the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Encyclopedias
Nation
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
This word in the Auth. Ver. generally represents the Heb. גּוֹי, i.e., the nation as a body politic; in plur. גּוֹיַם, esp. of foreign nations, the GENTILES (See GENTILES) (q.v.); usually in the Sept. ἔθνος, ἔθνη, Vulg. gens, gentes. Sometimes it represents the Heb. עָם, which means esp. the PEOPLE (See PEOPLE) (q.v.), Sept. λαός; in poetry, לְאֹם
לְאֻמַּים; and in Chald. אֻמָּה . It means sometimes all the inhabitants of a particular country (Deuteronomy 4:34), the country or kingdom itself (Exodus 34:10; Revelation 7:9); sometimes countrymen, natives of the same stock (Acts 26:4); sometimes the father, head, or original of a people (Genesis 25:23). In the prophets the term "nations" is often used as a general name for the heathen or Gentiles (Isaiah 9:2; comp. Matthew 4:15). (See ETHNOLOGY).
These files are public domain.
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Nation'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​tce/​n/nation.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.