[Diego1618]

According to Thayer, the following six definitions apply to ethnos: 1. a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together 2. a company, troop, swarm 3. a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus the human family 4. a tribe, nation, people group 5. in the OT, foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles 6. Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians I think that your understanding of ethnos here is quite flawed or limited to a faulty paradigm.

Well....let me ask you: Why would not "a multitude" be proper in defining millions of Israelites living beyond the Euphrates?

Why would not "a company, a troop, a swarm" be not proper in describing millions of the sames Israelites that Josephus referred to....as uncountable?

Why would not "a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus" be proper in describing the folks Our Saviour directed the Twelve to "GO TO"? [Matthew 10:6]

Why would not a tribe, nation, people group be proper in describing the circumcised to whom Paul identified as the responsibility of Peter? [Galatians 2]

Why is my understanding of the word "Ethnos" flawed? Thayer has pretty well described the Israelites of the dispersion ....if you ask me.

[markomalley]

Diego,

Good to see you back.

What caused me initially to provide the definition of ethnos was as the result of what you'd said earlier:

Not quite....the Greek word translated Nations in this verse has a preferred meaning....Tribes. Gentile nations is a secondary meaning.

I provided the definition to show that 'tribes' is not necessarily the definition of 'ethnos.' Yes it could be, but it is not at all a 'preferred' definition.