Difference between revisions of "Nation"

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== Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament <ref name="term_56692" /> ==
<p> In &nbsp;Mark 7:26, &nbsp;Galatians 1:14 m the Revised Versionrightly changes ‘nation’ to ‘race’ (γένει); cf. &nbsp;Acts 4:36; &nbsp;Acts 18:2; &nbsp;Acts 18:24, ‘a [[Cyprian]] by race,’ ‘an Alexandrian,’ ‘a Pontican.’ In the NT ἔθνος generally designates a non-Jewish nation; but it is also used of the [[Jewish]] nation when spoken of officially (&nbsp;Luke 7:5; &nbsp;Luke 23:2, &nbsp;John 11:48 f., &nbsp;John 18:35, &nbsp;Acts 10:22; &nbsp;Acts 24:2; &nbsp;Acts 24:10; &nbsp;Acts 24:17; &nbsp;Acts 26:4; &nbsp;Acts 28:19), and even of the [[Christian]] society (&nbsp;Matthew 21:43, &nbsp;Romans 10:19). In &nbsp;1 Peter 2:9 [[Christians]] are called both ‘an elect γένος’ and ‘a holy ἔθνος.’ </p> <p> Jesus spoke to the Jewish nation as a collective personality, a community bearing a common responsibility. As ‘they that were his own’ they ‘received him not’ (&nbsp;John 1:11), and the national crime of His crucifixion was the precursor of their downfall, although it did not result in their being ‘cast off’ (&nbsp;Romans 11:1). His passionate love for His own nation was evidenced by the fatigues, the privations, the ‘contradictions’ that He endured, by the tears of wce that gushed from His eyes (&nbsp;Luke 19:41; cf. &nbsp;Romans 9:3). He seldom referred to other nations till near the close of His earthly course; yet He spoke of the [[Ninevites]] as having acted in their corporate capacity when they repented (&nbsp;Matthew 12:41; cf. &nbsp;Jonah 3:7). He recognized the right of the common law of the [[Empire]] of which He was a subject (&nbsp;Matthew 22:21). ‘All the nations,’ He said, should finally appear before Him as their Judge, and He would reward the works of love done by those whom He set on His right hand as having been done to Himself (&nbsp;Matthew 25:31 f.). When He appeared to His disciples on the mountain in Galilee, He said, ‘All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth: Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations’; and it is significant that He did not say ‘of all men’ but ‘of all the nations’-thus pointing out that the object to be aimed at was national religion, the national confession of His authority (cf. Martensen, Ethics, ‘General,’ p. 443f.). Further, if in &nbsp;Acts 2:9-11 the words Ἰουδαίαν, Κρῆτες καὶ Ἄραβες be omitted as being probably ancient glosses on the text, we are left, as Harnack says (Acts, p. 65f.), with a list of twelve nations, whom St. Luke may have specified as ‘heralding the great theme of his book’-how Jesus was brought to all the nations of the known world, the new [[Israel]] (cf. &nbsp;Acts 19:7). </p> <p> The great missionary successes of the [[Apostolic]] Age prepared the way for the reception of the Christian faith on a grand national scale. St. Paul, before his death, ‘had planted more churches than [[Plato]] had gained disciples’ (Bossuet, Panégyrique de Saint Paul, 1659)-ἐπὶ τὸ τέρμα τῆς δύσεως ἐλθών, as [[Clement]] says (ad Cor. i. 5). Besides the [[Dispersion]] (q.v.[Note: .v. quod vide, which see.]), there were other two co-operating factors that assisted the progress of the gospel-the political unity of the Empire, and the influence of the Stoic creed. In the ancient heathen world, national life had been particular and exclusive: the nations were isolated from and ignorant of each other. But when they all looked to Rome as mistress and mother, they were on their way to the belief in the spiritual unity of mankind proclaimed by [[Christianity]] (cf. Flint, History of the [[Philosophy]] of History, pp. 26, 61). The influence of the Stoic doctrine of ‘world-citizenship’ is well attested by the fragment from Cicero (de Rep. iii. 22) quoted by J. Adam, Vitality of Platonism: ‘Hymn of Cleanthes,’ p. 146: </p> <p> ‘And there will not be one law at Rome and another at Athens, one law to-day and another law to-morrow; but the same law everlasting and unchangeable will bind all nations at all times; and there will be one common [[Master]] and Ruler of all, even God, the framer, the arbitrator, and the proposer of this law.’ </p> <p> This noble utterance justifies the remark of S. [[Dill]] (Roman Society from [[Nero]] to [[Marcus]] Aurelius, London, 1904, p. 328): ‘The Stoic school has the glory of anticipating the diviner dream, yet far from realised, of a human brotherhood under the light from the Cross.’ This ‘diviner dream’ will be realized when all nations, now united by bonds far surpassing those of blood-relationship, or common speech, customs, or history-the bonds of a common love and obedience to Christ-shall form together one august [[Kingdom]] of God (&nbsp;Revelation 11:15). </p> <p> Literature.-J. Adam, The Vitality of Platonism and other Essays, Edinburgh, 1911, pp. 113 n.[Note: . note.], 142, 146-147; R. Flint, History of the Philosophy of History, do., 1893, pp. 26, 48, 61, 63, 449; T. von Haering, The Ethics of the Christian Life, London, 1909, p. 403f.; A. Harnack, Acts of the [[Apostles]] (NT Studies, iii.), Eng. translation, do., 1909, pp. 49, 64, 65f.; H. Martensen, Christian Ethics, ‘General,’ Edinburgh, 1873, pp. 214, 442f., ‘Social,’ do., 1882, p. 88f.; G. Uhlhorn, Christian [[Charity]] in the [[Ancient]] Church, Eng. translation, do., 1883, pp. 40-42. </p> <p> James Donald. </p>
       
