Word

λαός

laós · G2992 · Greek · 142 occurrences

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Meanings

nation, people

The largest unit into which the people of the world are divided on the basis of their constituting a socio-political community

Examples
Matthew 4:16 THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”
Matthew 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
people of God

A collective for people who belong to God (whether Jews or Christians)

Examples
Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 2:4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
Matthew 2:6 ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR FROM YOU WILL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’”
crowd, multitude

A casual non-membership group of people, fairly large in size and assembled for whatever purpose

Examples
Matthew 4:23 Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
Matthew 27:25 And all the people replied, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”
Matthew 27:64 “Therefore, give orders for the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
common people, rabble

The common people, in contrast with those who are rich, leaders, and/or authorities in the society, often with the implication of disdain and low esteem

Examples
Matthew 26:5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”
Mark 14:2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there will be a riot of the people.”
Luke 7:29 When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

How it’s used In 11 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

26 occurrences in 7 groups

αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 9
ἐγώI, we 7
θεόςGod 3
ἸσραήλIsrael 3
σύyou 2
Ἰουδαῖοςa Jew, Jewish 1

Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles

13 occurrences in 5 groups

οὗτοςthis 8
πολύςmany 2
περιούσιοςone’s private possession 1
ἅπαςall 1
ἀπειθέωto disobey 1

Named alongside itApposition

8 occurrences in 6 groups

ἸσραήλIsrael 3
ΑἴγυπτοςEgypt 1
εἰμίto be 1
ζηλωτήςa "zealot" 1
κάθημαιto sit 1
προγινώσκωto know beforehand 1

What it doesIt is the subject

24 occurrences in 25 groups

εἴδωto know 3
ἀκούωto hear 3
Other words · 23 groups that occur once or twice (24) 24

What is done to itIt is the object

27 occurrences in 21 groups

διδάσκωto teach, teaching 3
φοβέωto fear, to be afraid, to show great reverence for 3
Other words · 19 groups that occur once or twice (21) 21

It is given or told toIndirect object

15 occurrences in 12 groups

λαλέωto speak 3
ποιέωto do, to make 3
Other words · 10 groups that occur once or twice (10) 10

Second object ofSecond object

1 occurrences in 1 groups

καλέωto call, to name 1

What it is said to bePredicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

ἐγώI, we 1

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

9 occurrences in 7 groups

αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 3
ὀργήwrath, anger 1
ὅςwho, which, that 1
ὅστιςwhoever, whichever, whatever 1
σύyou 1
ὕδωρwater 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

35 occurrences in 13 groups

πρόςto, toward, with 17
ἐνin 9
εἰςto 6
ἐκfrom 6
ἐπίon 5
ὑπέρfor 4
Other words · 5 groups that occur once or twice (9) 9

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

26 occurrences in 18 groups

πλῆθοςmultitude, crowd 4
πρεσβύτεροςelder, older 4
Other words · 16 groups that occur once or twice (18) 18

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

In the other Testament 4 words

עַם ʻam · H5971 · people: Hebrew עַם is the direct lexical equivalent of Greek λαός, both denoting 'people' as a collective populace or nation, with the Septuagint systematically rendering עַם as λαός.
לְאֹם lᵉʼôm · H3816 · people: Hebrew לְאֹם corresponds to Greek λαός as a cross-linguistic equivalent for 'people/nation' in collective ethnic sense, both denoting a people-group as a sociopolitical entity.
אֻמַּה ʼummah · H523 · tribe, people, tribal chief: Hebrew אֻמַּה and Greek λαός are genuine cross-linguistic equivalents denoting 'people' or 'nation' as a collective group.
עַם ʻam · H5972 · people: Hebrew עַם (ʻam, H5972) and Greek λαός (laós, G2992) are direct cross-linguistic equivalents both denoting 'people' as a collective group, with the Greek term specifically distinguished from δῆμος in denoting a people in general rather than one's own citizenry.

Semantic domains 4 entries

Crowd, multitude11.1: λαός can name a crowd or multitude gathered in one place. Luke 8:47 recounts that the healed woman admitted what had happened to her “in the presence of all the people,” the λαοῦ naming this assembled crowd who witnessed her testimony.
People of God11.12: The word most often names God's own covenant people. Matthew 1:21 states that the angel told Joseph to name the child Jesus, “for He will save His people from their sins,” the λαὸν naming this people belonging distinctly to God, whom Jesus would save.
Nation, people11.55: λαός can also denote a nation or people group among the nations of the earth. Luke 2:31–32 has Simeon blessing the infant Jesus as a salvation prepared “in the presence of all the peoples,” the λαῶν naming these nations of the world to whom this salvation is revealed.
Common people, rabble87.64: The same word can further denote the ordinary common people, set in contrast to a ruling or elite class. Luke 23:35 recounts that at the crucifixion “the people stood by, watching. And even the rulers were sneering at Him,” the λαὸς naming this common populace distinguished from the mocking rulers among them.

