גּוֹי
nation
‘nation’ is one of 4 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Absolute-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
- Proper
- A name of a specific person, place, or people (e.g. Abraham, Zion, Israel).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
- Singular
- One.
Every verse where H1471 appears in the Book of Isaiah — 66 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Isaiah
- Isaiah 1:4 גּ֣וֹי n c ms Ah sinful nation, A people loaded with iniquity, A seed of evil-doers, Children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
- Isaiah 2:2 הַ/גּוֹיִֽם ptcl def.art + n c mp It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be raised above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
- Isaiah 2:4 הַ/גּוֹיִ֔ם ג֤וֹי גּוֹי֙ ptcl def.art + n c mp n c ms n c ms He will judge between the nations, And will decide concerning many peoples; 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.
- Isaiah 5:26 לַ/גּוֹיִם֙ prep det + n c mp He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, And he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
- Isaiah 9:1 הַ/גּוֹיִֽם ptcl def.art + n c mp But there shall be no gloom to her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time has he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
- Isaiah 9:3 הַ/גּ֔וֹי ptcl def.art + n c ms You have multiplied the nation, you have increased their joy: they joy before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
- Isaiah 10:6 בְּ/ג֤וֹי prep + n c ms I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
- Isaiah 10:7 גּוֹיִ֖ם n c mp However he doesn't mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.
- Isaiah 11:10 גּוֹיִ֣ם n c mp It shall happen in that day, that the root of Jesse, who stands for an ensign of the peoples, to him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.
- Isaiah 11:12 לַ/גּוֹיִ֔ם prep det + n c mp He will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
- Isaiah 13:4 גּוֹיִם֙ n c mp The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Hosts is mustering the host for the battle.
- Isaiah 14:6 גּוֹיִ֔ם n c mp who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.
- Isaiah 14:9 גוֹיִֽם n c mp Sheol from beneath is moved for you to meet you at your coming; it stirs up the dead for you, even all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
- Isaiah 14:12 גּוֹיִֽם n c mp How you are fallen from heaven, day-star, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!
- Isaiah 14:18 גוֹיִ֖ם n c mp All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house.
- Isaiah 14:26 הַ/גּוֹיִֽם ptcl def.art + n c mp This is the purpose that is purposed on the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out on all the nations.
- Isaiah 14:32 ג֑וֹי n c ms What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge.
- Isaiah 16:8 גוֹיִם֙ n c mp For the fields of Heshbon languish, [and] the vine of Sibmah; the lords of the nations have broken down the choice branches of it, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness; its shoots were spread abroad, they passed over the sea.
- Isaiah 18:2 גּוֹי֙ גּ֚וֹי n c ms n c ms that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus on the waters, [saying], Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide!
- Isaiah 18:7 גּ֣וֹי n c ms cs In that time shall a present be brought to Yahweh of Hosts [from] a people tall and smooth, even from a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Yahweh of Hosts, Mount Zion.
- Isaiah 23:3 גּוֹיִֽם n c mp On great waters the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the market of nations.
- Isaiah 25:3 גּוֹיִ֥ם n c mp Therefore shall a strong people glorify you; a city of awesome nations shall fear you.
- Isaiah 25:7 הַ/גּוֹיִֽם ptcl def.art + n c mp He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations.
- Isaiah 26:2 גוֹי n c ms Open you the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith may enter in.
- Isaiah 26:15 לַ/גּוֹי֙ לַ/גּ֖וֹי prep det + n c ms prep det + n c ms You have increased the nation, O Yahweh, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land.
- Isaiah 29:7 הַ/גּוֹיִ֔ם ptcl def.art + n c mp The multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all who fight against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, shall be as a dream, a vision of the night.
- Isaiah 29:8 הַ/גּוֹיִ֔ם ptcl def.art + n c mp It shall be as when a hungry man dreams, and, behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreams, and, behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul has appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against Mount Zion.
- Isaiah 30:28 גוֹיִ֖ם n c mp and his breath is as an overflowing stream, that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction: and a bridle that causes to err [shall be] in the jaws of the peoples.
- Isaiah 33:3 גּוֹיִֽם n c mp At the noise of the thunder the peoples are fled; at the lifting up of yourself the nations are scattered.