== Bridgeway Bible Dictionary <ref name="term_18884" /> ==
<p> Within God’s overall government of human society, he has allowed a great variety of nations. Most of these have arisen out of commonly held interests or characteristics such as race, language, homeland culture, religion and law-code. According to this understanding, a nation in the biblical sense may differ from a nation in the present-day sense. Today a nation is usually defined by territorial boundaries imposed by military or political power, regardless of other considerations. In biblical usage, a ‘nation’ was primarily a ‘people group’ defined by the sorts of unifying characteristics outlined above (&nbsp;Genesis 10:32; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:8; &nbsp;Acts 17:26). </p> <p> In Old [[Testament]] times God chose one nation, Israel, to belong to him (&nbsp;Exodus 19:5-6). This was not because Israel was better than other nations (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 7:6-7; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 9:9), but because God wanted a channel of communication through which he could send his blessings to all the people of the world (&nbsp;Genesis 12:3; &nbsp;Genesis 22:17-18; see [[Election]] ). God loves all nations and desires their good (&nbsp;Isaiah 19:24-25; &nbsp;Amos 9:7; &nbsp;Matthew 28:19; &nbsp;Acts 1:8; &nbsp;Acts 13:47). </p> <p> Nevertheless, nations may fall under God’s judgment, and God may use other nations to punish them. This does not mean that those whom God uses as his instruments of judgment are free to do as they like. If they do wrong, they too may fall under God’s judgment (&nbsp;Isaiah 10:5-19; &nbsp;Isaiah 37:23-26; &nbsp;Habakkuk 1:6-7; &nbsp;Habakkuk 2:15-17). God may also use nations as his instruments to bring deliverance and blessing (&nbsp;Isaiah 45:1-5), for he controls the destinies of all nations (&nbsp;Jeremiah 18:7-10; &nbsp;Daniel 4:17). </p> <p> Sometimes people become nationalistic to the extent of putting pride in their nation ahead of moral values. God may have to remind them that national power and glory can be very shortlived. The only lasting kingdom is the kingdom of God (&nbsp;Daniel 2:44; &nbsp;Daniel 4:30; &nbsp;Daniel 4:34). God’s people may well love the nation to which they belong (&nbsp;Jeremiah 8:18-22; &nbsp;Matthew 23:37; &nbsp;Romans 9:3) and be loyal citizens (&nbsp;Romans 13:1-7; &nbsp;1 Peter 2:13-14; cf. &nbsp;Jeremiah 29:4-7), but their first allegiance must always be to God (&nbsp;Exodus 20:3; &nbsp;Mark 12:17; &nbsp;Acts 5:29; see [[Government]] ). </p> <p> [[Israelites]] of Old Testament times made such a clear distinction between themselves and others that their usual word for ‘nations’ (plural) developed the special sense of ‘other nations’ (often translated ‘Gentiles’ or ‘heathen’) (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 18:9; &nbsp;Psalms 2:1; &nbsp;Isaiah 11:10; &nbsp;Isaiah 30:28; &nbsp;Isaiah 36:18; &nbsp;Isaiah 49:22; &nbsp;Jeremiah 10:1-5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 10:10; see [[Gentile]] ). Israelites of New Testament times made the same mistake as many of their ancestors in thinking that their nationality guaranteed their salvation (&nbsp;Matthew 3:9; &nbsp;Romans 9:6). God accepts people into his family on the basis of their faith, not their nationality (&nbsp;Luke 4:25-27; &nbsp;Romans 2:28-29; &nbsp;Romans 4:1-3; &nbsp;Romans 4:16-17). </p> <p> This truth is clearly demonstrated in that vast international community known as the Christian church. The concern of this community is to win people of all nations for Christ and promote a true fellowship in which there are no national or racial barriers (&nbsp;John 17:20-23; &nbsp;Galatians 3:28; &nbsp;Ephesians 2:13-16; &nbsp;Revelation 5:9; &nbsp;Revelation 7:9; see [[Race]] ). </p>
       
== Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words <ref name="term_76434" /> ==
<p> <em> Gôy </em> (גֹּי, Strong'S #1471), “nation; people; heathen.” Outside the Bible, this noun appears only in the [[Mari]] texts (Akkadian) and perhaps in Phoenician-Punic. This word occurs about 56 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew. </p> <p> <em> Gôy </em> refers to a “people or nation,” usually with overtones of territorial or governmental unity/identity. This emphasis is in the promise formulas where God promised to make someone a great, powerful, numerous “nation” (Gen. 12:2). [[Certainly]] these adjectives described the future characteristics of the individual’s descendants as compared to other peoples (cf. Num. 14:12). So <em> gôy </em> represents a group of individuals who are considered as a unit with respect to origin, language, land, jurisprudence, and government. This emphasis is in Gen. 10:5 (the first occurrence): “By these were the isles of the [[Gentiles]] divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” Deut. 4:6 deals not with political and national identity but with religious unity, its wisdom, insight, righteous jurisprudence, and especially its nearness to God: “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” Certainly all this is viewed as the result of divine election (Deut. 4:32ff.). Israel’s greatness is due to the greatness of her God and the great acts He has accomplished in and for her. </p> <p> The word <em> ‘am </em> , “people, nation,” suggests subjective personal interrelationships based on common familial ancestry and/or a covenantal union, while <em> gôy </em> suggests a political entity with a land of its own: “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people” (Exod. 33:13). <em> Gôy </em> may be used of a people, however, apart from its territorial identity: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:6). </p> <p> <em> Gôy </em> is sometimes almost a derogatory name for non-Israelite groups, or the “heathen”: “And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword …” (Lev. 26:33). This negative connotation is not always present, however, when the word is used of the heathen: “For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Num. 23:9). Certainly in contexts dealing with worship the <em> gôyim </em> are the nonIsraelites: “They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence” (2 Kings 17:33). In passages such as Deut. 4:38 <em> gôyim </em> specifically describes the early inhabitants of [[Canaan]] prior to the [[Israelite]] conquest. Israel was to keep herself apart from and distinct from the “heathen” (Deut. 7:1) and was an example of true godliness before them (Deut. 4:6). On the other hand, as a blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:2) and as a holy “nation” and kingdom of priests (Exod. 19:6), Israel was to be the means by which salvation was declared to the nations (heathen) and they came to recognize God’s sovereignty (Isa. 60). So the [[Messiah]] is the light of the nations (Isa. 49:6). </p>
       
== Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words <ref name="term_78505" /> ==
<div> '''1: ἔθνος ''' (Strong'S #1484 — Noun Neuter — ethnos — eth'-nos ) </div> <p> originally "a multitude," denotes (a) "a nation" or "people," e.g., &nbsp;Matthew 24:7; &nbsp;Acts 10:35; the Jewish people, e.g., &nbsp;Luke 7:5; &nbsp;23:2; &nbsp;John 11:48,50-52; &nbsp;Acts 10:22; &nbsp;24:2,10,17; in &nbsp;Matthew 21:43 , the reference is to Israel in its restored condition; (b) in the plural, "the nations" as distinct from Israel. See Gentiles. </p> <div> '''2: γένος ''' (Strong'S #1085 — Noun Neuter — genos — ghen'-os ) </div> <p> "a race:" see KIND (Noun). </p> <div> '''3: ἀλλόφυλος ''' (Strong'S #246 — Adjective — allophulos — al-lof'-oo-los ) </div> <p> "foreign, of another race" (allos, "another," phulon, "a tribe"), is used in &nbsp;Acts 10:28 , "one of another nation." </p> &nbsp;Philippians 2:15Age.
       
== Webster's Dictionary <ref name="term_147114" /> ==
<p> '''(1):''' ''' (''' n.) A part, or division, of the people of the earth, distinguished from the rest by common descent, language, or institutions; a race; a stock. </p> <p> '''(2):''' ''' (''' n.) Family; lineage. </p> <p> '''(3):''' ''' (''' n.) One of the divisions of university students in a classification according to nativity, formerly common in Europe. </p> <p> '''(4):''' ''' (''' n.) A great number; a great deal; - by way of emphasis; as, a nation of herbs. </p> <p> '''(5):''' ''' (''' n.) One of the four divisions (named from the parts of Scotland) in which students were classified according to their nativity. </p> <p> '''(6):''' ''' (''' n.) The body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their own. </p>
       
== King James Dictionary <ref name="term_61647" /> ==
<p> NATION, n. to be born </p> 1. A body of people inhabiting the same country, or united under the same sovereign or government as the English nation the French nation. It often happens that many nations are subject to one government in which case, the word nation usually denotes a body of people speaking the same language, or a body that has formerly been under a distinct government, but has been conquered, or incorporated with a larger nation. Thus the empire of [[Russia]] comprehends many nations, as did formerly the Roman and [[Persian]] empires. Nation, as its etymology imports, originally denoted a family or race of men descended from a common progenitor, like tribe, but by emigration, conquest and intermixture of men of different families, this distinction is in most countries lost. 2. A great number, by way of emphasis.
       
== Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types <ref name="term_198099" /> ==
<p> &nbsp;1 Peter 2:9 (a) The Church of GOD is thus named. All who are saved are in the kingdom of GOD where [[Christ]] is King over them. As such we are to trade together, promote the welfare of each other, and speak the same language. </p>
       
== Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature <ref name="term_52443" /> ==
<p> 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 </p> <p> לְאֻמַּים; and in Chald. אֻמָּה . It means sometimes all the inhabitants of a particular country (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 4:34), the country or kingdom itself (&nbsp;Exodus 34:10; &nbsp;Revelation 7:9); sometimes countrymen, natives of the same stock (&nbsp;Acts 26:4); sometimes the father, head, or original of a people (&nbsp;Genesis 25:23). In the prophets the term "nations" is often used as a general name for the heathen or Gentiles (&nbsp;Isaiah 9:2; comp. &nbsp;Matthew 4:15). (See [[Ethnology]]). </p>
       
