Nation This word in the Auth. Ver. generally represents the Heb. גּוֹי, i.e., the nation as a body politic; in plur. גּוֹיַם, esp. of foreign nations, the GENTILES SEE GENTILES (q.v.); usually in the Sept. ἔθνος, ἔθνη, Vulg. gens, gentes. Sometimes it represents the Heb. עָם, which means esp. the PEOPLE SEE PEOPLE (q.v.), Sept. λαός; in poetry, לאֻמַּים לאֹם; and in Chald. אֻמָּה. It means sometimes all the inhabitants of a particular country (De 4:34), the country or kingdom itself (Ex 34:10; Re 7:9); sometimes countrymen, natives of the same stock (Ac 26:4); sometimes the father, head, or original of a people (Ge 25:23). In the prophets the term "nations" is often used as a general name for the heathen or Gentiles (Isa 9:2; comp. Mt 4:15). SEE ETHNOLOGY.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More