Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

NATIONS

In the OT the concept of “nation” (usually Heb. gôy; LXX Gk. éthnos) included at least four components: (1) a related group of people (2) living in its own territory (3) with its own government and (4) worshipping its own god or gods. Consequently, Israel and other groups could be nations. “People” (Heb. ʿam; LXX laós) was a more general term with no particular political significance, though the two terms could be used as synonyms (Exod. 33:13; Deut. 4:6). The NT seems to maintain the distinction of the terms éthnos and laós. The words gôy and éthnos also meant “Gentiles,” and only context establishes the correct meaning.

The political meaning of “nations” is clear in several well-known passages. The Table of Nations (Gen. 10:1-32) depicts humanity already divided into nations, not as a unity. The people of Israel appealed to Samuel to find them a king “like other nations” (1 Sam. 8:5). On the day of Pentecost “Jews from every nation under heaven” were present in Jerusalem (Acts 2:5).

The Hebrew prophets in particular spoke of specific nations as deserving future punishment: e.g., Edom, Ammon, and Moab (Amos 1:11–2:3); Babylonia, Assyria, and Egypt (Isa. 13–14, 19). However, in places eschatological speculation about the elevation of Israel also took note of the “nations” almost as a foil for the special attention Israel would receive (e.g., Zech. 14).

Paul L. Redditt

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

NATIONS

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)