44. People. Nations. Gentiles

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: Appendix

The words λαός, ἐθνος, δῆμος and ὄχλος are all translated ‘people.' λαός, ‘a people,' is employed often in the LXX to point out God's chosen people Israel, in contrast to the nations around them, for which ἔθνος is used. Thus in Exod. 15:13, 14¹³Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. ¹⁴The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. (Exodus 15:13‑14), "Thou hast led forth by thy mercy the people (λαόν,), whom thou hast redeemed ... . The nations (ἔθνη) heard and were afraid." Moses said, "Both I and thy people (λαός) shall be glorified beyond all the nations (ἔθνη) as many as are upon the earth." Chap. 33:16. When Israel is spoken of as a nation, then ἔθνος is used, see verse 13.

In the N. T. ἔθνος is twice rendered ‘people ': Acts 8:9⁹But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: (Acts 8:9), referring to the Samaritans, who could not well be called a nation, and who differed from the Gentiles; and Rom. 10:19¹⁹But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. (Romans 10:19), which is a quotation from Deut. 32:21²¹They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. (Deuteronomy 32:21). In the plural it is commonly translated ‘Gentiles' as a proper name, and ‘nation' or ‘nations' as an appellative; in a few instances ‘heathen,' but it would be better ‘nations.'

λαός occurs often in the N. T. and is always translated ‘people,' probably with the same general idea as in the O. T.: see Titus 2:14¹⁴Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14).

δῆμος occurs only in Acts 12:22; 17:5; 19:30, 33²²And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. (Acts 12:22)
⁵But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. (Acts 17:5)
³⁰And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. (Acts 19:30)
³³And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. (Acts 19:33). It answers to the Latin populus, free citizens, and is thus employed in these passages.

ὄχλος is the contrast to this, and refers more to the unorganized multitude. It is five times translated ‘press ' and many times ‘multitude' for the people who thronged around the Lord. It is also often translated 'people.'

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