:29;Romans 9:24; (1 Corinthians 1:23GLTTrWH):Galatians 2:8, etc.;ὁλαός (τοῦΘεοῦ, Jews)καίτάἔθνη,Luke 2:32;Acts 26:17, 23;Romans 15:10.
5. Paul usesτάἔθνη even of GentileChristians:Romans 11:13;Romans 15:27;Romans 16:4;Galatians 2:12 (oppositeGalatians 2:13 toοἱἸουδαῖοι, i. e. Jewish Christians),Galatians 2:14;Ephesians 3:1, cf.Ephesians 4:17 (Winers Grammar, § 59, 4 a.;Buttmann, 130 (114)).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Gentile, heathen
Probably frometho; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. A tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan) -- Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
see GREEKetho
Forms and Transliterations
εθνει έθνει ἔθνει έθνεσι εθνεσιν έθνεσιν ἔθνεσιν εθνη έθνη ἔθνη εθνος έθνος ἔθνος εθνους έθνους ἔθνους εθνων εθνών ἐθνῶν ethne ethnē éthne éthnē ethnei éthnei ethnesin éthnesin ethnon ethnôn ethnōn ethnō̂n ethnos éthnos ethnous éthnous
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