Gentile

The word Gentile (from the Latin gentilis, a translation of the Hebrew Nochri/????) has several meanings. In the most common modern use it refers to a non-Jew. The word is derived from the Latin term gens (meaning "clan" or a "group of families") and it is often employed in the plural. In late Latin gentilis meant "pagan", and the term gentile has sometimes been used in the past as a synonym for "heathen" or "pagan" (a believer in many gods); this usage is archaic.

Related Topics:
Jew - Latin - Gens - Clan - Pagan - Heathen - Archaic

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In English translations of the Bible the word gentiles is sometimes used as a translation of the Hebrew word goyim; in the King James Version the first and only such use in the Pentateuch is in the book of Genesis 10:5. Christian translators of the Bible use this word in the meaning of non-Israelite, to collectively designate the peoples and nations distinct from the Israelite people; the word is used that way over 130 times in the King James Version of the Bible. In the New Testament the word is used more specifically to indicate non-Jews.

Related Topics:
English - Bible - Hebrew - Goy - King James Version - Pentateuch - Genesis - Christian - Israelite - New Testament - Jew

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As in the King James Bible, from the 17th century on this term was most commonly used to refer to non-Jews. However, this usage was in the context of European Christian societies with a Jewish minority. In modern multireligious and multiethnic societies the term is typically not seen as a synonym for "non-Jew", except in restricted contexts. For example, to refer to a Chinese person as a "gentile" would be unusual. In addition the word is often perceived as derogatory. Therefore in recent decades this use of the term has fallen out of favor.

Related Topics:
17th century - Chinese

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It is also sometimes used to describe persons of Christian faith in an opposition to the adherents of Judaism.

Related Topics:
Christian - Judaism

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