Original Word: גּוֹי
Part of Speech: noun masculine; proper name, of a people
Transliteration: gowy
Pronunciation: goy
Phonetic Spelling: (go'-ee)
KJV: Gentile, heathen, nation, people
NASB: nations, nation, people, every nation, Gentiles, Goiim, herds
Word Origin: [apparently from the same root as H1465 (גֵּוָה - back) (in the sense of massing)]

1. a foreign nation
2. (hence) a Gentile
3. (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts

Gentile, heathen, nation, people

Rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same root as gevah (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts -- Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

see HEBREW gevah

Word Origin
from the same as gav
Definition
nation, people
NASB Translation
every nation (2), Gentiles (1), Goiim (1), Harosheth-hagoyim* (3), herds (1), nation (120), nations (425), people (4).

גּוֺי₅₆₁ noun masculine^{Genesis 12:2} nation, people (Late Hebrew id. Gentiles, Phoenician גו community, , Sabean גו id., DHM^{ZMG 1883, 348}) — ׳ג Genesis 12:2 121t.; suffix 1 singular גּוֺיִ Zephaniah 2:9, גּוֺיֶ֑ךָ Psalm 106:5, גּוֺיֵךְ Kt Ezekiel 36:13,14,15 (Qr wrongly גּוֺיַיִךְ compare Co, who strike out Ezekiel 36:15); plural גּוֺיִם Genesis 10:5 410t. + Qr Genesis 25:23; Psalm 79:10 (Kt גיים) + 6 t. Ezekiel (variant reading emended Co); construct גּוֺיֵי Genesis 18:18 8t., גּוֺיֵ2Chronicles 32:13; Ezra 6:21 (compare Baer's notes); suffix גּוֺיֵהֶם Genesis 10:5,20,31,32; —

1 nation, people Genesis 10:5 (twice in verse); Genesis 10:20,31,32 (twice in verse) (all P) +; Isaiah 2:2,4 (twice in verse) = Micah 4:2,3(twice in verse); Job 12:23 (twice in verse); Job 34:29 ; Proverbs 14:34; כֹּל גּוֺיֵי הָאָרֶץ Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4 (all J); Deuteronomy 28:1.

a. specifically of descendants of Abraham, גּוֺי גָּדוֺל Genesis 12:2; compare Genesis 18:18 (both J), גּוֺיִם Genesis 17:6, הֲמוֺן גּוֺיִם Genesis 17:4,15 (all P); of Sarah גּוֺיִם Genesis 17:16 (P); of Ishmael גּוֺי Genesis 21:13, גָּוֺי גָּדוֺל Genesis 21:18 (both E), גּוֺי גָּדוֺל Genesis 17:20 (P); of Jacob גּוֺי וּקְהַל גּוֺיִם Genesis 35:11 (P), גּוֺי גָּדוֺל Genesis 46:3 (E); of Ephraim ׳מְלֹא הַגּ Genesis 48:19 (J); of Moses גּוֺי גָּדוֺל Exodus 32:10 (J) compare Numbers 14:12 (J) Deuteronomy 9:14; of Jacob and Esau as two nations Genesis 25:23 (J).

b. definitely of Israel Exodus 19:6 (קָדוֺשׁ ׳גּ) Exodus 33:13 (both J E), Deuteronomy 4:6 (הַגּוֺי הַגָּדוֺל הַזֶּה, said by heathen compare Deuteronomy 4:7; Deuteronomy 4:8) see also Deuteronomy 4:34, Deuteronomy 26:5 compare Psalm 33:12; Psalm 83:5 (said by enemies) Jeremiah 31:36; Jeremiah 33:24; Ezekiel 37:22; in narrative Joshua 3:17; Joshua 4:1; Joshua 5:8 (JE), Joshua 5:6 (D), Joshua 10:13 (in poetry, no article); of Israel and Judah as two nations Ezekiel 35:10 (said by heathen) Ezekiel 37:22; of Judah Isaiah 26:2,15 (twice in verse); compare Isaiah 58:2; Isaiah 60:22; Micah 4:7; once my people Zephaniah 2:9 ("" עַם); thy people Psalm 106:5 (i.e. of ׳י), compare also Ezekiel 36:13,14 (read Kt); especially of Israel and (or) Judah as sinful, rebellious Deuteronomy 32:28; Judges 2:20; Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 10:6; Jeremiah 5:9,29; Jeremiah 7:28; Jeremiah 9:8; Jeremiah 12:17; Ezekiel 2:3 (strike out ᵐ5 Co) Haggai 2:14; Malachi 3:9. — Note. This definite reference to Israel and (or) Judah is comparatively rare; in Hexateuch not P (yet see Genesis 17:4,5,6,16; Genesis 35:11 P); seldom in exile & post-exile prophets; not Chronicles —

