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
`G1484-04`	Acts 11:18	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 13:19	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 13:46	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 13:47	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	of the Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 13:48	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 14:2	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 14:5	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 14:16	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	nations	nations	nations
`G1484-04`	Acts 14:27	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 15:3	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 15:7	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-04`	Acts 15:12	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 15:14	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 15:17	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 15:19	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 15:23	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-06`	Acts 17:26	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-01`	Acts 18:6	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 21:11	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	of Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-04`	Acts 21:19	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 21:21	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-05`	Acts 21:25	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Acts 22:21	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-02`	Acts 24:2	ἔθνει	ethnei	`N DAT N SG`	nation	to a nation	nation
`G1484-02`	Acts 24:10	ἔθνει	ethnei	`N DAT N SG`	nation	to a nation	nation
`G1484-06`	Acts 24:17	ἔθνος	ethnos	`N ACC N SG`	nation	nation	nation
`G1484-02`	Acts 26:4	ἔθνει	ethnei	`N DAT N SG`	nation	to a nation	nation
`G1484-05`	Acts 26:17	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-04`	Acts 26:20	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-04`	Acts 26:23	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-07`	Acts 28:19	ἔθνους	ethnous	`N GEN N SG`	nation	of a people group	nation
`G1484-04`	Acts 28:28	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-04`	Romans 1:5	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	nations	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-04`	Romans 1:13	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-01`	Romans 2:14	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-04`	Romans 2:24	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 3:29	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 3:29	ἐθνῶν	ethnon-2	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 4:17	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	nations	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 4:18	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	nations	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 9:24	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Romans 9:30	ἔθνη	ethne	`N NOM N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations
`G1484-02`	Romans 10:19	ἔθνει	ethnei	`N DAT N SG`	nation	to a nation	to a nation
`G1484-02`	Romans 10:19	ἔθνει	ethnei-2	`N DAT N SG`	nation	to a nation	to a nation
`G1484-04`	Romans 11:11	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 11:12	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	of the Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-04`	Romans 11:13	ἔθνεσιν	ethnesin	`N DAT N PL`	Gentiles	to the nations	to the nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 11:13	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	of Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-05`	Romans 11:25	ἐθνῶν	ethnon	`N GEN N PL`	Gentiles	of nations	of nations
`G1484-01`	Romans 15:9	ἔθνη	ethne	`N ACC N PL`	Gentiles	nations	nations

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