HEATHEN

heathen. heathen, see Gentile

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Heathen. Heathen
(Heb. plural goyum). At first the word goyim denoted generally all the nations of the world (Gen. 18:18; comp. Gal. 3:8). The Jews afterwards became a people distinguished in a marked manner from the other goyim. They were a separate people (Lev. 20:23; 26:14-45; Deut. 28), and the other nations, the Amorites, Hittites, etc., were the goyim, the heathen, with whom the Jews were forbidden to be associated in any way (Josh. 23:7; 1 Kings 11:2). The practice of idolatry was the characteristic of these nations, and hence the word came to designate idolaters (Ps. 106:47; Jer. 46:28; Lam. 1:3; Isa. 36:18), the wicked (Ps. 9:5, 15, 17).

The corresponding Greek word in the New Testament, ethne, has similar shades of meaning. In Acts 22:21, Gal. 3:14, it denotes the people of the earth generally; and in Matt. 6:7, an idolater. In modern usage the word denotes all nations that are strangers to revealed religion.

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HEATHEN. → (Under this heading are grouped all who are not embraced under the Abrahamic covenant) → Cast out of Canaan Le 18:24,25; Ps 44:2 → Their land given to Israel Ps 78:55; 105:44; 135:12; 136:21,22; Isa 54:1-3 → Excluded from the temple La 1:10 → Wicked practices of
* See IDOLATRY

→ Divine revelations given to
* Abimelech Ge 20:3-7
* Pharaoh Ge 41:1-28
* Balaam Nu 22
* Nebuchadnezzar Da 4:1-18
* Belshazzar Da 5:5,24-29
* Cyrus 2Ch 36:23; Ezr 1:1-4
* The Magi (wise men from the east) Mt 2:1-11
* The centurion at Capernaum Mt 8:5-13; Lu 7:2-9
* Cornelius Ac 10:1-7

→ Pious people among Isa 65:5; Ac 10:35 → INSTANCES OF
* Melchizedek Ge 14:18-20
* Abimelech Ge 20
* Balaam Nu 22
* Jethro Ex 18
* Cyrus Ezr 1:1-3
* Eliphaz Job 4
* Bildad Job 8
* Zophar Job 11
* Elihu Job 32
* Nebuchadnezzar, after his restoration Da 4
* The Ninevites Jon 3:5-10
* The Magi (the wise men from the east) Mt 2:1-12
* The centurion at Capernaum Mt 8:5-13; Lu 7:2-9
* The centurion at Caesarea Ac 10
* See GENTILES

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general references to 2Ki 16:3; 17:8; Ezr 6:21; Ps 2:1; 9:15; 126:2; 135:15; Eze 39:21 Mt 6:7 --SEE Gentiles, WORLD-WIDE WORLD-WIDE Accessions, CHURCH, THE Separation (2), (3), SEPARATION SEPARATION

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heathen. Heathen, n. a pagan, one destitute of revelation

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Hea″then (hē″t͡h'n; 277), n.; pl. Heathens (–t͡h'nz) or collectively Heathen. [[OE. hethen, AS. hǣðen, prop. an adj. fr. hǣð heath, and orig., therefore, one who lives in the country or on the heaths and in the woods (cf. pagan, fr. pagus village); akin to OS. hēðin, adj., D. heiden a heathen, G. heide, OHG. heidan, Icel. heiðinn, adj., Sw. heden, Goth. haiþnō, n. fem. See Heath, and cf. Hoiden.]] 1. 1. An individual of the pagan or unbelieving nations, or those which worship idols and do not acknowledge the true God; a pagan; an idolater.
2. 2. An irreligious person.
If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens. V. Knox. The heathen, as the term is used in the Scriptures, all people except the Jews; now used of all people except Christians, Jews, and Mohammedans. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Ps. ii. 8. Syn. — Pagan; gentile. See Pagan.