Lexical Definition

‎גּוֹי‎ gôwy (go'-ee) nation ^H:N-M
rarely (shortened) גֹּי gôy (go'-ee); apparently from the same root as ‎גֵּוָה‎ (in the sense of massing)

Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

• § 1c) Goyim? = "nations"
• a foreign nation
• hence, a Gentile
• also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts

n m
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)
n pr m

See Greek: ἄνθρωπος · γῆ · ἔθνος · ἐχθρός · λαός · πάροικος · φυλή

Extended Information

• People descended from Goy, first mentioned at Gen.14.1

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎גּוֺי‎₅₆₁ noun masculine^{Gen 12:2} nation, people (Late Hebrew id. Gentiles, Phoenician ‎גו‎ community, , Sabean ‎גו‎ id., DHM^{ZMG 1883, 348}) — ‎׳‎‎ג‎ Gen 12:2 + 121 t.; suffix 1 singular ‎גּוֺיִ‎ Zeph 2:9, ‎גּוֺיֶ֑ךָ‎ Ps 106:5, ‎גּוֺיֵךְ‎ Kt Ezek 36:13; Ezek 36:14; Ezek 36:15 (Qr wrongly ‎גּוֺיַיִךְ‎ compare Co, who strike out vEzek 36:15); plural ‎גּוֺיִם‎ Gen 10:5 + 410 t. + Qr Gen 25:23; Ps 79:10 (Kt ‎גיים‎) + 6 t. Ezekiel (variant reading emended Co); construct ‎גּוֺיֵי‎ Gen 18:18 + 8 t., ‎גּוֺיֵ‎ 2Chr 32:13; Ezra 6:21 (compare Baer's notes); suffix ‎גּוֺיֵהֶם‎ Gen 10:5; Gen 10:20; Gen 10:31; Gen 10:32 —

