Lexical Summary polus: many, much, great Original Word: πολύς Strong's Exhaustive Concordance abundant, many, much Including the forms from the alternate pollos; (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many; neuter (singular) as adverbial, largely; neuter (plural) as adverb or noun often, mostly, largely -- abundant, + altogether, common, + far (passed, spent), (+ be of a) great (age, deal, -ly, while), long, many, much, oft(-en (-times)), plenteous, sore, straitly. Compare pleistos, pleion. see GREEK pleistos see GREEK pleion HELPS Word-studies 4183 polýs – many (high in number); multitudinous, plenteous, "much"; "great" in amount (extent). 4183 /polýs ("much in number") emphasizes the quantity involved. 4183 (polýs) "signifies 'many, numerous'; . . . with the article it is said of a multitude as being numerous" (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 113,114) – i.e. great in amount. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition much, many NASB Translation all (3), better (1), deep (1), earnestly (3), enough (1), even more (1), few* (1), freely (1), full (1), further (1), further* (3), great (33), greater (4), greater numbers (1), greatly (5), hard (2), harshly (1), heartily (1), high price (1), large (30), large numbers (1), large sums (1), larger (1), late* (2), lengthy (1), long (5), longer (1), loudly (1), majority (3), many (181), many more (1), many people (1), many subjects (1), many things (17), many...things (4), more (25), more numerous (1), most (8), most people's (1), much (50), often (1), plentiful (2), quite (2), several (1), some (1), something greater (2), strict (1), terrible (1), very (1), very large (1), very long (1), very much (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4183: πολύςπολύς, πολλή (from an older form πολλός, found in Homer, Hesiod, Pindar), πολύ; ((cf. Curtius, § 375)); the Sept. chiefly for רַב; much; used a. of multitude, number, etc., many, numerous, great: ἀριθμός, Acts 11:21; λαός, Acts 18:10; ὄχλος, Mark 5:24; Mark 6:34; ( b. with nouns denoting an action, an emotion, a state, which can be said to have as it were measure, weight, force, intensity, size, continuance, or repetition, much equivalent to great, strong, intense, large: ἀγάπη, Ephesians 2:4; ὀδύνη, 1 Timothy 6:10; θρῆνος, κλαυθμός, ὀδυρμός, Matthew 2:18; χαρά (Rec.st χάρις), Philemon 1:7; ἐπιθυμία, 1 Thessalonians 2:17; μακροθυμία, Romans 9:22; ἔλεος, 1 Peter 1:3; γογγυσμός, John 7:12; τρόμος, 1 Corinthians 2:3; πόνος (Rec. ζῆλος), Colossians 4:13; ἀγών, 1 Thessalonians 2:2; ἄθλησις, Hebrews 10:32; θλῖψις, 2 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; καύχησις, 2 Corinthians 7:4; πεποίθησις, 2 Corinthians 8:22; πληροφορία, 1 Thessalonians 1:5; παρρησία, 2 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 7:4; 1 Timothy 3:13; Philemon 1:8; παράκλησις, 2 Corinthians 8:4; συζήτησις (T WH Tr text ζήτησις), Acts 15:7; Acts 28:29 (Rec.); στάσις, Acts 23:10; ἀσιτία, Acts 27:21; βία, Acts 24:7 (Rec.); διακονία, Luke 10:40; σιγή, deep silence, Acts 21:40 (Xenophon, Cyril 7, 1, 25); φαντασία, Acts 25:23; δύναμις καί δόξα, Matthew 24:30; Luke 21:27; μισθός, Matthew 5:12; Luke 6:23, 35; εἰρήνη, Acts 24:2 (3); περί οὗ πολύς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, about which (but see λόγος, I. 3 a.) we have much (in readiness) to say, Hebrews 5:11 (πολύν λόγον ποιεῖσθαι περί τίνος, Plato, Phaedo, p. 