c. usually of non-Hebrew peoples Exodus 9:24; Exodus 34:10 (JE) Leviticus 25:44 (H) Numbers 14:15 (J) Deuteronomy 15:6 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 5:11; 1 Chronicles 14:17; 1 Chronicles 16:20; Isaiah 11:10,12 + often; opposed to Israel as ׳עם י 2 Samuel 7:23; 1 Chronicles 17:21 (twice in verse) etc., see עם, compare also Numbers 23:9; note especially גְּלִיל הַגּוֺיִם Isaiah 8:23 circle or district of the nations (see גָּלִיל); also ׳חֲרשֶׁת הַגּ Judges 4:2,13,16 Charosheth of the nations, & מֶלֶךְ גּוֺיִם לְגִלְגָּ֖ל Joshua 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 Leviticus 8:24,28 (P) Leviticus 20:23 (H) 1 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 17:8,11,15,26,29 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 28:3; 32:13 +, Ezra 6:21; Ezekiel 5:6 +; hostile Genesis 15:14 (J) Leviticus 26:33,38,45 (H) Deuteronomy 4:27; Deuteronomy 9:4,5; Deuteronomy 18:9; 1 Chronicles 16:35; Jeremiah 5:15; Ezekiel 4:13 #NAME? Jeremiah Ezekiel, etc.; in simile Ezekiel 20:32; Ezekiel 25:8; sometimes "" עַם Psalm 33:10; Psalm 33:12; Isaiah 11:10; Jeremiah 6:18, see also Isaiah 2:2,4 compare with Micah 4:1,3.

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

3 גּוֺיִם Genesis 14:1,9 probably mutilated proper name see below

גּוֺיִם proper name, of a people Genesis 14:1,9, 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 Genesis 14:1; also KGF^{258and elsewhere}; compare also Dl^{Pa 233 f}.

גול see גיל.

Semantic Scope and Core Meaning

גּוֹי most commonly denotes a sociopolitical entity—“nation” or “people”—with boundaries, customs, and a shared destiny. It ranges from small tribal groups (Genesis 25:23) to large empires (Isaiah 14:12). While often synonymous with ʿam (“people”) and lĕʾōm (“peoples”), גּוֹי emphasizes corporate identity in relation to other nations and to YHWH’s sovereign rule.

Israel as a גּוֹי among the Nations

1. Chosen yet corporate: “I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). Abraham’s descendants become a גּוֹי set apart.
2. Covenant vocation: “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Holiness does not remove Israel from geopolitical realities; rather, it equips her to mediate blessing.
3. Prophetic critique: When Israel imitates pagan practices, the prophets call her “a sinful nation” (Isaiah 1:4), underscoring moral, not ethnic, criteria for true nationhood under God.

Foreign Nations—Gentiles in the Old Testament

1. Neutral to positive: “He makes nations great and destroys them” (Job 12:23). All nations exist under divine providence.
2. Instruments of judgment: Assyria (Isaiah 10:5–6) and Babylon (Habakkuk 1:6) are called גּוֹיִם raised up to discipline Israel.
3. Recipients of salvation: “All the nations will be blessed in him” (Genesis 18:18; compare 22:18). The Abrahamic promise anticipates a missionary horizon.

Blessing and Judgment in the Prophets
• Universal pilgrimage: “All nations will stream to it” (Isaiah 2:2)—a vision of Zion as the spiritual center.
• Day of YHWH: “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel 3:2). Collective accountability is stressed.
• Restoration of Israel before the nations: “The nations will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 36:23)—redemption of Israel functions as global revelation.

Messianic and Eschatological Dimensions

Psalm 2:8 links the Messiah’s inheritance with “the nations”; Isaiah 49:6 has the Servant become “a light for the nations.” The Second Temple period sharpened the hope that the Davidic King would rule all גּוֹיִם, a theme fulfilled in the New Testament proclamation of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19; Revelation 15:4).

