Reference: Gentiles
American
A name given by the Hebrews to all those that had not received the Law of Moses. Foreigners who embraced Judaism, they called proselytes. Since the promulgation of the gospel, the true religion has been extended to all nations; God, who had promised by his prophets to call the Gentiles to the faith, with a superabundance of grace, having fulfilled his promise; so that the Christian church is composed principally of Gentile converts, the Jews being too proud of their privileges to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Redeemer. In the writings of Paul, the Gentiles are generally called Greeks, Ro 1:14,16; 1Co 1:22,24; Ga 3:28. So also in those of Luke, in the Ac 6:1; 11:20; 18:4. Paul is commonly called the apostle of the Gentiles, Ga 2:8; 1Ti 2:7, because he preached Christ principally to them; whereas Peter, etc., preached generally to the Jews, and are called apostles of the circumcision, Ga 2:8.
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And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spoke unto the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus.
And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
(For he that worked effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
(For he that worked effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight:
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Easton
(Heb, usually in plural, goyim), meaning in general all nations except the Jews. In course of time, as the Jews began more and more to pride themselves on their peculiar privileges, it acquired unpleasant associations, and was used as a term of contempt.
In the New Testament the Greek word Hellenes, meaning literally Greek (as in Ac 16:1,3; 18:17; Ro 1:14), generally denotes any non-Jewish nation.
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Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain woman, who was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places: for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
Fausets
Hebrew Gowy, "the nations" (or "pagan," derived from the Greek ethnee), as opposed to Israel (Ne 5:8). In Ge 10:5, "isles of the Gentiles," the term is used geographically in no invidious sense. In Ge 14:1, Tidal "king of nations" was probably chief of several nomadic wandering tribes of western Asia. In Jos 12:23 we read, "the king of the nations (the gentile foreigners) of Gilgal," the modern Moslem village Jiljule, six Roman miles N. of Antipatris. Goim is especially used of Galilee, bordering on and, even in Israelite times, much peopled with the Gilgal (Jg 4:2; Isa 9:1.) (See GALILEE.) "Greeks" in New Testament is used for Gentiles (Ac 14:1; 17:4; Ro 1:16; 10:12; 2:9-10; 1Co 10:32 margin).
With all the superiority of the gentile great world kingdoms, in military prowess, commerce, luxury, and the fine arts, Israel stood on an immense moral elevation above them, in the one point, nearness to God, and possession of His revealed will and word (Ex 19:5-6; Ps 147:19-20; 148:14; Ro 3:1-2). But this superiority was in order that Israel, as priests unto God, might be mediator of blessings unto all nations (Isa 61:6). The covenant from the first with Abraham contemplated that "in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed" (Ge 22:18). The Jews in national pride failed to see this, and despised the Gentiles Rejecting Messiah, they were "broken oft" from the olive, that the Gentiles might be" grafted in" (Ro 11:11-35).
The times of the Gentiles began with Judah's depression and captivity under Nebuchadnezzar, to whom God delegated the world empire (Jer 27:6-7), from whence Jeremiah's counsel to the Jews to submit to hint was true patriotism, not cowardice. Jerusalem has more or less been ever since "trodden down of the Gentiles," and shall be so "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Lu 21:24). Then shall the times of Israel begin with a glory eclipsing her past glory. "All Israel shall be saved." "The receiving of them shall be life from the dead" to the whole world (Mic 5:7; Isa 2:2-4; Re 11:2-15). The theocracy shall be restored with unparalleled splendor at the coming of Him "whose right it is" (Eze 21:27). The times of the gentile monarchies answer to Israel's seven times punishment (Le 26:18,21-24).
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By these were the coastlands of the nations divided in their lands; everyone after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim;
And in your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice.
Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Israel.
And if you will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
And if you walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild animals among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate. read more. And if you will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
The king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of Gilgal, one;
And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the nations.
And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold unto the nations; and will you even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
He shows his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He has not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise you the LORD.
He also exalts the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise you the LORD.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. read more. And he shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Nevertheless the gloom shall not be such as was in her distress, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more heavily oppress her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
But you shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: you shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves.
And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his own land comes: and then many nations and great kings shall enslave him.
I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it to him.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarries not for man, nor waits for the sons of men.
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
And some of them believed, and joined Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:
What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because unto them were committed the oracles of God.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? read more. For I speak to you Gentiles, since I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office: If by any means I may provoke to envy them who are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit are holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if you boast, you bear not the root, but the root you. You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not arrogant, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also not spare you. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are unchangeable. For as you in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God has concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
But the court which is outside the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth. read more. These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and tribes and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not allow their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them who saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, {} Come up here. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the rest were frightened, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe comes quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.
Hastings
Morish
A name commonly used in scripture to denote any and every nation except Israel. At times, when Israel as a people is referred to, the same words are used for them. Thus
1. goi, qno" -->???, ?????, is translated 'nation,' and refers to the Jewish nation. De 26:5; Lu 7:5; Joh 11:48. In the plural the same words refer to the nations generally in distinction from Israel, and are translated 'nations,' 'Gentiles,' and 'heathen.' De 18:9; 32:43; Isa 60:3; 62:2; Joe 2:19; Ac 11:1,18; Acts:13:19; Ac 28:28; etc.
2. ????? (in plural) is translated 'Gentiles' in Joh 7:35; Ro 2:9-10; 3:9; 1Co 10:32; 12:13, in contrast to the Jews; but would be better translated 'Greeks,' as it is in most places.
God had raised a wall between the Jews and the Gentiles, which in Christ's death was broken down for believers, "to make in himself of twain one new man." Eph 2:14. "There is neither Jew nor Greek . . . . for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Ga 3:28. This does not touch unbelieving Jews and Gentiles, who are kept separate in God's present and future dealings.
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When you are come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
And you shall speak and say before the LORD your God, An Aramean ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
Rejoice, O you nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory: and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied with them: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations:
Then said the Jews among themselves, Where will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:
What then? are we better than they? No, in no way: for we have before proved both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Smith
Gen'tiles
(nations). All the people who were not Jews were so called by them, being aliens from the worship, rites and privileges of Israel. The word was used contemptuously by them. In the New Testament it is used as equivalent to Greek. This use of the word seems to have arisen from the almost universal adaption of the Greek language.
Watsons
GENTILES, COURT OF THE. Josephus says there was, in the court of the temple, a wall, or balustrade, breast-high, with pillars at particular distances, and inscriptions on them in Greek and Latin, importing that strangers were forbidden from entering farther; here their offerings were received, and sacrifices were offered for them, they standing at the barrier; but they were not allowed to approach to the altar. Pompey, nevertheless, went even into the sanctuary, but behaved with strict decorum; and the next day he commanded the temple to be purified, and the customary sacrifices to be offered. A little before the last rebellion of the Jews, some mutineers would have persuaded the priests to accept no victim not presented by a Jew; and obliged them to reject those which were offered by command of the emperor, for the Roman people. The wisest in vain remonstrated with them on the danger this would bring on their country; urged that their ancestors had never rejected the presents of Gentiles; and that the temple was mostly adorned with the offerings of such people; at the same time, the most learned priests, who had spent their whole lives in the study of the law, testified that their forefathers had always received the sacrifices of strangers.
From the above particulars, we learn the meaning of what the Apostle Paul calls "the middle wall of partition," between Jews and Gentiles, broken down by the Gospel.