ἔθνος

ethnos

nation

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.

G1484

1 Peter 2:9 · Word #7

Lexicon G1484

Lemmaἔθνος
Transliterationéthnos
Strong'sG1484
In-contextnation
Literalnation/people

Morphology N NOM N SG All morphology codes

Part of Speech N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea
Case NOM — Nominative — The subject of the sentence
Gender N — Neuter — Grammatical neuter
Number SG — Singular — One

Lexical Info

Lemmaἔθνος
Strong'sG1484

SIBI-P1 G1484-06

nation-people (neuter singular)

Rootἔθνος (ethnos)
Core Meaningsnation, people-group, ethnic group, tribe, populace
Semantic RangeA nation, ethnic group, tribe, people defined by shared lineage or customs; in Jewish and early Christian contexts often refers specifically to the nations other than Israel (the Gentiles), sometimes with the sense of pagan peoples.
Conceptual Significanceἔθνος is central to biblical discussions of covenant identity and mission. It distinguishes Israel from the surrounding nation-peoples while also framing the prophetic vision that all nation-peoples would ultimately come to know the God of Israel.
Morphological NotesNoun, neuter, singular; appears in nominative singular (NNS) and accusative singular (ANS) forms. As a neuter noun, nominative and accusative singular share the same form (ἔθνος). Functions as subject or direct object depending on context.
Rendering RationaleThe rendering "nation-people" preserves the root idea of a people bound together by shared customs or identity (from ἔθω, "to be accustomed"). The singular form reflects the nominative or accusative neuter singular morphology (NNS/ANS), indicating one collective people-group; English does not mark neuter gender, but the collective sense is maintained.

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root ἔθνος (nation, people-group, ethnic group, tribe, populace)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
G1484-01 ethne the nations
G1484-02 ethnei to the people-group
G1484-03 ethnesi to the nations

Word Usage (162 occurrences of G1484)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Matthew 4:15 ἐθνῶν ethnon
Matthew 6:32 ἔθνη ethne
Matthew 10:5 ἐθνῶν ethnon