λᾱός G2992
People — a body of persons united by ethnic, national, or religious identity; especially Israel as God's chosen people
Laos in classical Greek could mean soldiers, citizens, or common folk, but the Septuagint narrowed it to a powerful theological term: the people of God, Israel as a covenant community distinct from the ethne (nations/Gentiles). The New Testament preserves this force. Gabriel announces Jesus 'will save his people from their sins' (Matt 1:21), Zechariah blesses God for visiting 'his people' (Luke 1:68), and the epistle to the Hebrews extends the concept to the new-covenant community (Heb 4:9). Across 142 occurrences, laos retains this covenantal texture. Spanish 'pueblo,' French 'peuple,' and German 'Volk' all capture the communal and political resonance.
Senses
1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) — A collective body of persons bound by ethnic, political, or covenantal identity. In the Septuagint and New Testament, laos is the characteristic term for Israel as God's elect people, distinct from ethne (the nations). This covenantal overtone pervades key passages: 'he will save his people from their sins' (Matt 1:21), 'a people for his own possession' (Titus 2:14; echoing Deut 7:6). Luke-Acts uses it extensively for Israel's crowds and assemblies. Spanish 'pueblo,' French 'peuple,' and German 'Volk' reflect the same communal and political register. 142×
AR["الشَّعْبُ", "الشَّعْبِ", "شَعبِ", "شَعْبًا", "شَعْبَهُ", "شَعْبُ", "شَعْبِ", "شَعْبِهِ", "شَعْبِي", "شَّعْبُ"]·ben["জনগণ", "জনগণকে", "জনগণের", "প্রজা", "প্রজাদের", "প্রজাদের,", "প্রজাদের।", "লোক", "লোকদের", "লোকেদের", "লোকের", "লোকেরা"]·DE["Volk"]·EN["a-people", "people"]·FR["peuple"]·heb["הָעָם", "עַם", "עָם"]·HI["लोग", "लोगों", "लोगों-का", "लोगों-की", "लोगों-के", "लोगों-को", "लोगों-में", "लोगोन-क", "सन्मान-देते-हैं"]·ID["Bangsa", "bangsa", "bangsa,", "itu", "rakyat", "rakyat.", "umat"]·IT["lao", "laon", "laos", "laou"]·jav["Umat", "rakyat", "umat", "umat,", "umatipun", "umatipun."]·KO["백성", "백성-에게", "백성-에게서", "백성-은", "백성-을", "백성-의", "백성-이", "백성의", "백성이"]·PT["povo"]·RU["народ", "народа", "народу"]·ES["pueblo"]·SW["-wa-watu", "Watu", "watu"]·TR["halk", "halka", "halkta", "halkımı", "halkın", "halkına", "halkını"]·urd["قوم", "قوم-سے", "قوم-میں", "قوم-نے", "قوم-کا", "قوم-کے", "لوگ", "لوگوں", "لوگوں-کی"]
Matt 1:21, Matt 2:4, Matt 2:6, Matt 4:16, Matt 4:23, Matt 13:15, Matt 15:8, Matt 26:3, Matt 26:5, Matt 26:47, Matt 27:1, Matt 27:25 (+38 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×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)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
λᾱός, ὁ, Ionic dialect ληός Refs 6th c.BC+ (variant{λαόν}, which is in all Mss. in Refs 6th c.BC+; Attic dialect λεώς, which is also used in Refs 5th c.BC+ and in late Prose, as Foed.Byzantine cited in Refs 5th c.BC+ __1 in Refs 8th c.BC+ (λαοί) usually means men, i.e. soldiers, both of the whole army and smaller divisions, κριτὸς ἔγρετο λ. Ἀχαιῶν Refs; periphrastic, στρατὸς λαῶνRefs; mostly…