The two, main, racial divisions in the Bible are Jews and Gentiles. To answer the question, “What are Gentiles in the Bible?”, it would be best to begin with defining what are Jews in the Bible. The terms Gentile/Gentiles appears in 123 verses of the King James Version of the Bible. The Bible was written exclusively by Jewish men.
What Are Gentiles in the Bible? — Defining Jews
Before defining the term Gentile, the Jews must be explained. The most famous historical person associated with the Jewish nation is Abraham. Many consider Abraham the first Jew, but while this is technically incorrect, he is the father of the Jewish nation. God separated Abraham from his relatives, promising to make of Abraham a great nation.
The physical distinction between Jews and Gentiles was the act of circumcision. This surgery on baby boys was a token of the covenant between God and His special people. This is explained in Acts 7:8. “And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.” (KJV)
Abraham — The Father of the Jews
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3 (KJV)
Abraham was not to be associated with the people and nation from where he was born and raised. In his new country, the land of Canaan, he was known as “The Hebrew” according to Genesis 14:13 “And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew” (KJV)
Incidentally, this verse is the first time the word “Hebrew” is used in the Bible.
The word “Hebrew” means “wanderer.” Abram (God later changed his name to “Abraham”) was considered an outsider among the people of Canaan. God chose Abram to start a great nation, which today is collectively referred to as Jews.
The Origin of the Name Israel
The process of making Abraham into a great nation took some time. Eventually, Abraham had a son by the name of Isaac, and after more time had passed, Isaac became the father of his own son, Jacob. It is with Jacob that the word “Israel” is introduced. Genesis 35:10: “And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.” (KJV)
Jacob — The First Jew
It was the descendants of Abraham, specifically Jacob and Israel, which started the Jewish race. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, was the first Jew. Jacob had 12 sons and each of these sons became a tribe that made up the nation of Israel. When the Bible uses the term “children of Israel,” it means all of the offspring and descendants of Jacob, the 12 tribes of Israel. These individuals were the start of the Jewish nation.
The purpose of the nation of Israel, according to what God told Moses, was this: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:6 (KJV)
What Are Gentiles in the Bible? — Gentiles in the Old Testament
To answer the question “What are Gentiles in the Bible?”, first, the word “Gentile” must be defined. The word “Gentile” is a religious designation of individuals who do not practice the Jewish faith. But Gentile can also be applied to those who are not descended from Israelite ancestry. In the Bible, this cultural designation, rather than the religious designation, is used to identify Gentiles.
The first time the word “Gentile” is used in the Bible is in Genesis 10:5. “By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.”
The word “Gentile” comes from the Hebrew word “goy” which means “nation.” The singular goy could be used for the Jewish nation or any other particular nation. However, the plural form of goy — goim — means all of the nations of the world that are not Jewish.
The Old Testament, also referred to as the Hebrew Bible, many times refers to these non-Jewish people as “strangers.” The religious and ethnic group composed of the children of Israel were the nation that God promised to raise up for Himself. Those who were not of the children of Israel were considered “strangers.” Nevertheless, God allowed strangers to worship Him and be included in the assembly of the people of God.
The most notable Gentile convert was Ruth. Ruth was a citizen of a non-Jewish nation, Moab. In the land of Israel, she was considered a stranger. But despite the fact Ruth was not a descendant of Jacob, she desired to be a part of the people of God. Her words to her Jewish mother-in-law showed her intention in Ruth 1:16. “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:” (KJV)
God blessed the great faith of this Gentile woman, and she became the great-grandmother of King David.
What Are Gentiles in the Bible? — The Prophet Isaiah
The Prophet Isaiah uses the word “Gentiles” a total of 15 times in his eponymous book. The first mention is in Isaiah 11:10. “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (KJV)
This is direct reference about the coming of Jesus Christ. It is this Old Testament prophet who most clearly saw the grace of God reaching out to the non-Jewish people.
What Are Gentiles in the Bible? — Gentiles in Jesus’ Time
The focus of Jesus’ ministry when He was on Earth was primarily to the Jewish people, not to the Gentiles. In Matthew 10:5-6, Jesus specifically told His disciples to preach only to the Jews. “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (KJV)
While Jesus’ focus was on the Jews, He did not exclude the Gentiles.
The Canaanite Woman
At another point in Christ’s ministry, a woman of Canaan, a Gentile, approached Him asking Him to heal her daughter. However, Jesus seemed to ignore the request from this Gentile in Matthew 15:24. “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (KJV)
Despite this seeming rudeness on the part of our Savior, He was testing her faith. The wonderful outcome, the kindness of our Savior to this Gentile lady, is recorded in Matthew 15:27. “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (KJV)
The Samaritan Woman at the Well
Samaritans were cultural a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. Because of their mixed race, they were despised by the Jews. Jesus, a Jew, made it a point to meet and converse with a Samaritan woman at the public well. Her testimony about Jesus resulted the majority of an entire city accepting Him as the Messiah. John 4:39 relates her impact on her city. “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.” (KJV)
The people of this Samaritan city gladly accepted both Jesus and His teaching since they wanted Him to stay in their city, according to John 4:10. “So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.” (KJV)
Read the entire account in John 4:1-43.
The Faith of the Roman Centurion
A Roman ruler sent some Jewish elders to Jesus, begging Him to heal his servant. This Gentile person loved the Jews, and may have even worshiped their God, since the Jewish leaders in relaying his request told Jesus that this man built a synagogue for them. The response of this Gentile man of faith greatly impressed Jesus. “When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Luke 7:9 (KJV)
Read the entire account in Luke 7:1-9.