- Isaiah 34:1 גוֹיִם֙ n c mp Come near, you nations, to hear; and listen, you peoples: let the earth hear, and the fullness of it; the world, and all things that come forth from it.
- Isaiah 34:2 הַ/גּוֹיִ֔ם ptcl def.art + n c mp For Yahweh has indignation against all the nations, and wrath against all their host: he has utterly destroyed them, he has delivered them to the slaughter.
- Isaiah 36:18 הַ/גּוֹיִם֙ ptcl def.art + n c mp Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, Yahweh will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
- Isaiah 37:12 הַ/גּוֹיִם֙ ptcl def.art + n c mp Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
- Isaiah 40:15 גּוֹיִם֙ n c mp Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: Behold, he takes up the isles as a very little thing.
- Isaiah 40:17 הַ/גּוֹיִ֖ם ptcl def.art + n c mp All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as less than nothing, and vanity.
- Isaiah 41:2 גּוֹיִם֙ n c mp Who has raised up one from the east, whom he calls in righteousness to his foot? he gives nations before him, and makes him rule over kings; he gives them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.
- Isaiah 42:1 לַ/גּוֹיִ֥ם prep det + n c mp Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
- Isaiah 42:6 גּוֹיִֽם n c mp I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
- Isaiah 43:9 הַ/גּוֹיִ֞ם ptcl def.art + n c mp Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
- Isaiah 45:1 גּוֹיִ֔ם n c mp Thus says Yahweh to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
- Isaiah 45:20 הַ/גּוֹיִ֑ם ptcl def.art + n c mp Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations: they have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that can't save.
- Isaiah 49:6 גּוֹיִ֔ם n c mp yes, he says, It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
- Isaiah 49:7 גּוֹי֙ n c ms Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, [and] his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, [even] the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.
- Isaiah 49:22 גּוֹיִם֙ n c mp Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my ensign to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
- Isaiah 52:10 הַ/גּוֹיִ֑ם ptcl def.art + n c mp Yahweh has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Isaiah 52:15 גּוֹיִ֣ם n c mp so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand.
- Isaiah 54:3 גּוֹיִ֣ם n c mp For you shall spread aboard on the right hand and on the left; and your seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
- Isaiah 55:5 גּ֤וֹי וְ/ג֥וֹי n c ms conj + n c ms Behold, you shall call a nation that you don't know; and a nation that didn't know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.
- Isaiah 58:2 כְּ/ג֞וֹי prep + n c ms Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways: as a nation that did righteousness, and didn't forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.
- Isaiah 60:3 גוֹיִ֖ם n c mp Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
- Isaiah 60:5 גּוֹיִ֖ם n c mp Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
- Isaiah 60:11 גּוֹיִ֔ם n c mp Your gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive.
- Isaiah 60:12 הַ/גּ֧וֹי וְ/הַ/גּוֹיִ֖ם ptcl def.art + n c ms conj + ptcl def.art + n c mp For that nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
- Isaiah 60:16 גּוֹיִ֔ם n c mp You shall also suck the milk of the nations, and shall suck the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
- Isaiah 60:22 לְ/ג֣וֹי prep + n c ms The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation; I, Yahweh, will hasten it in its time.
- Isaiah 61:6 גּוֹיִם֙ n c mp But you shall be named the priests of Yahweh; men shall call you the ministers of our God: you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves.
- Isaiah 61:9 בַּ/גּוֹיִם֙ prep det + n c mp Their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Yahweh has blessed.
- Isaiah 61:11 הַ/גּוֹיִֽם ptcl def.art + n c mp For as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
- Isaiah 62:2 גוֹיִם֙ n c mp The nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of Yahweh shall name.
- Isaiah 64:2 גּוֹיִ֥ם n c mp as when fire kindles the brushwood, [and] the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
- Isaiah 65:1 גּ֖וֹי n c ms I am inquired of by those who didn't ask; I am found by those who didn't seek me: I said, See me, see me, to a nation that was not called by my name.
- Isaiah 66:8 גּ֖וֹי n c ms Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
- Isaiah 66:12 גּוֹיִ֖ם n c mp For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and you shall suck [of it]; you shall be borne on the side, and shall be dandled on the knees.
- Isaiah 66:18 הַ/גּוֹיִ֖ם ptcl def.art + n c mp For I [know] their works and their thoughts: [the time] comes, that I will gather all nations and languages; and they shall come, and shall see my glory.
