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λαός

laós

G2992 noun

SILEX Entry

Root λαό- people, community, populace

Definition

A collective group of people, often referring to a community connected by shared ancestry, culture, or other identity markers. In many contexts, especially in the Septuagint and New Testament, commonly denotes a nation or the body of people distinguished from rulers or elites; may indicate 'the people' as a general mass or a specific ethnic, national, or religious group, depending on context.

Semantic Range

people (as a collective), nation, ethnic group, general populace, body of adherents, laity (as opposed to leaders), group distinguished from outsiders or elites

Root / Etymology

A primary Greek noun rooted in λαϝ-, with cognates found in early Greek (e.g., Mycenaean ra-wo) signifying 'people' or 'population at large.' Its origin is possibly Indo-European, with uncertain ultimate roots.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, λαός generally designates 'the people,' often contrasted with rulers or military leaders, and may cover a wide semantic field, from an entire nation to a group under one leader. In the Septuagint, λαός frequently renders Hebrew עָם ('am, 'people') and sometimes refers specifically to the Israelite collective. In the New Testament period, λαός is employed for both general crowds and, more specifically, for the people of Israel, especially in a covenantal or chosen sense (sometimes implying 'God's people'). This stands in contrast to δῆμος, which refers more specifically to a political body of citizens or a local populace. Standard English translations as 'people' often miss the nuance that λαός may denote a specific national or religious community, not simply humanity in general. The term can also reflect social distinction from elites (leaders/scribes/priests vs. λαός) and, in some contexts, acts as a self-designation for an in-group. Over time, the differentiation between λαός and ἔθνος ('nation, outsider group, Gentile') became especially significant in Jewish and early Christian writers, reflecting distinctions between insiders and outsiders.

Translation Consistency

primary "people" 142 occurrences

'People' is the most natural, broad, and commonly used English equivalent for λαός, covering collective groups, nations, the general populace, and bodies of adherents. It matches the dominant usage in existing renderings (128 of 142) and accommodates both singular collective and plural senses better than more specific options like 'nation' or 'laity.'

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary word; a people (in general; thus differing from δῆμος, which denotes one's own populace):--people.

Root Family

λαός (laos) — people, community, populace

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2992-04 λαὸν laon N ACC M SG people the people (collective) the people (collective) 47
G2992-06 λαοῦ laou N GEN M SG people of the people of the people 38
G2992-01 λαῷ lao N DAT M SG people to the people to the people 26
G2992-05 λαὸς laos N NOM M SG people people people 25
G2992-02 λαοὶ laoi N NOM M PL peoples peoples peoples 4
G2992-03 λαοῖς laois N DAT M PL people to the peoples to the peoples 2

Occurrences in Scripture

142 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2992-04 Matthew 1:21 λαὸν laon N ACC M SG people the people (collective) the people (collective)
G2992-06 Matthew 2:4 λαοῦ laou N GEN M SG people of the people of the people
G2992-04 Matthew 2:6 λαόν laon N ACC M SG people the people (collective) the people (collective)
G2992-05 Matthew 4:16 λαὸς laos N NOM M SG people people people
G2992-01 Matthew 4:23 λαῷ lao N DAT M SG people to the people to the people
G2992-06 Matthew 13:15 λαοῦ laou N GEN M SG people of the people of the people
G2992-05 Matthew 15:8 λαὸς laos N NOM M SG people people people
G2992-06 Matthew 21:23 λαοῦ laou N GEN M SG people of the people of the people
G2992-06 Matthew 26:3 λαοῦ laou N GEN M SG people of the people of the people
G2992-01 Matthew 26:5 λαῷ lao N DAT M SG people to the people to the people
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