πολύς G4183
Many, much, great; of number, quantity, magnitude, or degree; also comparative 'far more' and frequentative 'many times.'
Polys is the Greek workhorse for expressing large quantity, and its New Testament usage spans nearly every kind of abundance — many people, much suffering, great crowds, and intense emotion. With 361 occurrences, it is among the most frequent adjectives in the New Testament. The word's flexibility is evident in how it moves between count nouns ('many disciples,' Matt 8:11) and mass or abstract nouns ('much fruit,' John 12:24; 'much boldness,' Phlm 1:8). The comparative forms (with dative of degree) generate a distinctive rhetorical pattern in Paul's letters: 'much more shall...' (Rom 5:9, 10, 15, 17), building arguments from lesser to greater. Across languages, this range maps cleanly: Spanish muchos/mucho, German viel/viele, French beaucoup, Korean 많은 — all exhibit the same count/mass flexibility.
Senses
1. many, numerous (of plurality) — Many, numerous — referring to a large number of countable persons or things. The dominant sense at 202 occurrences, covering 'many will come from east and west' (Matt 8:11), 'many prophets and righteous people' (Matt 13:17), and 'many signs' (John 20:30). When substantivized, hoi polloi means simply 'the many' or 'many people' (Matt 20:28; Rom 5:15). Spanish muchos, German viele, Korean 많은, and Arabic kathirun all deploy standard count-plural forms. The word frequently appears with ochlos ('crowd') to indicate 'a great crowd' (Matt 14:14), where the boundary with sense 3 (magnitude) can blur. 202×
AR["عَصافيرَ", "كَثيرونَ", "كَثيرينَ", "كَثيرَةً", "كَثيرَةٍ", "كَثِيرَةً", "كَثِيرَةٌ", "كَثِيرُونَ", "كَثِيرِينَ-مِنَ"]·ben["অনেক", "অনেকে", "অনেকের"]·DE["viel"]·EN["great", "many", "than-many"]·FR["beaucoup"]·heb["מִ-צִפֳרִים-רַבִּים", "רַבִּים", "רַבּוֹת"]·HI["बड़ी", "बहुत", "बहुतों-को", "बहुतोन"]·ID["Banyak-orang", "banyak", "banyak-orang", "besar", "yang-banyak"]·IT["molto"]·jav["kathah", "kathah,", "kathéh"]·KO["많다", "많은", "많은-사람들", "많은-이들을", "많은-자들이"]·PT["de-muitos", "grandes,", "muitas", "muitas.", "muitos", "muitos."]·RU["большое", "многие", "многие,", "многие.", "многих", "многих."]·ES["a-muchos", "de-muchos", "muchas", "muchos"]·SW["-", "kwa-maana", "kwa-sababu-ya", "mengi", "mengi,", "mingi", "nyingi", "shomoro-wengi", "wengi", "wengi,"]·TR["büyük", "çok", "çokları", "çokları-için", "çoktur"]·urd["بہت", "بہت-سی", "بہت-سے", "بہتوں", "بہتوں-کو", "زیادہ"]
Matt 3:7, Matt 7:13, Matt 7:22, Matt 7:22, Matt 8:11, Matt 8:16, Matt 8:30, Matt 9:10, Matt 10:31, Matt 12:15, Matt 13:2, Matt 13:17 (+38 more)