- Isaiah 66:19 הַ/גּוֹיִ֞ם בַּ/גּוֹיִֽם ptcl def.art + n c mp prep det + n c mp I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
- Isaiah 66:20 הַ/גּוֹיִ֣ם ptcl def.art + n c mp They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“nation” is the headline sense of the Hebrew word גוי (gôwy). One archaism survives in the King James Version — “heathen” — where modern Bibles read “nations”; see the renderings breakdown. It turns up in 511 verses across 34 books, one of the most common footprint. Its earliest occurrence is Genesis 10:5. Its meaning spans more than one sense — see its full sense range. See the sense tree, 511-verse concordance, and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H1471 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 511
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 511 distinct verses.
- 34 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 34 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #87
- by frequency
- Top 100 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 87 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 511 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 511 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 333 verses · 65%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 96 verses · 19%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 82 verses · 16%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 3 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Nations 145×, Heathen 77×, Nation 76×
- American Standard Version†: Nations 212×, Nation 68×, Among the nations 54×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Nations 330×, Nation 107×, Among the nations 63×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Nations 311×, Nation 108×, Among the nations 51×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H1471 across 558† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 88 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H1471 across 559† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 115 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H1471 across 553† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 28 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 8 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H1471 across 563† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 42 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 6 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. nation, people Gn 10:5(×2), 20, 31, 32(×2) (all P) +; Is 2:2, 4(×2) = Mi 4:2, 3(×2); †Jb 12:23(×2); 34:29†; Pr 14:34; כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ Gn 18:18; 22:18; 26:4 (all J) Dt 28:1. e.g. Genesis 10:5
- a. specif. of descendants of Abraham, גּוֹי גָּדוֹל Gn 12:2 cf. 18:18 (both J), גּוֹיִם 17:6, הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם 17:4, 5 (all P); of Sarah גּוֹיִם 17:16 (P); of Ishmael גּוֹי 21:13, גּוֹי גָּדוֹל v 18 (both E), גּוֹי גָּדוֹל 17:20 (P); of Jacob גּוֹי וּקְהַל גּוֹיִם Gn 35:11 (P), גּוֹי גָּדוֹל 46:3 (E); of Ephraim מְלֹא הַגּ׳ 48:19 (J); of Moses גּוֹי גָּדוֹל Ex 32:10 (J) cf. Nu 14:12 (J) Dt 9:14; of Jacob and Esau as two nations Gn 25:23 (J). e.g. Genesis 12:2
- b. definitely of Israel Ex 19:6 (גּ׳ קָדוֹשׁ) 33:13 (both JE), Dt 4:6 (הַגּוֹי הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה, said by heathen cf. v 7, 8) v. also v 34, 26:5 cf. ψ 33:12, ψ 83:5 (said by enemies) Je 31:36; 33:24 Ez 27:22; in narrative Jos 3:17; 4:1; 5:8 (JE), v 6 (D), 10:13 (poet., no art.); of Israel and Judah as two nations Ez 35:10 (said by heathen) 37:22; of Judah Is 26:2, 15(×2) cf. 58:2; 60:22 Mi 4:7; once my people Zp 2:9 (‖ עַם); thy people ψ 106:5 (i.e. of י׳), cf. also Ez 36:13, 14 (read Kt); especially of Israel and (or) Judah as sinful, rebellious Dt 32:28 Ju 2:20 Is 1:4; 10:6 Je 5:9, 29; 7:28; 9:8; 12:17 Ez 2:3 (del. 𝔊 Co) Hg 2:14 Mal 3:9.—Note. This definite ref. to Israel and (or) Judah is comparatively rare; in Hex not P (yet v. Gn 17:4, 5, 6, 16; 35:11 P); seldom in exile & post-exile proph.; not Chr.— e.g. Exodus 19:6