Comparative Terms and Distribution
• 561 occurrences span every canonical division: Torah (165), Former Prophets (83), Writings (68), Major Prophets (179), Twelve (66).
• גּוֹי is often paired with “kings” (mĕlākîm) and “peoples” (ʿammîm), illustrating its political nuance.
• Parallelism with leʾōm (“peoples”) in poetic texts (Psalm 33:10) highlights its collective scope.

Worship and Mission

Israel’s festivals and law testify “before the eyes of the nations” (Deuteronomy 4:6). The Psalms repeatedly call the גּוֹיִם to praise: “Declare His glory among the nations” (Psalm 96:3). Mission is therefore rooted in Old Testament worship, anticipating the Great Commission.

Practical Ministry Reflections

1. God’s global heart: Every ministry aimed at a particular culture participates in a divine plan that encompasses all nations.
2. Holiness and witness: Like Israel, the church must maintain distinctiveness without retreating from engagement.
3. Accountability: Nations today—political, ethnic, or cultural—remain subject to the moral governance revealed in Scripture.

Representative Texts

Genesis 35:11; Exodus 34:24; Deuteronomy 32:21; Judges 2:23; 1 Samuel 8:20; 2 Kings 17:29; 2 Chronicles 32:23; Psalm 9:20; Proverbs 14:34; Isaiah 60:3; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 37:28; Daniel 7:14; Zechariah 14:16; Malachi 1:11.

