Word study

People

33 Hebrew and 9 Greek words behind this English word

The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: people, peoples. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.

At a glance

How often each original word is translated “people” or one of its forms.

Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side

Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)

  • עַם ampeopletranslated this way 1,490 times of its 1,751 uses · Strong’s H5971Noun  ·  Translated: people 1,346, peoples 111, troops 89, nations 65

    Genesis 11:6 And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them.

    Exodus 1:9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.

    Full study and all 1,601 verses →
  • יָשַׁב yâshabsit, remain, dwelltranslated this way 64 times of its 1,049 uses · Strong’s H3427Verb  ·  Translated: lived 103, dwell 89, live 84, sit 70

    Genesis 34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

    Deuteronomy 13:13 that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),

    Full study and all 960 verses →
  • בֵּן bênsontranslated this way 41 times of its 4,587 uses · Strong’s H1121Noun  ·  Translated: son 1,843, sons 892, Israelites 422, descendants 358

    Genesis 23:11 “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

    Genesis 29:1 Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

    Full study and all 3,473 verses →
  • לְאֹם leômpeopletranslated this way 16 times of its 30 uses · Strong’s H3816Noun  ·  Translated: peoples 12, nations 11, people 4, other 1

    Genesis 25:23 and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

    Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

    Full study and all 26 verses →
  • עַם ampeopletranslated this way 14 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s H5972Noun  ·  Translated: people 14, Israelites 1

    Ezra 5:12 But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon.

    Daniel 2:44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

    Full study and all 14 verses →
  • נֶפֶשׁ nepheshsoul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passiontranslated this way 13 times of its 666 uses · Strong’s H5315Noun  ·  Translated: soul 178, life 119, lives 30, person 22

    Genesis 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

    Exodus 12:4 If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor based on the number of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly.

    Full study and all 622 verses →
  • אָדָם âdâmman, mankindtranslated this way 11 times of its 509 uses · Strong’s H120Noun  ·  Translated: man 311, men 75, mankind 21, human 18

    Numbers 31:11 and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.

    Joshua 11:14 The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.

    Full study and all 489 verses →
  • גּוֹי gôynation, peopletranslated this way 8 times of its 553 uses · Strong’s H1471Noun  ·  Translated: nations 406, nation 114, people 4, peoples 3

    Genesis 10:5 From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.

    2 Kings 6:18 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

    Full study and all 507 verses →
  • יְהוּדָה YehûdâhJudahtranslated this way 6 times of its 814 uses · Strong’s H3063Noun  ·  Translated: Judah 774, Judah's 7, people of judah 5, men of judah 3

    2 Chronicles 14:4 He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.

    2 Chronicles 14:7 So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

    Full study and all 750 verses →
  • אֻמַּה ummahtribe, peopletranslated this way 5 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H523Noun  ·  Translated: peoples 5, tribes 1, tribal 1

    Psalm 44:14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.

    Psalm 57:9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing Your praises among the peoples.

    Full study and all 7 verses →
  • כֹּל kôlthe whole, alltranslated this way 5 times of its 5,107 uses · Strong’s H3605Noun  ·  Translated: all 1,589, and all 471, whole 223, every 196Full study and all 4,112 verses →
  • אֱנוֹשׁ ĕnôshman, mankindtranslated this way 5 times of its 470 uses · Strong’s H582Noun  ·  Translated: men 368, man 25, people 5, husbands 4

    Exodus 10:7 Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt lies in ruins?”

    Joshua 8:25 A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day— all the people of Ai.

    Full study and all 447 verses →
  • קָהָל qâhâlassembly, convocation, congregationtranslated this way 4 times of its 119 uses · Strong’s H6951Noun  ·  Translated: assembly 94, company 7, horde 3, mob 3

    1 Kings 8:65 So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him— a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt— kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more days— fourteen days in all.

    2 Chronicles 7:8 So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him— a very great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt— kept the feast for seven days.

    Full study and all 116 verses →
  • בַּיִת bayithhousetranslated this way 4 times of its 1,913 uses · Strong’s H1004Noun  ·  Translated: house 1,132, temple 176, palace 117, household 93Full study and all 1,624 verses →
  • בָּשָׂר bâsârfleshtranslated this way 4 times of its 231 uses · Strong’s H1320Noun  ·  Translated: flesh 91, meat 59, body 22, himself 8

    Psalm 65:2 O You who listen to prayer, all people will come to You.