==References ==
<references>


Nation <ref name="term_56689" />
<ref name="term_56692"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/hastings-dictionary-of-the-new-testament/nation Nation from Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament]</ref>
<p> <b> [[Nation.]] </b> —This word has two meanings, according as it distinguishes [[Israel]] from other peoples, or as it concerns Israel within itself. In the former sense it signifies a State more or less organized, and its keynote is <i> independence </i> ; in the latter, a race of common speech and religion, and its keynote is <i> unity </i> . There are two pairs of Greek words corresponding to this distinction. Ἰουδαῖοι is used under the former category, and most frequently by John, who wrote when the [[Jewish]] and [[Christian]] communities were decisively separated from one another;* [Note: Paul, too, puts Ἰουδαῖοι on the same secular footing as Ἕλληνες; cf. the phrase καὶ Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἓλλησιν καὶ τῇ ἰκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 10:32).] whereas Ἰσραήλ is used always with a note of affection and pride by those who count themselves as its members, sharers in the [[Divine]] choice and covenant. There is a similar contrast between the words ἕθνος and λαός, the former and ἕθνη (in the phrase ‘all nations’) being used generally of political States. τὰ ἕθνη has the special meaning of ‘the Gentiles,’ the non-Jewish peoples (Heb. נּו̇יִם), and gradually became ethically blackened, so that Authorized Version instinctively translates ‘heathen’ (&nbsp;Galatians 1:16; &nbsp;Galatians 2:9, cf. &nbsp;Matthew 6:7 ἐθνικοί). But the common noun which corresponds with Ἰσραήλ is λαός. It conveys the sense of God’s possession and purpose, which are creative of the national unity maintained by the sacrifices and observances of the Law. Its analogue in Heb. is צם. As ἕθνη sank down into the meaning of heathen, so λαός is at length appropriated by the Christian consciousness. The few exceptions to the above rules should be noted. In &nbsp;Luke 7:5; &nbsp;Luke 23:2, and throughout the Fourth Gospel, ἔθνος is used in the place of λαός; for, as was just stated, in the later [[Apostolic]] circles the old prerogatives of Israel were claimed for the ‘Israel of God,’ <i> i.e. </i> the Christians. In &nbsp;Luke 2:10 λαός is translated in Authorized Version as if it were ἕθνη; but Revised Version [[Nt]] 1881, [[Ot]] 1885 corrects it from ‘all people’ to ‘all <i> the </i> people.’ </p> <p> <b> 1. </b> Ἰουδαῖοι <b> , </b> ἔθνος <b> , </b> ἔθνη <b> . </b> —In so far as the [[Jews]] constituted a body politic, they had lost their <i> independence </i> since Pompey’s occupation of Jerus. [Note: Jerusalem.] in b.c. 63, and the Roman hold was tightened by the rule of the Imperial protégé Herod the Great, b.c. 37–4. He obtained from [[Augustus]] the title of ‘king’ in b.c. 30, and large slices of territory, first Samaria, Jericho, and towns in the west, and afterwards the regions between the Lebanons and the Lake of Gennesaret, and eastwards. He greatly enhanced the material glories of the [[Holy]] Land, especially by wealth expended on the [[Temple]] (&nbsp;Matthew 23:16; &nbsp;Matthew 24:1, &nbsp;John 2:20), by which he hoped to secure the loyalty of the nationalists. But, though he gave lavishly with one hand, he took away cynically with the other. He filled the high priest’s office with his own creatures; and by building theatres and pagan temples showed scant respect for the national ideal. ‘He founded Καισάρεια ( <i> i.e. </i> temples of Caesar) in many towns’ outside [[Judaea]] (Josephus <i> Ant. </i> xv. ix. 5). His strength lay in his bodyguard of 3000, who were drawn from the [[Samaritan]] population, and in the fortified palaces which he built at [[Jerusalem]] and Caesarea. By intrigue and assassination he exterminated the rival Hasmonaean house, including his favourite wife and her popular sons. The frenzied act of massacre of the babes of Bethlehem, for which &nbsp;Matthew 2:16 is the only authority, is quite in accord with his temper in the later years of his life. </p> <p> On the death of this [[Idumaean]] tyrant an even sadder chapter from the standpoint of national independence began. For Herod’s kingdom was divided among three sons: [[Philip]] having the newly added territories of Trachonitis, [[Ituraea]] (&nbsp;Luke 3:1), etc.; [[Antipas]] succeeding to [[Galilee]] and Peraea; and Archelaus, after a long suit at Rome, obtaining the most important part with an allotted income of 600 talents. In a.d. 6, the last-named was finally summoned for his evil courses to Rome, and the unhappy people sank one stage lower in the scale of national independence, being placed under a procurator. This was an exchange for the worse, even from the tyranny of Herod the Great and the iniquities of his son. For although these were only half Judaeans, and in subtle and sometimes pronounced antagonism to the nationalist party, they did not fail to give it some regard; whereas [[Pontius]] [[Pilate]] and his four predecessors mostly gave up even the attempt to understand so impracticable a people. No wonder ‘the revolutionary current was continually increasing among the Jewish people in the time of Christ’ (Schürer). </p> <p> These procurators (ἡγεμών in [[Nt,]] ἐπίτροπος more often in Josephus) were not of senatorial or praetorian, but only of equestrian rank, and not absolutely independent of the [[Syrian]] governor, though their dealings were mostly direct with Rome. Their power included ( <i> a </i> ) <i> military and police control </i> . The Jews were themselves free from conscription for military service. But there were plenty of [[Gentiles]] in the land to supply the small garrisons required. The centurion (&nbsp;Luke 7:2; &nbsp;Luke 23:47) and his cohort would be required only in a few of the larger towns. The Temple was dominated by the tower of Antonia. The procurator had also ( <i> b </i> ) <i> judicial authority </i> . His confirmation was required for capital sentences (&nbsp;John 18:31), and his executive force carried them into effect (&nbsp;Matthew 27:27). [[Ordinary]] civil and criminal cases, however, affecting Jews were dealt with at the sessions of the Sanhedrin, and when they appeared to have the people behind their verdict, Pilate was loth to deny them (&nbsp;Matthew 27:18; &nbsp;Matthew 27:24). He also used his powers of release with a view to propitiating the populace (&nbsp;Matthew 27:15). But the name of procurator conveys a special reference to the duties respecting ( <i> c </i> ) <i> the Roman treasury </i> . Being an Imperial province, the taxes of Judaea were paid to the account not of the Senate, but of [[Caesar]] (&nbsp;Mark 12:14). The country was divided into some ten toparchies for fiscal purposes. Tacitus ( <i> Annals </i> , ii. 42) speaks of Judaea in a.d. 17 as <i> fessa oneribus </i> . The taxes (land and poll) were collected by State officers; but the customs were farmed to <i> publicani </i> such as [[Zacchaeus]] (ἀρχιτελώνης, &nbsp;Luke 19:2) of Jericho. </p> <p> The rights of the procurator were also enjoyed by the tetrarchs, as well as the right to issue copper coinage. Herod Antipas built Tiberias, [[S.W.]] of the Lake, for his capital. Like his father, he tried to propitiate or rather seduce national sentiment by his outlay on public works; and he was at any time ready to use it for his own ends (&nbsp;Mark 3:6; &nbsp;Mark 12:13). Jesus warned His fellow-countrymen against the leaven of Herod (&nbsp;Mark 8:15); and, in response to a crafty attempt to get rid of Him, described the tetrarch as a fox (&nbsp;Luke 13:32). John the Baptist, whose preaching was in his territory, was his victim (&nbsp;Mark 6:17 ff.). But though his partisans were hand and glove with the [[Pharisees]] in their hostility to Jesus (&nbsp;Mark 3:6; &nbsp;Mark 12:13), and though we learn from Luke that he associated himself with the condemnation of Jesus, he was not ready to