115{d}; cf. Lex. Plato, iii., p. 148). c. of time, much, long: πολύν χρόνον, John 5:6; μετά χρόνον πολύν, Matthew 25:19; ὥρα πολλή, much time (i. e. a large part of the day) is spent (see ὥρα, 2), Mark 6:35; ὥρας πολλῆς γενομένης (Tdf. γινομένης), of a late hour of the day, ibid. (so πολλῆς ὥρας, Polybius 5, 8, 3; ἐπί πολλήν ὥραν, Josephus, Antiquities 8, 4, 4; Ἐμάχοντο ... ἄχρι πολλῆς ὥρας, Dionysius Halicarnassus, 2, 54); πολλοῖς χρόνοις, for a long time, Luke 8:29 (οὐ πολλῷ χρόνῳ, Herodian, 1, 6, 24 (8 edition, Bekker); χρόνοις πολλοῖς ὕστερον, Plutarch, Thes. 6; (see χρόνος, under the end)); εἰς ἔτη πολλά, Luke 12:19; (ἐκ or) ἀπό πολλῶν ἐτῶν, Acts 24:10; Romans 15:23 (here WH Tr text ἀπό ἱκανῶν ἐτῶν); ἐπί πολύ, (for) a long time, Acts 28:6; μετ' οὐ πολύ, not long after (see μετά, II. 2 b.), Acts 27:14. d. Neuter singular πολύ, much, substantively, equivalent to many things: Luke 12:48; much, adverbially, of the mode and degree of an action: ἠγάπησε, Luke 7:47; πλανᾶσθε, Mark 12:27; namely, ὠφελεῖ, Romans 3:2. πολλοῦ as a genitive of price (from Homer down; cf. Passow, under the word, IV. b. vol. ii., p. 1013a; (cf. Winer's Grammar, 206 (194))): πραθῆναι, for much, Matthew 26:9. ἐν πολλῷ, in (administering) much (i. e. many things), Luke 16:10; with great labor, great effort, Acts 26:29 (where L T Tr WH ἐν μεγάλῳ (see μέγας, 1 a. γ.)). with a comparitive (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 35, 1): πολύ σπουδαιότερον, 2 Corinthians 8:22 (in Greek writings from Homer down); πολλῷ πλείους, many more, John 4:41; πολλῷ (or πολύ) μᾶλλον, see μᾶλλον, 1 a. following with the article, τό πολύ, German das Viele (opposed to τό ὀλίγον), 2 Corinthians 8:15 (cf. Buttmann, 395 (338); Winer's Grammar, 589 (548)). Plural, πολλά α. many things; as, διδάσκειν, λαλεῖν, Matthew 13:3; Mark 4:2; Mark 6:34; John 8:26; John 14:30; παθεῖν, Matthew 16:21; Mark 5:26; Mark 9:12; Luke 9:22, etc., and often in Greek writings from Pindar Ol. 13, 90 down; ποιεῖν, Mark 6:20 (T Tr marginal reading WH ἀπόρειν); πρᾶξαι, Acts 26:9; add as other examples, Matthew 25:21, 23; Mark 12:41; Mark 15:3; John 16:12; 2 Corinthians 8:22; 2 John 1:12; 3 John 1:13; πολλά καί ἀλλά, John 20:30. (On the Greek (and Latin) usage which treats the notion of multitude not as something external to a thing and consisting merely in a comparison of it with other things, but as an attribute inhering in the thing itself, and hence, capable of being co-ordinated with another attributive word by means of καί (which see, I. 3), see Kühner, § 523, 1 (or on Xenophon, mem. 1, 2, 24); Bäumlein, Partikeln, p. 146; Krüger, § 69, 32, 3; Lob. Paral., p. 60; Herm. ad Vig., p. 835; Winers Grammar, § 59, 3 at the end; Buttmann, 362f (311). Cf. Passow, under the word, I. 3 a.; Liddell and Scott, under II. 2.) β. adverbially (cf. Winers Grammar, 463 (432); Buttmann, § 128, 2), much: Mark ( The term translated “much,” “many,” or “abundant” occurs throughout the Greek New Testament as a qualifier of people, things, actions, and qualities. It appears in every Gospel, in nearly all Pauline letters, in the General Epistles, and in Revelation, giving it an unparalleled breadth of application. Whether describing the crowds that flocked to Jesus, the magnitude of divine grace, or the extent of human responsibility, the word consistently signals largeness of scope or intensity. Frequency and Distribution More than three hundred