Lexical Summary pléthos: Multitude, crowd, great number, fullness Original Word: πλῆθος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance company, multitude. From pletho; a fulness, i.e. A large number, throng, populace -- bundle, company, multitude. see GREEK pletho NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pléthó (to be full) Definition a great number NASB Translation assembly (1), body (1), bundle (1), congregation (4), crowd (3), great number (1), multitude (7), multitudes (1), number (1), number of people (2), people (6), quantity (1), throng (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4128: πλῆθοςπλῆθος, πλήθους, τό (ΠΛΑΩ), from Homer down; the Sept. chiefly for רֹב, often for הָמון; a multitude, i. e. a. a great number, namely, of men or things: Acts 21:22 (not Tr WH); Hebrews 11:12 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 120 (114) n.); with πολύ added, Mark 3:7, 8; πλῆθος with a genitive, Luke 2:13; John 21:6; Acts 5:14; Acts 28:3 (A. V. bundle (L T Tr WH add τί)); James 5:20; 1 Peter 4:8; πολύ πλῆθος and πλῆθος πολύ (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 59, 2) with a genitive, Luke 5:6; Luke 11:17; Luke 23:27; John 5:3 (here L brackets G T Tr WH omit πολύ); Acts 14:1; Acts 17:4. b. with the article, the whole number, the whole multitude; the assemblage: Acts 15:30; Acts 23:7; τοῦ λαοῦ, Acts 21:36; πᾶν τό πλῆθος, Acts 15:12; with a genitive, Luke 1:10; (Luke 8:37 (τῆς περιχώρου); The word designates a collective largeness—people, fish, angels, authority, or even sins. It can emphasize size (“great number”), density (“whole crowd”), or comprehensive inclusion (“the entire assembly”). Unlike generic words for “many,” it often signals a mass that moves, reacts, praises, or opposes in unison, highlighting corporate dynamics in redemption history. Old Testament and Second-Temple Background In the Septuagint the same term frequently renders Hebrew hamon (“throng, uproar”) and rov (“abundance”). It colors scenes such as the “multitude” before Mount Sinai (Exodus 12:38 LXX) and the prophetic hope of nations streaming to Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:5 LXX). Thus the New Testament inherits both covenantal and eschatological overtones: God gathers a people, but also judges crowds that resist His purposes. Occurrences in the Gospel Narratives 1. Worship and Revelation. At the Temple incense offering “the whole congregation was praying outside” (Luke 1:10), and at the Nativity “a great multitude of the heavenly host” praised God (Luke 2:13). The term therefore frames the incarnation with communal worship in heaven and on earth. The Acts of the Apostles: Growth and Opposition Luke employs the word fifteen times, charting escalating momentum: The term therefore maps both the unstoppable expansion of the gospel and the societal turbulence it provokes. Epistolary Usage: Quantity Reinterpreted Hebrews 11:12 envisions Abraham’s seed “as countless as the sand on the seashore,” linking numerical plenitude to covenant promise. James 5:20 and 1 Peter 4:8 pivot from headcount to moral weight: love “covers over a multitude of sins.” The Spirit redirects the lens from the size of the group to the vastness of forgiveness, showing that grace scales to any aggregate of transgression. Theological Insights 1. Divine Sovereignty over the Many. Whether gathering worshipers, fish, or converts, God commands abundance. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Evangelism: Expect God to draw “large numbers” when Christ is faithfully preached, yet prepare for the tensions that accompany public impact. Homiletical Themes for Exploration 1. “From Empty Nets to Overflowing Boats” (Luke 5:6; John 21:6). Strong’s Greek 4128 therefore illumines the breadth of God’s redemptive reach, the complexity of human response, and the inexhaustible depth of Christ’s provision. Englishman's Concordance Mark 3:7 N-NNSGRK: καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος ἀπὸ τῆς NAS: and a great multitude from Galilee KJV: and a great multitude from Galilee INT: and great multitude from Mark 3:8 N-NNS Luke 1:10 N-NNS Luke 2:13 N-NNS Luke 5:6 N-ANS Luke 6:17 N-NNS Luke 8:37 N-NNS Luke 19:37 N-NNS Luke 23:1 N-NNS Luke 23:27 N-NNS John 5:3 N-NNS John 21:6 N-GNS Acts 2:6 N-NNS Acts 4:32 N-GNS Acts 5:14 N-NNP Acts 5:16 N-NNS Acts 6:2 N-ANS Acts 6:5 N-GNS Acts 14:1 N-ANS Acts 14:4 N-NNS Acts 15:12 N-NNS Acts 15:30 N-ANS Acts 17:4 N-NNS Acts 19:9 N-GNS Acts 21:36 N-NNS Strong's Greek 4128 |
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