take that awful responsibility upon himself (&nbsp;Luke 23:7-12). The advent of Jesus apparently raised no political excitement in the regions under Philip, because the bulk of the population was non-Jewish. But there was often danger in Galilee (&nbsp;Luke 4:29); and infinitely more in the furnace of fanaticism at Jerusalem (&nbsp;Mark 10:32 f., &nbsp;John 11:8). </p> <p> When Herod the Great died, his policy of getting material benefit for the nation at the cost of its religious ideals was continued by the priests, who exercised the highest civil as well as religious functions. They constituted the majority of the Sanhedrin, which, as the supreme court of appeal, professedly represented the remnant of Jewish independence. But it represented no cause so truly as the vested interests of an order dependent first on the favour of Herod, and then on the pleasure of Rome. Thus in the name of a bastard independence, which meant that they had leave to grow rich and their country leisure to grow outwardly splendid, they opposed any national movement which might provoke the Romans to take away not only the nation, but also ‘our place’ (&nbsp;John 11:48). It was, <i> e.g. </i> , the high priest Joazar who checked the threatened revolt in a.d. 7 on the taking of the census by Quirinius. There were even some of the Pharisees who, whether because they were satisfied with the measure of religious liberty accorded under the Imperial administration, or because they shut their eyes to the facts (&nbsp;John 8:33), or because they saw in the foreign yoke the discipline of God, resented any movement towards national independence; and perhaps it was some of these who associated themselves with the [[Herodians]] in &nbsp;Matthew 22:16. </p> <p> <b> 2. </b> Ἰσραήλ <b> , </b> λαός <b> . </b> —But while the independence of the Jewish people was irretrievably mutilated, and the State as a geographical or governmental entity about to perish, the other note of national existence, viz. <i> unity </i> as focussed in the word λαός, was very completely realized. Indeed, as the outer husk decayed, the inner shell grew the harder and tougher. The succession of Pharisees and scribes proved a far surer defence than the dynasty of David. The soul of [[Judaism]] was not devoured even by the omnivorous influences of Greek culture. The first steps in this movement were taken by Ezra and Nehemiah, who put an end to mixed marriages among those who had returned from the Exile. The race was adulterated, however, even so late as b.c. 125, when the Idumaeans, being defeated by Hyrcanus, submitted to circumcision. And in respect to language, the Jews of the [[Dispersion]] spoke Greek, and read the [[Scriptures]] therein; while ‘the people of the land’ understood [[Aramaic]] only (&nbsp;Acts 21:40). Religiously, however, the nation was undivided after the Exile, feeling itself to be the special property and instrument of God (&nbsp;Matthew 2:6; &nbsp;Matthew 3:9, &nbsp;Luke 1:68, &nbsp;John 8:41). This unity was expressed not only by the rite of circumcision (&nbsp;John 7:22), but also by the keeping of the [[Sabbath]] (&nbsp;Mark 3:4), the abstinence from unclean foods, and the worship, without images, of one only God. And these distinctions were guarded by a multitude of observances, which called into requisition the school of scribes trained in the principles of the Pharisees. </p> <p> But although the scribes claimed to sit in the seat of Moses (&nbsp;Matthew 23:2), their authority was not recognized in what may be called the outer circles of Judaism. The [[Samaritans]] declined to follow the national Church in its later developments. Hence they were referred to with contempt (&nbsp;John 8:48) as outsiders (&nbsp;Luke 17:18), because of their particular objection to the religious monopoly of Jerusalem (&nbsp;Luke 9:53, cf. &nbsp;John 4:30). But for all that, they were counted Jews, though grudgingly, as heretics—‘the foolish people who dwell in Sichem’ (&nbsp;Sirach 50:25 f.), and were proud of the [[Israelite]] strain in their blood (&nbsp;John 4:12). More than that, their doctrinal shortcomings received some countenance in high places; for the [[Sadducees]] say only what is written is to be esteemed as legal … the tradition of the fathers needs not to be observed’ (Josephus <i> Ant. </i> xiii. x. 6). </p> <p> Taken as a whole, however, in despite of the home-land being penetrated under [[Herodian]] and priestly influence with [[Hellenistic]] speech and culture, and although, what with [[Essenes]] on the one hand, and Samaritans on the other, they did not all keep step, the people preserved such unity that they became, if not politically independent, socially isolated. On the one hand, their exemption from military service, from Sabbath employment, and their refusal of market food, drew out the dislike of the populace and the contempt of the cultured classes, so that they were regarded as ‘haters of mankind.’ On the other hand, the word ἔθνη, meaning the nations outside the Law of the chosen λαός, gathered more and more of moral connotation, as it passed through the meanings of ‘Gentile,’ ‘heathen,’ and finally ‘sinners’ (&nbsp;Matthew 26:45; cf. &nbsp;Galatians 2:15). The symbol of this rejuvenated Judaism was still the Temple, whither the tribes went up at the national festivals; but its rallying-point was the synagogue, where men were instructed in the Law and Hope of Israel, and where the Pharisees ruled supreme. Their rivals, the Sadducees, had no influence beyond the aristocratic circles at Jerusalem, in the Hellenized cities, and perhaps in Samaritan villages; and though they had a large place in the Sanhedrin, they had to comply with Pharisaic watchwords. </p> <p> Thus the national life was knit from within, and ruling functions were exercised through officers of the synagogue, such as πρεσβύτεροι (&nbsp;Matthew 21:23; &nbsp;Matthew 26:47), πρῶτοι (&nbsp;Luke 19:47), γραμματεῖς (&nbsp;Mark 9:11), or νομικοί (&nbsp;Luke 10:25). Although [[Palestine]] was not politically the mistress of her own territories, she was religionsly the mother of a people throughout the Empire. The Jews of the Dispersion could but rarely visit the Temple, and they read the Scriptures in the Greek tongue; but in their separate communities they maintained the precepts as to Sabbath rest and clean food under the protection of Roman governors and the [[Emperor]] (cf. &nbsp;Acts 18:12-15). The Jews could say with Josephus, ‘Even if we were deprived of wealth, of towns and of other possessions, the Law remains to us for ever. And no Jew will be so far from his native land, or so much fear a hostile ruler, as not to fear the Law more than him’ ( <i> c. </i> [Note: circa, about.] <i> Apion. </i> ii. 38). </p> <p> If it was by the hands of the priests, in the name of national independence, that the Lord was betrayed to the ‘nations,’ so the chief antagonism which He met in His ministry, and which His spirit encountered afterwards in the Apostolic mission, came from this close-knit theory and practice of national unity. The Pharisees pursued Him from the first because they instinctively saw that the tendency of His teaching (see Nationality) was to break the bonds their traditions had woven, and to act as a solvent on the rigidity of national isolation, which was the only thing left to their pride. </p> <p> Literature.—Cremer, <i> Bib.-Theol. Lex. s.vv. </i> ἔθνος, λαός; Schürer, <i> [[Hjp]] </i> [Note: [[Jp]] History of the Jewish People.] [indicates all possible sources of information, the fullest of these being the <i> [[Antiquities]] </i> and <i> [[Wars]] </i> of Josephus]; Ewald, <i> Hist. of Israel </i> , vol. vi.; Hausrath, <i> Hist. of [[N.T.]] Times </i> ; Milman, <i> Hist. of the Jews </i> , vol. ii; Keim, <i> Hist. of Jesus of Nazara </i> , vols. i. and ii.; Stanley, <i> Lectures on Jewish Church </i> artt. ‘Gentiles’ and ‘People’ ‘in Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible. </p> <p> [[A.]] Norman Rowland. </p>
       
