ἔθνος G1484
Nation, people, ethnic group; in the NT often 'the Gentiles' — non-Jewish peoples collectively contrasted with Israel.
One of the most theologically loaded nouns in the New Testament. In its broader sense it simply means 'nation' or 'people' — any ethnic or political group, including Israel itself (Matt 21:43, 'a nation producing its fruits'). But in Pauline and early church usage, the plural τὰ ἔθνη became almost a technical term for 'the Gentiles,' those outside Israel's covenant. Spanish naciones and German Völker preserve the neutral 'nations' sense, while spa gentiles and the consistent use of the plural across languages signal the specialized theological meaning. Romans 1-2 showcases both: the gospel goes to the nations (1:5), and Gentiles who do by nature what the law requires expose the universality of God's standard (2:14).
1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations — The Gentiles — non-Jewish peoples collectively, often set in contrast with Israel and the covenant community. This quasi-technical NT usage dominates, appearing 128 times. Translations across languages typically use the plural 'nations' (spa naciones, fra nation, deu Völker), but the theological context makes the Gentile reference clear. Rom 1:5 declares Paul's apostleship 'among all the nations'; Rom 2:14 and 2:24 set up the Jew-Gentile dialectic that shapes Paul's entire argument. The Spanish gloss gentiles appears alongside naciones, reflecting awareness of the specialized sense. 128×
AR["-الأُمَمُ","-الأُمَمِ","أُمَمًا","أُمَمِ","أُمَمِ-","الأُمَمَ","الأُمَمِ"]·ben["জাতিগণ","জাতিগণের","জাতিগুলিতে,","জাতিগুলিতে-","জাতিগুলিতে;","জাতিদের","জাতিদের --","জাতিদের,","জাতিদের-কাছে,","জাতিদের।","জাতিরা","জাতিরা,"]·DE["Voelker"]·EN["nations","of-nations"]·FR["nation"]·heb["גּוֹיִם","הַ-גּוֹיִם"]·HI["अन्यजाति","अन्यजातियां","अन्यजातियों","अन्यजातियों-का","जतियोन,","जतियोन-","जतियोन-मेइन-","जतियोन;","जातियाँ","जातियों","जातियों-की","जातियों-को"]·ID["bangsa","bangsa-bangsa","bangsa-bangsa,","bangsa-bangsa-","bangsa-bangsa-lain","bangsa-bangsa.","kafir,"]·IT["nazione"]·jav["bangsa","bangsa,","bangsa-bangsa","bangsa-bangsa,","bangsa-bangsa-","bangsa-bangsa--","bangsa-bangsa;","bangsa-bangsa?","bangsa.","para-bangsa,"]·KO["이방인들","이방인들,","이방인들--","이방인들-가운데","이방인들-에게","이방인들-의","이방인들-이","이방인들;","이방인들로부터도","이방인들에게","이방인들에게라","이방인들의","이방인들이"]·PT["de-gentios","gentios","gentios,","gentios?","nações","nações--"]·RU["-язычников","их","народов","народы","насколько","славлю","язычниками","язычниках,","язычники"]·ES["de-naciones","gentiles","naciones"]·SW["Mataifa","Mataifa,","kwa-mataifa","mataifa","mataifa,","mataifa-","mengine.","wa-Mataifa","yote,"]·TR["milletler","milletlerde","milletlerden","o-","uluslar","uluslar,","uluslara","uluslarda","ulusların"]·urd["غیر-قوموں","غیر-قوموں-نے","غیر-قوموں-کا","غیر-قوموں؟","غیر-قومیں","قوموں","قوموں-کو","قومیں"]
Rom 1:5, Rom 1:13, Rom 2:14, Rom 2:24, Rom 9:24, Rom 9:30, Rom 11:11, Rom 11:13, Rom 11:13, Rom 11:25, Rom 15:12, Rom 15:16 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. nation, people, ethnic group — A nation, people, or ethnic group as a political or cultural entity, without the Jew-Gentile contrast — used of any people including Israel. Matt 24:7 ('nation shall rise against nation') uses it in the generic geopolitical sense; Matt 21:43 applies it to a future covenant community. German distinguishes Volk (singular people) from Völker (nations collectively), and this sense aligns with the singular. Matt 4:15 cites Isaiah's 'Galilee of the nations,' where the word retains its older, broader meaning of an ethnic territory. 36×
AR["أُمَّةٌ","أُمَّةٍ","أُمَّةَ","أُمَّةُ","أُمَّةِ","أُمَّتَ","الأُمَّةِ"]·ben["জাতি","জাতিকে","জাতিতে","জাতির"]·DE["Voelker","Volk"]·EN["nation"]·FR["nation"]·heb["אֻמָּה","גּוֹי","הַגּוֹי","עַם","עָם"]·HI["जाति","जाति-के","जाति-को","जातिको","जाति।","लोगों"]·ID["Bangsa","bangsa","bangsa,","itu"]·IT["ethnos","ethnous","nazione"]·jav["bangsa","bangsa,","bangsa.","bangsa;","umat"]·KO["나라-로부터","나라-를","민족","민족-에-의해","민족-에서","민족-을","민족-이","민족만을","민족에","민족에게","민족을","민족이"]·PT["nação"]·RU["Народ","народ","народа","народе","народу"]·ES["nación"]·SW["dhidi-ya","na","taifa","taifa,"]·TR["millet","millete","milleti","milletimizi","milletin","milletinden","milletinin","millette","ulus","ulusa","ulusu","ulusun"]·urd["قوم","قوم-کو","قوم-کے"]
Matt 4:15, Matt 21:43, Matt 24:7, Matt 24:7, Mark 13:8, Mark 13:8, Luke 7:5, Luke 21:10, Luke 21:10, Luke 23:2, John 11:48, John 11:50 (+24 more)
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)H3162a 1. together, all together, alike (44×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἔθνος, εος, τό: (ϝέθνος,Refs 8th c.BC+: - number of people living together, company, body of men, ἑτάρων ἔ., ἔ. ἑταίρων, band of comrades, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἔθνος λαῶν host of men, Refs; of particular tribes, Αυκίων μέγα ἔ. Refs 8th c.BC+; of animals, ἔ. μελισσάων, ὀρνίθων, μυιάων, swarms, flocks, etc., Refs 8th c.BC+; ἔ. ἀνέρων, γυναικῶν, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἔ. βρότεον, θνατόν, Refs; ἔ. τόδε, of the…