1. nation, people Gen 10:5 (twice in verse); Gen 10:20; Gen 10:31; Gen 10:32 (twice in verse) (all P) +; Isa 2:2; Isa 2:4 (twice in verse) = Mic 4:2; Mic 4:3 (twice in verse); Job 12:23 (twice in verse); Job 34:29 ; Prov 14:34 ‎כֹּל גּוֺיֵי הָאָרֶץ‎ Gen 18:18; Gen 22:18; Gen 26:4 (all J); Deut 28:1.
a. specifically of descendants of Abraham, ‎גּוֺי גָּדוֺל‎ Gen 12:2 compare Gen 18:18 (both J), ‎גּוֺיִם‎ Gen 17:6, ‎הֲמוֺן‎ ‎גּוֺיִם‎ Gen 17:4; Gen 17:15 (all P); of Sarah ‎גּוֺיִם‎ Gen 17:16 (P); of Ishmael ‎גּוֺי‎ Gen 21:13, ‎גָּוֺי גָּדוֺל‎ vGen 21:18 (both E), ‎גּוֺי גָּדוֺל‎ Gen 17:20 (P); of Jacob ‎גּוֺי וּקְהַל גּוֺיִם‎ Gen 35:11 (P), ‎גּוֺי‎ ‎גָּדוֺל‎ Gen 46:3 (E); of Ephraim ‎׳‎‎מְלֹא הַגּ‎ Gen 48:19 (J); of Moses ‎גּוֺי גָּדוֺל‎ Exod 32:10 (J) compare Num 14:12 (J) Deut 9:14 of Jacob and Esau as two nations Gen 25:23 (J).
b. definitely of Israel Exod 19:6 (‎קָדוֺשׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎גּ‎) Exod 33:13 (both J E), Deut 4:6 (‎הַגּוֺי הַגָּדוֺל הַזֶּה‎, said by heathen compare vDeut 4:7 vDeut 4:8) see also vDeut 4:34, Deut 26:5 compare Ps 33:12; Ps 83:5* (said by enemies) Jer 31:36; Jer 33:24; Ezek 37:22 in narrative Josh 3:17; Josh 4:1; Josh 5:8 (JE), vJosh 5:6 (D), Josh 10:13 (in poetry, no article); of Israel and Judah as two nations Ezek 35:10 (said by heathen) Ezek 37:22 of Judah Isa 26:2; Isa 26:15 (twice in verse); compare Isa 58:2; Isa 60:22; Mic 4:7 once my people Zeph 2:9 (|| ‎עַם‎); thy people Ps 106:5 (i.e. of ‎׳‎‎י‎), compare also Ezek 36:13; Ezek 36:14 (read Kt); especially of Israel and (or) Judah as sinful, rebellious Deut 32:28; Judg 2:20; Isa 1:4; Isa 10:6; Jer 5:9; Jer 5:29; Jer 7:28; Jer 9:8*; Jer 12:17; (strike out ᵐ5 Co) Hag 2:14; Mal 3:9. — Note. This definite reference to Israel and (or) Judah is comparatively rare; in Hexateuch not P (yet see Gen 17:4; Gen 17:5; Gen 17:6; Gen 17:16; Gen 35:11 P); seldom in exile & post-exile prophets; not Chronicles —
c. usually of non-Hebrew peoples Exod 9:24; Exod 34:10 (JE) Lev 25:44 (H) Num 14:15 (J) Deut 15:6 (twice in verse); 1Kgs 5:11*; 1Chr 14:17; 1Chr 16:20; Isa 11:10; Isa 11:12 + often; opposed to Israel as ‎׳‎‎עם י‎ 2Sam 7:23; 1Chr 17:21 (twice in verse) etc., see ‎עם‎, compare also Num 23:9 note especially ‎גְּלִיל הַגּוֺיִם‎ Isa 8:23* circle or district of the nations (see ‎גָּלִיל‎); also ‎׳‎‎חֲרשֶׁת הַגּ‎ Judg 4:2; Judg 4:13; Judg 4:16 Charosheth of the nations, & ‎מֶלֶךְ גּוֺיִם לְגִלְגָּ֖ל‎ Josh 12:23 king of nations (peoples, tribes) belonging to Gilgal (ᵐ5 Di to the district, i.e 'Galilee'); especially of these peoples as heathen: idolatrous Lev 8:24; Lev 8:28 (P) Lev 20:23 (H) 1Kgs 14:24; 2Kgs 17:8; 2Kgs 17:11; 2Kgs 17:15; 2Kgs 17:26; 2Kgs 17:29 (twice in verse); 2Chr 28:3; 2Chr 32:13 +, Ezra 6:21; Ezek 5:6 +; hostile Gen 15:14 (J) Lev 26:33; Lev 26:38; Lev 26:45 (H) Deut 4:27; Deut 9:4; Deut 9:5; Deut 18:9; 1Chr 16:35; Jer 5:15; Ezek 4:13 + often Jeremiah Ezekiel, etc.; in simile Ezek 20:32; Ezek 25:8 sometimes || ‎עַם‎ Ps 33:10; Ps 33:12; Isa 11:10; Jer 6:18, see also Isa 2:2; Isa 2:4 compare with Mic 4:1; Mic 4:3.

2. figurative of swarm of locusts Joel 1:6 of all species of beasts Zeph 2:14.

3. ‎גּוֺיִם‎ Gen 14:1; Gen 14:9 probably mutilated proper name see below

‎גּוֺיִם‎ proper name, of a people Gen 14:1; Gen 14:9, in phrase ‎תִּדְעָל מֶלֶךְ‎ ‎גּוֺיִם‎ Tid`al king of Goim; probably a Babylonian (Elamitic, etc.) name corrupted; H. Rawlinson proposes Gutî a people northeast of Babylonia COT on Gen 14:1 also KGF^{258 and elsewhere}; compare also Dl^{Pa 233 f}. ‎גול‎ see ‎גיל‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Group • A king of Goyim who fought against Chedorlaomer.

People from Goy(?)

Tidal, king of Goiim (nations), was one of the kings who fought against Chedorlaomer in Genesis 14.

• People from Goy(?), first mentioned at Gen.14.1;
• only referred to as Goiim גּוֹי.

Goiim, meaning "nations," appears in the Bible as a place name or a title. In Genesis 14:1 and 14:9, Tidal is mentioned as the king of Goiim (also spelled Goyim). He was one of the four kings who fought against Chedorlaomer and his allies in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim. The exact location of Goiim is uncertain, but it is thought to refer to a region or a confederation of peoples, rather than a specific city or nation. In Joshua 12:23, the king of Goiim in Gilgal is listed among the kings defeated by Joshua during the conquest of Canaan. This suggests that Goiim may have been a region or a group of people living in the area of Gilgal.

All entries for Goiim: גּוֹי