 
<ref name="term_18884"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/bridgeway-bible-dictionary/nation Nation from Bridgeway Bible Dictionary]</ref>
== References ==
       
<references>
<ref name="term_76434"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/vine-s-expository-dictionary-of-ot-words/nation Nation from Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words]</ref>
<ref name="term_56689"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/hastings-dictionary-of-the-new-testament/nation+(2) Nation from Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament]</ref>
       
<ref name="term_78505"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/vine-s-expository-dictionary-of-nt-words/nation Nation from Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words]</ref>
       
<ref name="term_147114"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/webster-s-dictionary/nation Nation from Webster's Dictionary]</ref>
       
<ref name="term_61647"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/king-james-dictionary/nation Nation from King James Dictionary]</ref>
       
<ref name="term_198099"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/wilson-s-dictionary-of-bible-types/nation Nation from Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types]</ref>
       
<ref name="term_52443"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/cyclopedia-of-biblical-theological-and-ecclesiastical-literature/nation Nation from Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature]</ref>
       
</references>
</references>

Revision as of 10:08, 13 October 2021

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament [1]

In  Mark 7:26,  Galatians 1:14 m the Revised Versionrightly changes ‘nation’ to ‘race’ (γένει); cf.  Acts 4:36;  Acts 18:2;  Acts 18:24, ‘a Cyprian by race,’ ‘an Alexandrian,’ ‘a Pontican.’ In the NT ἔθνος generally designates a non-Jewish nation; but it is also used of the Jewish nation when spoken of officially ( Luke 7:5;  Luke 23:2,  John 11:48 f.,  John 18:35,  Acts 10:22;  Acts 24:2;  Acts 24:10;  Acts 24:17;  Acts 26:4;  Acts 28:19), and even of the Christian society ( Matthew 21:43,  Romans 10:19). In  1 Peter 2:9 Christians are called both ‘an elect γένος’ and ‘a holy ἔθνος.’

