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

• Also named: ethnos (ἔθνος "Gentiles" ἔθνος)

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