- c. usually of non-Heb. peoples Ex 9:24; 34:10 (JE) Lv 25:44 (H) Nu 14:15 (J) Dt 15:6(×2) 1 K 5:11 1 Ch 14:17; 16:20 Is 11:10, 12 + often; opp. Israel as עם י׳ 2 S 7:23 1 Ch 17:21(×2) ect., v. עם, cf. also Nu 23:9; note especially גְּלִיל הַגּוֹיִם Is 8:23 circle or district of the nations (v. גָּלִיל); also חֲרֹשֶׁת הַגּ׳ Ju 4:2, 13, 16 Charosheth of the nations, & מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם לְגִלְגָּ֖ל Jos 12:23 king of nations (peoples, tribes) belonging to Gilgal (𝔊 Di to the district, i.e. ‘Galilee’); especially of these peoples as heathen: idolatrous Lv 8:24, 28 (P) 20:23 (H) 1 K 14:24 2 K 17:8, 11, 15, 26, 29(×2) 2 Ch 28:3; 32:13 +, Ezr 6:21 Ez 5:6 +; hostile Gn 15:14 (J) Lv 26:33; 38, 45 (H) Dt 4:27; 9:4, 5; 18:9 1 Ch 16:35 Je 5:15 Ez 4:13 + often Je Ez, etc.; in simile Ez 20:32; 25:8; sometimes ‖ עַם ψ 33:10, 12 Is 11:10 Je 6:18, v. also Is 2:2, 4 comp. with Mi 4:1, 3. e.g. Exodus 9:24
- 2. fig. of swarm of locusts Jo 1:6; of all species of beasts Zp 2:14. e.g. Joel 1:6
- 3. גּוֹיִם Gn 14:1, 9 prob. mutilated n.pr. v. infr. e.g. Genesis 14:1
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. n.m. Gn 12:2 nation, people (NH id. Gentiles, Ph. גו community, ܓܰܘܳܐ, Sab. גו id., DHMZMG 1883, 348)—ג׳ Gn 12:2 + 121 times; sf. i s. גּוֹיִ Zp 2:9, גּוֹיֶ֑ךָ ψ 106:5, גּוֹיֵךְ Kt Ez 36:13, 14, 15 (Qr wrongly גּוֹיַיִךְ cf. Co, who del. v 15); pl. גּוֹיִם Gn 10:5 + 410 times + Qr Gn 25:23 ψ 79:10 (Kt גיים) + 6 times Ez (var. emend. Co); cstr. גּוֹיֵי Gn 18:18 + 8 times, גּוֹיֵ 2 Ch 32:13 Ezr 6:21 (cf. Baer’s notes); sf. גּוֹיֵהֶם Gn 10:5, 20, 31, 32;—
I. n.pr.gent. Gn 14:1, 9, in phr. תִּדְעָל מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם Tidʿal king of Goim; prob. a Babylonian (Elamitic, etc.) name corrupted; H. Rawlinson proposes Gutî, a people NE. of Babylonia, COT on Gn 14:1; also KGF 258 al.; cf. also DlPa 233 f.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from גוה (gêvâh) (H1465) — back.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
גּוֹי
- crowd, people, nation; pl. גּוֹיִם gentiles, fr. which גּוֹי = נָכְרִי or עכו"ם, gentile, idolator. Tosef. Ab. Zar. III, 4 sq.; Y. ib. IV, 41ᵃ top contrad. to כותי (Bab. ib. 29ᵃ נכרי); a. v. fr.—Pl. גּוֹיִים, גּוֹיִם. Ab. Zar. I, 1 sq. in Y. ed. ג׳ (Bab. ed. נכרים, עכו"ם, Mish. עכומ"ז, נכרים indiscriminately); a. v. fr.—Fem. גּוֹיָה gentile woman. Y. Yeb. II, 4ᵃ top ואין בנך מן הג׳ וכ׳ thy son from a gentile is not called thy son but her son (Bab. ib. 23ᵃ נכרית); a. fr.—Pl. גּוֹיוֹת. Y. ib. IV, 6ᵃ bot. [Y. Gitt. I, 43ᵇ top, a. e. גויים לוקין, v. גַּיּוּס.]
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 166 distinct written forms H1471 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 106 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H1471, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Compare all same-root words → They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 472 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 511 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 10:5
- Exodus 9:24
- Leviticus 18:24
- Numbers 14:12
- Deuteronomy 4:6
- Joshua 3:17
- Judges 2:20
- 1 Samuel 8:5
- 2 Samuel 7:23
- 1 Kings 11:2
- 2 Kings 6:18
- 1 Chronicles 14:17
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