    Ezekiel 20:48 Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

    Full study and all 212 verses →
  • עַל alheighttranslated this way 3 times of its 4,859 uses · Strong’s H5921Preposition  ·  Translated: on 777, over 297, in 218, against 216

    Exodus 5:14 Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

    Full study and all 3,996 verses →
  • הֵם hêmthey, themtranslated this way 3 times of its 428 uses · Strong’s H1992Pronoun  ·  Translated: they 189, in those 31, and they 19, but they 17

    Exodus 36:3 They received from Moses all the contributions that the Israelites had brought to carry out the service of constructing the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning,

    Joshua 7:3 On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.”

    Full study and all 405 verses →
  • בּוֹא bôcome in, come, go in, gotranslated this way 3 times of its 2,442 uses · Strong’s H935Verb  ·  Translated: come 358, came 298, bring 209, brought 201Full study and all 2,217 verses →
  • אָמַר âmarutter, saytranslated this way 3 times of its 4,555 uses · Strong’s H559Verb  ·  Translated: said 1,531, says 576, say 352, replied 341Full study and all 3,827 verses →
  • שָׁכֵן shâkêninhabitant, neighbourtranslated this way 2 times of its 20 uses · Strong’s H7934Noun  ·  Translated: neighbors 12, neighbor 4, neighboring peoples 1, resident 1

    Deuteronomy 1:7 Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the Negev, and along the seacoast to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates.

    Hosea 10:5 The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn over it with its idolatrous priests — those who rejoiced in its glory — for it has been taken from them into exile.

    Full study and all 20 verses →
  • מִשְׁפָּחָה mishpâchâhclantranslated this way 2 times of its 285 uses · Strong’s H4940Noun  ·  Translated: clans 135, clan 100, families 17, family 12

    Ezekiel 20:32 When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.

    Zechariah 14:18 And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then the rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

    Full study and all 217 verses →
  • דּוּר dûrdwelltranslated this way 2 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H1753Verb  ·  Translated: dwell 2, peoples 2, nested 1, lived 1Full study and all 6 verses →
  • נָסַע nâsapull out or up, set out, journeytranslated this way 2 times of its 146 uses · Strong’s H5265Verb  ·  Translated: set 91, journeyed 4, moved 4, pulled 4Full study and all 139 verses →
  • אָח âchbrothertranslated this way 2 times of its 615 uses · Strong’s H251Noun  ·  Translated: brothers 234, brother 211, relatives 36, brother's 18Full study and all 562 verses →
  • אַשְׁדּוֹדִי AshdôdîAshdoditetranslated this way 2 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H796Noun  ·  Translated: Ashdod 2, people of ashdod 2, Ashdodites 1Full study and all 5 verses →
  • אֲשֶׁר ăsherparticle of relationtranslated this way 2 times of its 3,225 uses · Strong’s H834Pronoun  ·  Translated: that 886, who 451, as 247, which 160Full study and all 2,844 verses →
  • עָלָה âlâhgo up, ascend, climbtranslated this way 2 times of its 873 uses · Strong’s H5927Verb  ·  Translated: go 118, went 107, brought 56, come 42Full study and all 807 verses →
  • אֵל êlmotion totranslated this way 2 times of its 4,199 uses · Strong’s H413Preposition  ·  Translated: to 1,941, to me 285, to you 149, to him 137Full study and all 3,455 verses →
  • גָּלָה gâlâhuncover, removetranslated this way 2 times of its 170 uses · Strong’s H1540Verb  ·  Translated: revealed 14, uncovered 13, exiled 12, sexual relations 11Full study and all 161 verses →
  • שָׁכַם shâkamstart, rise, earlytranslated this way 2 times of its 65 uses · Strong’s H7925Verb  ·  Translated: got up early 13, got 11, again and again 8, get up early 5Full study and all 64 verses →
  • שָׁמַע shâmaheartranslated this way 2 times of its 1,132 uses · Strong’s H8085Verb  ·  Translated: heard 311, hear 253, listen 218, obey 60Full study and all 1,063 verses →
  • זֶרַע zerasowing, seed, offspringtranslated this way 2 times of its 220 uses · Strong’s H2233Noun  ·  Translated: descendants 78, offspring 45, seed 34, children 10Full study and all 201 verses →
  • נוּעַ nûaquiver, wave, waver, tremble, tottertranslated this way 2 times of its 38 uses · Strong’s H5128Verb  ·  Translated: shake 5, sway 3, shakes 3, fugitive 2Full study and all 36 verses →

Greek words (New Testament)

How to study a word well
  1. Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
  2. Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
  3. Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
  4. Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
  5. See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
  6. Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
  7. Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.

Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.