sixty occurrences span narrative, didactic, prophetic, and poetic passages. Matthew, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Revelation each contain over twenty instances, underscoring its importance to their respective themes of kingdom proclamation, salvation history, and eschatological fulfillment. Semantic Range 1. Numeric plurality: a countable multitude (“many disciples,” John 6:66). Key Theological Themes 1. Divine Abundance 2. Christ and the Ransom “for Many” Jesus self-describes His mission: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). The phrase joins Isaiah’s Servant language with New-Covenant fulfillment, highlighting the breadth of redemption without limiting its effectiveness for the believing community. 3. Harvest and Discipleship 4. Ecclesiology: One Body, Many Members “Just as the body is one and has many parts…but all its parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). Plurality within unity grounds spiritual-gift teaching and congregational life. 5. Eschatological Multitudes Revelation repeatedly employs the term to portray the climactic worship scene. “I heard a sound like the roar of many waters” (Revelation 19:6); “a multitude too large to count, from every nation” (Revelation 7:9). The redeemed host fulfills prophetic promise and anticipates consummated glory. 6. Warnings About “Many” The prevalence of error and failure heightens the call for vigilance and perseverance. Historical Perspective Classical and Septuagint usage already linked the term with divine greatness and human multitudes (e.g., “many waters” in Psalms). New Testament writers, steeped in that background, apply it to Christological and ecclesiological realities, expanding its redemptive significance. Paul’s “Much More” Logic Romans 5:9-21 layers “much more” arguments to prove the super-abundance of grace over judgment. The repeated comparative intensifies assurance: if sin brought widespread death, grace will far exceed in bringing life and righteousness. Ministry Implications Representative Passages for Study Matthew 4:25; Luke 12:48; John 21:25; Acts 2:43; Romans 5:15-17; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 8:2; Hebrews 2:10; Revelation 19:6. Conclusion The repeated appearance of this single term weaves a tapestry of divine lavishness, human multitude, and ethical magnitude. From the “many who followed Him” to the “many who will be made righteous,” Scripture employs the word to magnify God’s generosity and to summon believers to equally generous faith and service. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 2:18 Adj-NMSGRK: καὶ ὀδυρμὸς πολύς Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα NAS: WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, KJV: weeping, and great mourning, Rachel INT: and mourning great Rachel weeping [for] Matthew 3:7 Adj-AMP Matthew 4:25 Adj-NMP Matthew 5:12 Adj-NMS Matthew 6:30 Adj-DNS Matthew 7:13 Adj-NMP Matthew 7:22 Adj-NMP Matthew 7:22 Adj-AFP Matthew 8:1 Adj-NMP Matthew 8:11 Adj-NMP Matthew 8:16 Adj-AMP Matthew 8:30 Adj-GMP Matthew 9:10 Adj-NMP Matthew 9:14 Adj-ANP Matthew 9:37 Adj-NMS Matthew 10:31 Adj-GNP Matthew 12:15 Adj-NMP Matthew 13:2 Adj-NMP Matthew 13:3 Adj-ANP Matthew 13:5 Adj-AFS Matthew 13:17 Adj-NMP Matthew 13:58 Adj-AFP Matthew 14:14 Adj-AMS Matthew 14:24 Adj-AMP Matthew 15:30 Adj-NMP Strong's Greek 4183 |
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