The Jewish Temple
Jesus, Who was God in the flesh, demonstrated His love of the Gentile nations, because the Jewish temple was not meant exclusively for the Jews, but for “all nations,” i.e., the Gentiles also. Jesus said this in the context of His casting out the money changers from the temple. “And he [Jesus] taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Mark 11:17 (KJV)
The Scope of The Great Commission
Before Christ’s ascension into heaven, some of His last words on Earth to His disciples was related to the Gentiles. As part what is commonly known as “The Great Commission,” Christ told His Jewish disciples to teach, baptize, and make disciples of all nations. His words in Matthew 28:19-20 were “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (KJV)
What Are Gentiles in the Bible? — Gentiles and the Early Church
Despite Jesus specially telling his apostles to “teach all nations” about Him in Matthew 28:19, a direct reference to the Gentiles, initially only preached eternal life to the Jews. Acts 11:19 records this sad fact. “Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.” (KJV)
Jews From All Nations
In Acts chapter 2, God introduces a group of men from several different nationalities.
“Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:9-11 (KJV)
At first glance, one would think this group of people were Gentiles. However, Gentiles, for the very most part in the first century Roman Empire, would not have much, if any, interest in the single God of the Jews. These were Jews who were staying at Jerusalem and had come there to worship God, though they were born, raised, and lived in countries outside of Israel.
They may have spoken Hebrew as a second language, or not at all, and retained their Jewish culture though born and raised in Gentile nations. Nevertheless, they were united by the worship of a singular Creator God. This monotheistic religion was in stark contrast to the Gentile nations who worshiped many gods.
The Parthians, Medes and Elamites were from what is now modern-day Iran; Mesopotamia (Iraq); Cappadocia, Pontus, Phrygia, Asia, Pamphylia are regions that make up modern-day Turkey; Cyrene, (Libya); Cretes from the island of Crete, which is between Greece and Egypt; along with Romans and Arabians.
Peter, a Jew himself, would not have addressed these men as “brethren” (See Acts 2:29) had they been Gentiles. A Gentile person would not be considered a “brother” to a Jew.
Within this group of devout men, there may have been a few non-Jews, such as Roman citizens, guards, etc., but despite the Gentile nationalities named, these people were Jews, not Gentiles.
The Apostles’ Ministry to Only Jews
The Jews were very proud of their heritage, and they were exclusive in their dealings with others, while some isolated themselves from all Gentiles. It is not surprising then that the apostles were at first reluctant to take the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the promise of eternal life, to the Gentile world. Peter’s words to a devout Gentile man were: “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10:28 (KJV)
Cornelius – The First Gentile Christian?
Although the Jewish apostles started the Christian church, the message of eternal life was for both Jews and Gentiles alike. God uses a sincere Gentile believer named Cornelius to convince the Apostle Peter of His love for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
This is how the Holy Spirit describes him in Acts 10:1-2. “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.” (KJV)
It was through this devout Gentile man that the Holy Spirit pushed the Apostle Peter into preaching to the Gentiles. The barrier between Jew and Gentile was totally destroyed when Peter talked with the Gentile Cornelius, and said these words that were a tremendous source of joy and comfort to all Gentile listeners. “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” Acts 10:34-35 (KJV)
The message of eternal life was not only meant for the Jews. Read the entire story including Peter’s sermon in Acts chapter 10.
The Apostle Paul and the Gentiles
When the Apostle Paul started his ministry of preaching God’s Word, he, a Jew, with his Jewish friend, Barnabas, started preaching Jesus Christ in the synagogues of the Jews in the country of Cyprus, a non-Jewish nation. Despite the fact they were holding church services in a Jewish place of worship, they, and their message of eternal life, was accepted and appreciated more by the Gentiles than by the Jews, according to Acts 13:42. “And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.” (KJV).
The response the very next week was overwhelming, according to Acts 13:43. “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” (KJV)
But the Jews were envious of the response of the people of the city to the word of God, and they started trouble. “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” Acts 13:48 (KJV)
The response to these troublemaking Jews because of their attempt to silence the preaching of the Word of God, Paul, along with Barnabas, told them that their future ministry would be focused on the Gentiles.
“Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” Acts 13:46-47 (KJV)
The promise of God, including everlasting life, although rejected by the majority of Jews, was gladly and joyfully received by the Gentiles, according to Acts 13:48. “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” (KJV)
What Are Gentiles in the Bible? — Christians
The ancient barriers, including circumcision, after Jesus’ resurrection were destroyed. Now Gentiles, who were not of Abraham’s seed, not part of the great nation of God, are welcomed into God’s family by faith in Jesus Christ.
This wonderful truth of the inclusion of Gentiles into the promises of God is recorded in Ephesians 2:12. “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” (KJV)
This truth was at first difficult for the early church, which was primarily composed of Jewish believers, to accept. It seemed too wonderful to be true. The Apostle Paul had to reiterate this fact, and he did so when writing to the various groups of Christian, mainly Gentile, believers.
Here is what he said to the Christians, both Jew and Gentile, in Rome. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 (KJV)
The Apostle Paul, by word and by example, urged the Gentile converts to help him in spread Christianity. He rebuked the believers in the church at Corinth, mostly Gentiles, when he said, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” 1 Corinthians 15:34 (KJV)
Later, in his letter to Gentile converts at Rome, he again repeated this truth. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” Romans 10:12 (KJV)
These are his words to the mostly Gentile Christians in the region of Galatia. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 (KJV)
And to the believers in the Gentile region of Colosse, he wrote, “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3:11 (KJV)
Today, because of God’s grace, the concept of Gentiles and/or a Jewish heritage marked by circumcision, is not important. What is important to God today is the faith of an individual. God makes this clear in Romans 3:30. “Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” (KJV)
May you, too, despite your cultural roots, have this saving faith in God.
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