Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

You mean "nokri". This is an adjective meaning "foreign" - look at Ex. 21:8. 
Obviously anyone who is a foreigner is not an Israelite and is by definition 
a "heathen" - but that is not the basic meaning of the word. And yes, it is 
used in that way in modern Hebrew, although "zar" - "stranger" would be more 
common.

Yigal
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "sujata" <shevaroys AT yahoo.com>
To: "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 10:42 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Use of Gentile/Heathen People or nation?


> Dear Yigal,
>
>  Thanks for the help.
>
>  Is enkri (1 Kings 8:41) still used?
>
>  Best,
>  Sujata
>
> Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il> wrote:
>  Dear Sujata,
>
> In the Hebrew of the Tanakh, "goy/goyyim" and "(am/(ammim" are practically
> synonomous, both meaning "nation/s" or "people/s", including Israel. There
> is probably a small difference in meaning, but that's hard to tell.
> However, during the Second Temple period, Jews began using the term 
> "goyyim"
> specifically to denote non-Jews, i.e. "Gentiles". This usage persists to
> this day, and influenced early Christian interpretation, as well as the 
> KJV.
>
> Yigal Levin
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "sujata"
> To:
> Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 8:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Use of Gentile/Heathen People or nation?
>
>
> > Karl,
> > Wherefrom the word gentile in the English translation? Where and when was
> > it used first?
> > Thanks,
> > Sujata
> >
> > K Randolph wrote:
> > Seth:
> >
> > "Heathen" and "Gentile" are terms that I have not found in Tanakh. KL
> > (MYM means "all peoples" whereas if you want to say "all the Persian
> > people" it would be KL (M PRS.
> >
> > I think this answers your question.
> >
> > Karl W. Randolph.
> >
> > On 10/6/06, Seth Knorr wrote:
> > > Karl,
> > >
> > > So when you say ethnic groups;
> > > In the correct context could these refer to for instance:
> > > ALL Persians, ALL Romans, ALL Heathen, ALL Gentiles, ALL Jews, etc...
> > >
> > > Sincerely,
> > >
> > > Seth Knorr
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