בְּג֖וֹי בְּג֣וֹי בְּג֤וֹי בְּג֥וֹי בְּגוֹיִ֣ם בְּגוֹיֵהֶ֑ם בְּגוֹיֵהֶֽם׃ בַּ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם בַּ֭גּוֹיִם בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם בַּגּוֹיִ֖ם בַּגּוֹיִ֗ם בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם בַּגּוֹיִ֤ם בַּגּוֹיִ֥ם בַּגּוֹיִֽם׃ בַּגּוֹיִם֙ בַּגּוֹיִם֮ בַגּוֹיִ֑ם בַגּוֹיִ֔ם בַגּוֹיִ֖ם בַגּוֹיִ֗ם בַגּוֹיִ֣ם בַגּוֹיִ֤ם בַגּוֹיִ֥ם ׀ בַגּוֹיִ֨ם ׀ בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ בַגּוֹיִם֙ בַּגֹּויִ֣ם בגוי בגויהם בגויהם׃ בגוים בגוים׃ ג֑וֹי ג֔וֹי ג֛וֹי ג֝וֹיִ֗ם ג֣וֹי ג֤וֹי ג֭וֹיִם גֹויִם֙ גּ֑וֹי גּ֔וֹי גּ֕וֹי גּ֖וֹי גּ֗וֹי גּ֚וֹי גּ֛וֹי גּ֜וֹי גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם גּ֣וֹי גּ֣וֹי ׀ גּ֤וֹי גּ֥וֹי גּ֧וֹי גּ֭וֹיִם גֹּויִ֖י גֹּויַ֖יִךְ גּֽוֹיִם־ גּֽוֹי׃ גּוֹי֒ גּוֹי֙ גּוֹיִ֑ם גּוֹיִ֔ם גּוֹיִ֖ם גּוֹיִ֗ם גּוֹיִ֛ם גּוֹיִ֜ם גּוֹיִ֣ם גּוֹיִ֤ם גּוֹיִ֤ם ׀ גּוֹיִ֥ם גּוֹיִ֥ם ׀ גּוֹיִ֧ם גּוֹיִֽם׃ גּוֹיִם֙ גּוֹיֵ֣ גּוֹיֵ֣י גּוֹיֵ֤ גּוֹיֵ֥י גּוֹיֵֽ־ גּוֹיֶ֑ךָ גוֹי֙ גוֹי֮ גוֹיִ֑ם גוֹיִ֔ם גוֹיִ֖ם גוֹיִ֗ם גוֹיִ֨ם גוֹיִ֨ם ׀ גוֹיִֽם׃ גוֹיִם֙ גוֹי־ גוי גוי־ גוי׃ גויי גוייך גויך גוים גוים־ גוים׃ הֲג֥וֹי הַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם הַ֠גּוֹיִם הַ֨גּוֹיִ֔ם הַ֭גּוֹי הַ֭גּוֹיִם הַגּ֔וֹי הַגּ֕וֹי הַגּ֖וֹי הַגּ֛וֹי הַגּ֜וֹי הַגּ֣וֹי הַגּ֤וֹי הַגּ֥וֹי הַגּ֧וֹי הַגּ֨וֹי הַגּ֫וֹיִ֥ם הַגּֽוֹיִם־ הַגּוֹי֙ הַגּוֹיִ֑ם הַגּוֹיִ֔ם הַגּוֹיִ֖ם הַגּוֹיִ֗ם הַגּוֹיִ֛ם הַגּוֹיִ֜ם הַגּוֹיִ֞ם הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הַגּוֹיִ֣ם ׀ הַגּוֹיִ֤ם הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הַגּוֹיִ֥ם ׀ הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ הַגּוֹיִם֙ הַגּוֹיִם֮ הַגּוֹי־ הגוי הגוי־ הגוים הגוים־ הגוים׃ וְג֣וֹי וְג֤וֹי וְג֥וֹי וְגֹויַ֖יִךְ וְגֹויַ֙יִךְ֙ וְגוֹיִ֣ם וְהַגּ֗וֹי וְהַגּוֹיִ֖ם וּ֝בַגּוֹיִ֗ם וּבַגּוֹיִ֖ם וּבַגּוֹיִ֣ם וּבַגּוֹיִ֤ם ובגוים וגוי וגוייך וגוים והגוי והגוים כְּג֞וֹי כַּגּוֹיִ֕ם כַּגּוֹיִ֗ם כַגּוֹיִם֙ כגוי כגוים לְג֣וֹי לְג֥וֹי לְג֨וֹי לְגֽוֹי׃ לְגוֹיִ֑ם לְגוֹיִ֔ם לְגוֹיִ֥ם לְגוֹיֵהֶֽם׃ לְגוֹי־ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם לַ֭גּוֹיִם לַגּ֖וֹי לַגּוֹי֙ לַגּוֹיִ֑ם לַגּוֹיִ֔ם לַגּוֹיִ֖ם לַגּוֹיִ֗ם לַגּוֹיִ֥ם לַגּוֹיִֽם׃ לַגּוֹיִם֙ לגוי לגוי־ לגוי׃ לגויהם׃ לגוים לגוים׃ מִגּ֑וֹי מִגּ֣וֹי מִגּ֥וֹי מִגּוֹיִ֔ם מגוי מגוים bag·gō·w·yim ḇag·gō·w·yim baggōwyim ḇaggōwyim baggoYim bə·ḡō·w bə·ḡō·w·yê·hem bə·ḡō·w·yim bəḡōw bəḡōwyêhem bəḡōwyim beGoy begoyeHem begoYim chaggoYim gō·w ḡō·w ḡō·w- gō·w·ya·yiḵ gō·w·yê gō·w·yê- gō·w·ye·ḵā gō·w·yî gō·w·yim ḡō·w·yim gō·w·yim- gōw ḡōw ḡōw- gōwyayiḵ gōwyê gōwyê- gōwyeḵā gōwyî gōwyim ḡōwyim gōwyim- Goy goYayich goYe goYecha goYei goYi goYim hă·ḡō·w hag·gō·w hag·gō·w- hag·gō·w·yim hag·gō·w·yim- haggōw haggōw- haggōwyim haggōwyim- hagGoy haggoYim hăḡōw haGoy kag·gō·w·yim ḵag·gō·w·yim kaggōwyim ḵaggōwyim kaggoYim kə·ḡō·w kəḡōw keGoy lag·gō·w lag·gō·w·yim laggōw laggōwyim laggoy laggoYim lə·ḡō·w lə·ḡō·w- lə·ḡō·w·yê·hem lə·ḡō·w·yim ləḡōw ləḡōw- ləḡōwyêhem ləḡōwyim leGoy legoyeHem legoYim mig·gō·w mig·gō·w·yim miggōw miggōwyim migGoy miggoYim ū·ḇag·gō·w·yim ūḇaggōwyim uvaggoYim vaggoYim veGoy vegoYayich vegoYim vehagGoy vehaggoYim wə·ḡō·w wə·ḡō·w·ya·yiḵ wə·ḡō·w·yim wə·hag·gō·w wə·hag·gō·w·yim wəḡōw wəḡōwyayiḵ wəḡōwyim wəhaggōw wəhaggōwyimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts