ἔθνος (G1484) — Greek Lexicon

ἔθνος

éthnos

G1484 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A distinct community of people, typically defined by shared ancestry, customs, language, or geographic region; a nation or ethnic group. In different contexts, can denote a people group (regardless of political status), an ethnic or cultural community, or, in some uses of Greek literature and the Septuagint, non-Israelite nations. In the New Testament context, often used to refer broadly to non-Judean nations, but not exclusively as a religious category.

Semantic Range

nation, people group, ethnic group, foreign nation, (in LXX and NT: non-Judean nations), Gentile (later specialized usage), pagan (occasionally by implication), tribe

Root / Etymology

From the root ἔθ- (connected to ἔθω, 'to be accustomed, to use'), indicating those who share common customs or usages. The formation relates to a collective (neuter noun in -ος), denoting a body of people distinguished by customary practice.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἔθνος referred generically to any people group or nation, including one's own, and was contrasted with πόλις ('city-state') or λαός ('the common people'). In Hellenistic and Second Temple Greek (including the Septuagint), it most often denotes non-Israelite nations, in distinction from the Israelites (λαός), but the boundary is ethnic or geographic, not strictly religious. In the New Testament, ἔθνη is frequently used in the plural ('the nations') to indicate all peoples except Judeans; over time this developed into the concept later rendered as 'Gentiles', but the term's scope is broader—non-Judean ethnic groups, regardless of religion. English translations such as 'Gentile', 'heathen', or 'pagan' capture only some contexts and can mislead; the primary sense is 'nation' or 'people group', not inherently 'non-believer' or 'non-Israelite'. The singular may sometimes refer to a particular nation, while the plural ἔθνη is a default designation for 'the (other) nations'.

Translation Consistency

primary "nation" 50 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering in the SILEX/NT context (majority of occurrences are "nations"), and it covers the semantic range (people group, ethnic group, foreign nation, Gentile) while allowing regular English inflection (nation/nations) for context. 'People' is possible but less frequent in the data; 'nation' best preserves the typical sense and translation practice.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from ἔθω; 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.

Root Family

ἔθ- (éthnos) — custom, habit, people group, nation

Root ἔθ- custom, habit, people group, nation

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
G1485	ἔθος	established customs

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G1484-01`	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations	53
`G1484-05`	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations	45
`G1484-04`	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations	31
`G1484-06`	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N NOM N SG`	nation	nation	nation	18
`G1484-02`	ἔθνει	ethnei	`N DAT N SG`	nation	to a nation	nation	7
`G1484-07`	ἔθνους	ethnous	`N GEN N SG`	nation	of a people group	nation	7
`G1484-03`	ἔθνεσι	ethnesi	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	nations	1

Occurrences in Scripture

162 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G1484-05`	Matthew 4:15	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Matthew 6:32	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Matthew 10:5	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	of Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-04`	Matthew 10:18	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-04`	Matthew 12:18	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-01`	Matthew 12:21	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-04`	Matthew 20:19	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-05`	Matthew 20:25	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-02`	Matthew 21:43	ἔθνει	ethnei	`N DAT N SG`	to a nation	to a nation	to a nation
`G1484-06`	Matthew 24:7	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N NOM N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-06`	Matthew 24:7	ἔθνος	ethnos-2	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-05`	Matthew 24:9	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	nations	of nations	of nations
`G1484-04`	Matthew 24:14	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	nations	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-01`	Matthew 25:32	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-01`	Matthew 28:19	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-04`	Mark 10:33	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-05`	Mark 10:42	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-04`	Mark 11:17	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	nations	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-06`	Mark 13:8	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N NOM N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-06`	Mark 13:8	ἔθνος	ethnos-2	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-01`	Mark 13:10	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Luke 2:32	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-06`	Luke 7:5	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-01`	Luke 12:30	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-04`	Luke 18:32	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-06`	Luke 21:10	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N NOM N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-06`	Luke 21:10	ἔθνος	ethnos-2	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-01`	Luke 21:24	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Luke 21:24	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	the Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Luke 21:24	ἐθνῶν	ethnon-2	`N GEN N PL`		of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Luke 21:25	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	of nations	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Luke 22:25	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-06`	Luke 23:2	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-01`	Luke 24:47	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-06`	John 11:48	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-06`	John 11:50	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N NOM N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-07`	John 11:51	ἔθνους	ethnous	`N GEN N SG`	nation	of a people group	of a nation
`G1484-07`	John 11:52	ἔθνους	ethnous	`N GEN N SG`	nation	of a people group	of a nation
`G1484-06`	John 18:35	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N NOM N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-07`	Acts 2:5	ἔθνους	ethnous	`N GEN N SG`	nation	of a people group	nation
`G1484-01`	Acts 4:25	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-04`	Acts 4:27	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	the nations
`G1484-06`	Acts 7:7	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-05`	Acts 7:45	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-06`	Acts 8:9	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-05`	Acts 9:15	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-07`	Acts 10:22	ἔθνους	ethnous	`N GEN N SG`	nation	of a people group	nation
`G1484-02`	Acts 10:35	ἔθνει	ethnei	`N DAT N SG`	nation	to a nation	nation
`G1484-01`	Acts 10:45	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 11:1	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations

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