The
singular use of ethnos in
the New Testament always refers to a people group. The plural use of ethnos sometimes must be
a people group and sometimes must refer to Gentile individuals, but usually can
go either way.
The phrase panta ta ethne must refer to Gentile individuals only once, but must refer to
people groups nine times. The remaining eight uses may refer to people groups.
The combination of these results suggests that the meaning of panta ta ethne leans
heavily in the direction of “all the nations (people groups).”
In
Genesis12:3 and 28:14 the Hebrew phrase for “all the families” (kol mishpahot) is
rendered in the Greek Old Testament by pasai
hai phulai. The word phulai
means “tribes” in most contexts. But mishpaha can be, and
usually is, smaller than a tribe. For example when Achan sinned, Israel is examined in decreasing
order of size: first by tribe, then by mishpaha
(family), then by household (Josh 7:14). So
the blessing of Abraham is intended by God to reach to fairly small groupings
of people.
The globe has been circumnavigated by God’s messengers, but there remain untouched areas geographically. The annual discovery of previously unknown languages elongates the noble task of getting the message into all the world’s tongues. And by no means has the gospel reached all the earth’s “peoples,” regardless of how they are defined.