Word family 8 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

λαόςlaós · G2992Λαοδίκεια Laodíkeia · G2993 · Laodicia, a place in Asia Minor · 6×λειτουργία leitourgía · G3009 · to serve, service, ministry · 6×λειτουργός leitourgós · G3011 · servant · 5×λειτουργέω leitourgéō · G3008 · to serve, service, to perform religious duties · 3×Λαοδικεύς Laodikeús · G2994 · a Laodicean · 1×λειτουργικός leitourgikós · G3010 · serving · 1×

Also from the root λαός

Νικόλαος Nikólaos · G3532 · victorious over the people; Nicolaüs, a heretic · 1×

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon λαοῦ, ὁ ((cf. Curtius, § 535)); the Sept. more than fifteen hundred times for עַם; rarely…

λαοῦ, ὁ ((cf. Curtius, § 535)); the Sept. more than fifteen hundred times for עַם; rarely for גּוי and לְאֹם; (from Homer down); people;
1. a people, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language: universally, of any people; joined with γλῶσσα, φυλή, ἔθνος, Rev 5:9; Rev 7:9; Rev 10:11; Rev 11:9; Rev 13:7 (Rec. omits); Rev 14:6; (see γλῶσσα, 2); πάντες οἱ λαοί. 2:31; Rom 15:11; especially of the people of Israel: Mt 4:23; Mt 13:15; Mk 7:6; Lk 2:10; Jn 11:50 (where it alternates with ἔθνος); ; Acts 3:23; Heb 2:17; Heb 7:11, etc.; with Ἰσραήλ added, Acts 4:10; distinguished from τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, Acts 26:17, Acts 26:23; Rom 15:10; the plural λαοί Ἰσραήλ (R. V. the peoples of Isa.) seems to be used of the tribes of the people (like עַמִּים, Gen 49:10; Deut 32:8; Isa 3:13, etc.) in Acts 4:27 (where the plural was apparently occasioned by Ps 2:1 in its reference to Christ, cf. Acts 4:25); οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ, Mt 21:23; Mt 26:3, Mt 26:47; Mt 27:1; οἱ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ, Mt 2:4; οἱ πρῶτοι τοῦ λαοῦ, Lk 19:47; τό πρεσβυτέριον τοῦ λαοῦ, Lk 22:66; ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ, Acts 4:8. with a genitive of the possessor, τοῦ Θεοῦ, αὐτοῦ, μου (i. e. τοῦ Θεοῦ, Hebrew יְהוָה עַם, הָאֱלֹהִים עַם), the people whom God has chosen for himself, selected as peculiarly his own: Heb 11:25; Mt 2:6; Lk 1:68; Lk 7:16; without the article Jude 1:5 (Sir. 46:7; Wis. 18:13); cf. Winer's Grammar, § 19, 1; the name is transferred to the community of Christians, as that which by the blessing of Christ has come to take the place of the theocratic people of Israel, Heb 4:9; Rev 18:4; particularly to a church of Christians gathered from among the Gentiles, Acts 15:14; Rom 9:25ff; 1 Pet 2:10; with εἰς περιποίησιν added, 1 Pet 2:9; περιούσιος, Tit 2:14, cf. Acts 18:10; Lk 1:17. ὁ λαός the people (of Israel) is distinguished from its princes and rulers ((1 Esdr. 1:10 1 Esdr. 5:45; Judith 8:9, 11; etc.)), Mt 26:5; Mk 11:32 (here WH Tr marginal reading read ὄχλος); Mk 14:2; Lk 20:19; Lk 22:2; Lk 23:5; Acts 5:26, etc.; from the priests, Heb 5:3; Heb 7:5, Heb 7:27.
2. indefinitely, of a great part of the population gathered together anywhere: Mt 27:25; Lk 1:21; Lk 3:15; Lk 7:1, Lk 7:29; Lk 8:47; Lk 9:13; Lk 18:43, etc.; τό πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ, Lk 1:10. (The Gospels of Mark and John use the word but three times each. Synonym: see δῆμος, at the end)

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain

Topical studies with this word 4 entries

General42 occurrences Socio-Religious64 occurrences Socio-Political25 occurrences Low Status or Rank [including persons of low status]15 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0