Jesus spoke to the Jewish nation as a collective personality, a community bearing a common responsibility. As ‘they that were his own’ they ‘received him not’ ( John 1:11), and the national crime of His crucifixion was the precursor of their downfall, although it did not result in their being ‘cast off’ ( Romans 11:1). His passionate love for His own nation was evidenced by the fatigues, the privations, the ‘contradictions’ that He endured, by the tears of wce that gushed from His eyes ( Luke 19:41; cf.  Romans 9:3). He seldom referred to other nations till near the close of His earthly course; yet He spoke of the Ninevites as having acted in their corporate capacity when they repented ( Matthew 12:41; cf.  Jonah 3:7). He recognized the right of the common law of the Empire of which He was a subject ( Matthew 22:21). ‘All the nations,’ He said, should finally appear before Him as their Judge, and He would reward the works of love done by those whom He set on His right hand as having been done to Himself ( Matthew 25:31 f.). When He appeared to His disciples on the mountain in Galilee, He said, ‘All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth: Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations’; and it is significant that He did not say ‘of all men’ but ‘of all the nations’-thus pointing out that the object to be aimed at was national religion, the national confession of His authority (cf. Martensen, Ethics, ‘General,’ p. 443f.). Further, if in  Acts 2:9-11 the words Ἰουδαίαν, Κρῆτες καὶ Ἄραβες be omitted as being probably ancient glosses on the text, we are left, as Harnack says (Acts, p. 65f.), with a list of twelve nations, whom St. Luke may have specified as ‘heralding the great theme of his book’-how Jesus was brought to all the nations of the known world, the new Israel (cf.  Acts 19:7).

The great missionary successes of the Apostolic Age prepared the way for the reception of the Christian faith on a grand national scale. St. Paul, before his death, ‘had planted more churches than Plato had gained disciples’ (Bossuet, Panégyrique de Saint Paul, 1659)-ἐπὶ τὸ τέρμα τῆς δύσεως ἐλθών, as Clement says (ad Cor. i. 5). Besides the Dispersion (q.v.[Note: .v. quod vide, which see.]), there were other two co-operating factors that assisted the progress of the gospel-the political unity of the Empire, and the influence of the Stoic creed. In the ancient heathen world, national life had been particular and exclusive: the nations were isolated from and ignorant of each other. But when they all looked to Rome as mistress and mother, they were on their way to the belief in the spiritual unity of mankind proclaimed by Christianity (cf. Flint, History of the Philosophy of History, pp. 26, 61). The influence of the Stoic doctrine of ‘world-citizenship’ is well attested by the fragment from Cicero (de Rep. iii. 22) quoted by J. Adam, Vitality of Platonism: ‘Hymn of Cleanthes,’ p. 146:

‘And there will not be one law at Rome and another at Athens, one law to-day and another law to-morrow; but the same law everlasting and unchangeable will bind all nations at all times; and there will be one common Master and Ruler of all, even God, the framer, the arbitrator, and the proposer of this law.’

This noble utterance justifies the remark of S. Dill (Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius, London, 1904, p. 328): ‘The Stoic school has the glory of anticipating the diviner dream, yet far from realised, of a human brotherhood under the light from the Cross.’ This ‘diviner dream’ will be realized when all nations, now united by bonds far surpassing those of blood-relationship, or common speech, customs, or history-the bonds of a common love and obedience to Christ-shall form together one august Kingdom of God ( Revelation 11:15).

Literature.-J. Adam, The Vitality of Platonism and other Essays, Edinburgh, 1911, pp. 113 n.[Note: . note.], 142, 146-147; R. Flint, History of the Philosophy of History, do., 1893, pp. 26, 48, 61, 63, 449; T. von Haering, The Ethics of the Christian Life, London, 1909, p. 403f.; A. Harnack, Acts of the Apostles (NT Studies, iii.), Eng. translation, do., 1909, pp. 49, 64, 65f.; H. Martensen, Christian Ethics, ‘General,’ Edinburgh, 1873, pp. 214, 442f., ‘Social,’ do., 1882, p. 88f.; G. Uhlhorn, Christian Charity in the Ancient Church, Eng. translation, do., 1883, pp. 40-42.

James Donald.

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary [2]

Within God’s overall government of human society, he has allowed a great variety of nations. Most of these have arisen out of commonly held interests or characteristics such as race, language, homeland culture, religion and law-code. According to this understanding, a nation in the biblical sense may differ from a nation in the present-day sense. Today a nation is usually defined by territorial boundaries imposed by military or political power, regardless of other considerations. In biblical usage, a ‘nation’ was primarily a ‘people group’ defined by the sorts of unifying characteristics outlined above ( Genesis 10:32;  Deuteronomy 32:8;  Acts 17:26).

In Old Testament times God chose one nation, Israel, to belong to him ( Exodus 19:5-6). This was not because Israel was better than other nations ( Deuteronomy 7:6-7;  Deuteronomy 9:9), but because God wanted a channel of communication through which he could send his blessings to all the people of the world ( Genesis 12:3;  Genesis 22:17-18; see Election ). God loves all nations and desires their good ( Isaiah 19:24-25;  Amos 9:7;  Matthew 28:19;  Acts 1:8;  Acts 13:47).

Nevertheless, nations may fall under God’s judgment, and God may use other nations to punish them. This does not mean that those whom God uses as his instruments of judgment are free to do as they like. If they do wrong, they too may fall under God’s judgment ( Isaiah 10:5-19;  Isaiah 37:23-26;  Habakkuk 1:6-7;  Habakkuk 2:15-17). God may also use nations as his instruments to bring deliverance and blessing ( Isaiah 45:1-5), for he controls the destinies of all nations ( Jeremiah 18:7-10;  Daniel 4:17).

Sometimes people become nationalistic to the extent of putting pride in their nation ahead of moral values. God may have to remind them that national power and glory can be very shortlived. The only lasting kingdom is the kingdom of God ( Daniel 2:44;  Daniel 4:30;  Daniel 4:34). God’s people may well love the nation to which they belong ( Jeremiah 8:18-22;  Matthew 23:37;  Romans 9:3) and be loyal citizens ( Romans 13:1-7;  1 Peter 2:13-14; cf.  Jeremiah 29:4-7), but their first allegiance must always be to God ( Exodus 20:3;  Mark 12:17;  Acts 5:29; see Government ).

Israelites of Old Testament times made such a clear distinction between themselves and others that their usual word for ‘nations’ (plural) developed the special sense of ‘other nations’ (often translated ‘Gentiles’ or ‘heathen’) ( Deuteronomy 18:9;  Psalms 2:1;  Isaiah 11:10;  Isaiah 30:28;  Isaiah 36:18;  Isaiah 49:22;  Jeremiah 10:1-5;  Jeremiah 10:10; see Gentile ). Israelites of New Testament times made the same mistake as many of their ancestors in thinking that their nationality guaranteed their salvation ( Matthew 3:9;  Romans 9:6). God accepts people into his family on the basis of their faith, not their nationality ( Luke 4:25-27;  Romans 2:28-29;  Romans 4:1-3;  Romans 4:16-17).

This truth is clearly demonstrated in that vast international community known as the Christian church. The concern of this community is to win people of all nations for Christ and promote a true fellowship in which there are no national or racial barriers ( John 17:20-23;  Galatians 3:28;  Ephesians 2:13-16;  Revelation 5:9;  Revelation 7:9; see Race ).

Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words [3]

Gôy (גֹּי, Strong'S #1471), “nation; people; heathen.” Outside the Bible, this noun appears only in the Mari texts (Akkadian) and perhaps in Phoenician-Punic. This word occurs about 56 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew.

Gôy refers to a “people or nation,” usually with overtones of territorial or governmental unity/identity. This emphasis is in the promise formulas where God promised to make someone a great, powerful, numerous “nation” (Gen. 12:2). Certainly these adjectives described the future characteristics of the individual’s descendants as compared to other peoples (cf. Num. 14:12). So gôy represents a group of individuals who are considered as a unit with respect to origin, language, land, jurisprudence, and government. This emphasis is in Gen. 10:5 (the first occurrence): “By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” Deut. 4:6 deals not with political and national identity but with religious unity, its wisdom, insight, righteous jurisprudence, and especially its nearness to God: “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” Certainly all this is viewed as the result of divine election (Deut. 4:32ff.). Israel’s greatness is due to the greatness of her God and the great acts He has accomplished in and for her.

The word ‘am , “people, nation,” suggests subjective personal interrelationships based on common familial ancestry and/or a covenantal union, while gôy suggests a political entity with a land of its own: “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people” (Exod. 33:13). Gôy may be used of a people, however, apart from its territorial identity: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:6).

Gôy is sometimes almost a derogatory name for non-Israelite groups, or the “heathen”: “And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword …” (Lev. 26:33). This negative connotation is not always present, however, when the word is used of the heathen: “For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Num. 23:9). Certainly in contexts dealing with worship the gôyim are the nonIsraelites: “They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence” (2 Kings 17:33). In passages such as Deut. 4:38 gôyim specifically describes the early inhabitants of Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest. Israel was to keep herself apart from and distinct from the “heathen” (Deut. 7:1) and was an example of true godliness before them (Deut. 4:6). On the other hand, as a blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:2) and as a holy “nation” and kingdom of priests (Exod. 19:6), Israel was to be the means by which salvation was declared to the nations (heathen) and they came to recognize God’s sovereignty (Isa. 60). So the Messiah is the light of the nations (Isa. 49:6).

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [4]

1: ἔθνος (Strong'S #1484 — Noun Neuter — ethnos — eth'-nos )

originally "a multitude," denotes (a) "a nation" or "people," e.g.,  Matthew 24:7;  Acts 10:35; the Jewish people, e.g.,  Luke 7:5;  23:2;  John 11:48,50-52;  Acts 10:22;  24:2,10,17; in  Matthew 21:43 , the reference is to Israel in its restored condition; (b) in the plural, "the nations" as distinct from Israel. See Gentiles.

2: γένος (Strong'S #1085 — Noun Neuter — genos — ghen'-os )

"a race:" see KIND (Noun).

3: ἀλλόφυλος (Strong'S #246 — Adjective — allophulos — al-lof'-oo-los )

"foreign, of another race" (allos, "another," phulon, "a tribe"), is used in  Acts 10:28 , "one of another nation."

 Philippians 2:15Age.

Webster's Dictionary [5]

(1): ( n.) A part, or division, of the people of the earth, distinguished from the rest by common descent, language, or institutions; a race; a stock.

(2): ( n.) Family; lineage.

(3): ( n.) One of the divisions of university students in a classification according to nativity, formerly common in Europe.

(4): ( n.) A great number; a great deal; - by way of emphasis; as, a nation of herbs.

(5): ( n.) One of the four divisions (named from the parts of Scotland) in which students were classified according to their nativity.

(6): ( n.) The body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their own.

King James Dictionary [6]

NATION, n. to be born

1. A body of people inhabiting the same country, or united under the same sovereign or government as the English nation the French nation. It often happens that many nations are subject to one government in which case, the word nation usually denotes a body of people speaking the same language, or a body that has formerly been under a distinct government, but has been conquered, or incorporated with a larger nation. Thus the empire of Russia comprehends many nations, as did formerly the Roman and Persian empires. Nation, as its etymology imports, originally denoted a family or race of men descended from a common progenitor, like tribe, but by emigration, conquest and intermixture of men of different families, this distinction is in most countries lost. 2. A great number, by way of emphasis.

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types [7]

 1 Peter 2:9 (a) The Church of GOD is thus named. All who are saved are in the kingdom of GOD where Christ is King over them. As such we are to trade together, promote the welfare of each other, and speak the same language.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [8]

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).

References

  1. ↑ Nation from Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
  2. ↑ Nation from Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
  3. ↑ Nation from Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words
  4. ↑ Nation from Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
  5. ↑ Nation from Webster's Dictionary
  6. ↑ Nation from King James Dictionary
  7. ↑ Nation from Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types
  8. ↑ Nation from Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
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