2. much, abundant (of quantity) — Much, abundant — a large amount, degree, or extent of something, typically with mass nouns or abstract concepts. Ninety-seven occurrences include 'much weeping' (Matt 2:18), 'much suffering' (Matt 16:21), 'much fruit' (John 12:24; 15:5), and adverbial uses like 'praying much' or 'speaking much.' Spanish mucho (singular mass) versus muchos (plural count) perfectly mirrors this sense boundary, as does Korean's shift from 많은 (count) to 많이 (adverbial extent). Paul's 'much boldness' (Phlm 1:8) and 'much affliction' (2 Cor 2:4) exemplify the abstract-quantity usage. 97×
AR["<كَثيرًا>", "الْكَثِيرِ", "كَثيرًا", "كَثِيرًا", "كَثِيرٌ", "كَثِيرٍ", "كَثِيرَةٌ", "مُتَأَخِّرَةٌ"]·ben["অনেক", "অনেক-কিছু", "অনেকের", "বহু,", "বেশি"]·DE["viel", "viele"]·EN["many-things", "much", "of-many-things"]·FR["beaucoup"]·heb["הַרְבֵּה", "מְאֻחֶרֶת", "רַב", "רַבּוֹת"]·HI["चिन्तित-होकर", "बहुत", "बहुत-कुछ"]·ID["banyak", "banyak,", "banyak-hal", "keras"]·IT["molto"]·jav["ageng,", "akèh", "dangu", "kathah", "kathah,", "kathah."]·KO["<많이>", "많은", "많은-것-에", "많은-것-을", "많은-것들-을", "많은-것을", "많이", "많이.", "오랜"]·PT["de-muito", "muita", "muitas-coisas", "muito"]·RU["во-многом", "долгого", "многим", "много", "многое", "многому", "позднему", "сильно"]·ES["de-mucho", "mucha", "muchas-cosas", "mucho"]·SW["mengi", "muda-mrefu", "mwingi", "nyingi", "sana", "vingi", "‹mara-nyingi›,"]·TR["uzun", "çok", "çok-şey"]·urd["بہت", "بہت-کچھ", "بہت-کے", "بہُت", "زیادہ"]
Matt 2:18, Matt 9:14, Matt 13:3, Matt 13:5, Matt 16:21, Matt 25:19, Matt 25:21, Matt 25:23, Matt 27:19, Mark 1:45, Mark 3:12, Mark 5:26 (+38 more)
3. great, large (of magnitude) — Great, large — emphasizing magnitude, significance, or intensity rather than mere number. Thirty-six occurrences where polys functions almost as a synonym for megas ('great'): 'great is your reward' (Matt 5:12), 'a great crowd' (Matt 14:14; 20:29), and 'great power and glory' (Matt 24:30). The distinction from senses 1-2 is subtle but real: here the emphasis falls on impressiveness or scale rather than counting or measuring. German uses groß ('great') rather than viel ('many/much') in several of these contexts, and Korean shifts to 큰 ('big/great') alongside 많은. 36×
AR["عَظيمٌ", "كَثيرًا", "كَثيرٌ", "كَثيرُ", "كَثِيرًا", "كَثِيرٌ", "كَثِيرٍ"]·ben["অনেক", "বড়", "বহু", "বহু,", "বিরাট"]·DE["viel", "viele"]·EN["a-great", "great", "large"]·FR["beaucoup"]·heb["הָמוֹן", "רַב"]·HI["पास-से", "बड़ा", "बड़ी", "बदि", "बहुत", "बहुत,", "भीड़"]·ID["banyak", "besar", "besar,", "yang-besar"]·IT["molto"]·jav["ageng,", "akèh", "akèh,", "kathah"]·KO["많은", "많은,", "큰"]·PT["grande", "grande,", "grande."]·RU["большая", "большое", "большой", "большую", "велика", "многая", "многая.", "многой", "многочисленный"]·ES["grande", "mucha"]·SW["kubwa", "mkubwa", "mkubwa,", "na"]·TR["büyük", "çok", "çok,", "çok.", "çoktur"]·urd["آسمان", "بڑا", "بڑی", "بڑے", "بہت", "بیٹے", "شاگردوں", "محصول-لینے-والوں"]
Matt 5:12, Matt 14:14, Matt 20:29, Matt 24:30, Matt 26:47, Mark 3:7, Mark 3:8, Mark 5:21, Mark 5:24, Mark 6:34, Mark 8:1, Mark 9:14 (+24 more)
4. much more, by far (comparative degree) — Much more, by far — comparative constructions expressing a considerably greater degree, often marked by the dative pollo ('by much') or in parakalo-type entreaty formulas. Twenty-five occurrences cluster in Mark 5 (five times: 'he begged him much/earnestly') and Paul's a fortiori arguments (Rom 5:9-10, 15, 17: 'much more shall we be saved'). Spanish mucho mas, German viel mehr, and Korean 훨씬 더 all deploy dedicated intensifying-comparative vocabulary. The dative pollo in 'by much' (Mark 10:48; Luke 18:39) is formally distinct from the simple adjective. 25×
AR["أَكثَرَ", "الكَثيرَ", "بِأَكثَرَ", "بِالأَولى", "بِكَثيرٍ", "بِكَثِيرٍ", "كَثيرًا", "كَثِيرًا"]·ben["অত্যন্ত", "অনেক", "অনেক,", "অনেক-বেশি", "অনেকেতে", "কড়াভাবে"]·DE["viel", "viele"]·EN["by-much", "much"]·FR["beaucoup"]·heb["הַרְבֵּה", "הַרְבֵּה-יוֹתֵר", "כַּמָּה", "רַבִּים יוֹתֵר"]·HI["अधिक", "उससे", "कड़ी-से", "बहुत", "बहुत-अधिक"]·ID["banyak", "banyak,", "dengan-sangat", "dengan-tegas", "jauh", "keras", "lebih", "sangat"]·IT["molto"]·jav["[kathah]", "akèh", "akèh,", "akèh.", "kathah", "kathàh", "langkung", "langkung-keras", "langkung-langkung", "sanget"]·KO["더욱", "많이", "많이,", "많이.", "훨씬", "훨씬-더", "훨쥌-더"]·PT["muito", "muito,", "muito."]·RU["-дара", "в-", "весьма", "гораздо", "много", "намного", "намного-ли", "строго", "тем-более", "усердно"]·ES["[mucho]", "mucho"]·SW["bora-sana", "mengi,", "sana", "sana,", "sana.", "wengi-zaidi", "zaidi", "zaidi-sana"]·TR["Akila", "ama-", "cok-daha", "daha çok", "değil", "ne kadar daha", "çok", "çok,", "çok-daha", "çok.", "çokça"]·urd["بہت", "بہت-زیادہ", "زیادہ", "کتنا"]
Matt 6:30, Mark 5:10, Mark 5:23, Mark 5:38, Mark 5:43, Mark 6:23, Mark 10:48, Mark 12:27, Luke 18:39, John 4:41, Rom 5:9, Rom 5:10 (+13 more)
5. many times (frequentative) — Many times, often — the frequentative sense, appearing once clearly at Rom 15:22 ('I have been hindered many times from coming to you'). Spanish muchas veces ('many times'), German vielmals, and Korean 여러 번 ('several times') all use temporal-frequency expressions rather than simple quantity words. While rare in this corpus, the adverbial frequentative usage of polys is well attested in wider Koine Greek and represents a genuine, if peripheral, sense distinct from spatial or numerical quantity. 1×
AR["-كَثِيرًا"]·ben["অনেকবার"]·DE["viele"]·EN["many-times"]·FR["beaucoup"]·heb["רַבּוֹת"]·HI["बहुत-बार"]·ID["berkali-kali"]·IT["molto"]·jav["kathah"]·KO["여러-번"]·PT["muitas-vezes"]·RU["-прийти"]·ES["muchas-veces"]·SW["mara-nyingi"]·TR["çok-kez"]·urd["بہت-بار"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πολύς, Attic dialect πολλή, πολ; genitive πολλοῦ, ῆς, ou=; dative πολλῷ, ῇ, ; accusative πολύν, πολλήν, πολύ:—Ionic dialect πολλός Refs 6th c.BC+, πολλή, πολλόν Refs 6th c.BC+; also in Trag., Refs 5th c.BC+; accusative πολλόν, πολλήν, πολλόν: Refs 5th c.BC+ uses the Ionic dialect forms, but codices have πολύν Refs 1st c.AD+:—both sets of forms are found in Epic dialect, also genitive singular…