Rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same root as gevah (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts -- Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
see HEBREW gevah
H1471. goy
גּוֺי561 noun masculineGenesis 12:2 nation, people (Late Hebrew id. Gentiles, Phoenician גו community, , Sabean גו id., DHMZMG 1883, 348) — ׳ג 12:2 121t.; suffix 1 singular גּוֺיִ Zephaniah 2:9, גּוֺיֶ֑ךָ Psalm 106:5, גּוֺיֵךְ Kt Ezekiel 36:13-14, 15 (Qr wrongly גּוֺיַיִךְ compare Co, who strike out 36:15); plural גּוֺיִם Genesis 10:5 410t. + Qr 25:23; Psalm 79:10 (Kt גיים) + 6 t. Ezekiel (variant reading emended Co); construct גּוֺיֵי Genesis 18:18 8t., גּוֺיֵ2 Chronicles 32:13; Ezra 6:21 (compare Baer's notes); suffix גּוֺיֵהֶם Genesis 10:5, 20, 31, 32; —
1 nation, people Genesis 10:5 (twice in verse); 10:20, 31, 32 (twice in verse) (all P) +; Isaiah 2:2, 4 (twice in verse) = Micah 4:2-3,(twice in verse); Job 12:23 (twice in verse); 34:29 ; Proverbs 14:34; הָאָרֶץ גּוֺיֵי כֹּל Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4 (all J); Deuteronomy 28:1.
a. specifically of descendants of Abraham, גָּדוֺל גּוֺי Genesis 12:2; compare 18:18 (both J), גּוֺיִם 17:6, גּוֺיִם הֲמוֺן 17:4, 15 (all P); of Sarah גּוֺיִם 17:16 (P); of Ishmael גּוֺי 21:13, גָּדוֺל גָּוֺי 21:18 (both E), גָּדוֺל גּוֺי 17:20 (P); of Jacob גּוֺיִם וּקְהַל גּוֺי 35:11 (P), גָּדוֺל גּוֺי 46:3 (E); of Ephraim הַגּ ׳מְלֹא 48:19 (J); of Moses גָּדוֺל גּוֺי Exodus 32:10 (J) compare Numbers 14:12 (J) Deuteronomy 9:14; of Jacob and Esau as two nations Genesis 25:23 (J).
b. definitely of Israel Exodus 19:6 (׳גּ קָדוֺשׁ) 33:13 (both J E), Deuteronomy 4:6 (הַזֶּה הַגָּדוֺל הַגּוֺי, said by heathen compare 4:7; 4:8) see also 4:34, 26:5 compare Psalm 33:12; 83:5 (said by enemies) Jeremiah 31:36; 33:24; Ezekiel 37:22; in narrative Joshua 3:17; 4:1; 5:8 (JE), 5:6 (D), 10:13 (in poetry, no article); of Israel and Judah as two nations Ezekiel 35:10 (said by heathen) 37:22; of Judah Isaiah 26:2, 15 (twice in verse); compare 58:2; 60:22; Micah 4:7; once my people Zephaniah 2:9 ("" עַם); thy people Psalm 106:5 (i.e. of ׳י), compare also Ezekiel 36:13-14, (read Kt); especially of Israel and (or) Judah as sinful, rebellious Deuteronomy 32:28; Judges 2:20; Isaiah 1:4; 10:6; Jeremiah 5:9, 29; 7:28; 9:8; 12:17; Ezekiel 2:3 (strike out ᵐ5 Co) Haggai 2:14; Malachi 3:9. — Note. This definite reference to Israel and (or) Judah is comparatively rare; in Hexateuch not P (yet see Genesis 17:4-5, 6, 16; 35:11 P); seldom in exile & post-exile prophets; not Chronicles —
c. usually of non-Hebrew peoples Exodus 9:24; 34:10 (JE) Leviticus 25:44 (H) Numbers 14:15 (J) Deuteronomy 15:6 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 5:11; 1 Chronicles 14:17; 16:20; Isaiah 11:10, 12 + often; opposed to Israel as י ׳עם 2 Samuel 7:23; 1 Chronicles 17:21 (twice in verse) etc., see עם, compare also Numbers 23:9; note especially הַגּוֺיִם גְּלִיל Isaiah 8:23 circle or district of the nations (see גָּלִיל); also הַגּ ׳חֲרשֶׁת Judges 4:2, 13, 16 Charosheth of the nations, & לְגִלְגָּ֖ל גּוֺיִם מֶלֶךְ Joshua 12:23 king of nations (peoples, tribes) belonging to Gilgal (ᵐ5 Di to the district, i.e 'Galilee'); especially of these peoples as heathen: idolatrous Leviticus 8:24, 28 (P) 20:23 (H) 1 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 17:8, 11, 15, 26, 29 (twice in verse); 2 Chronicles 28:3; 32:13 +, Ezra 6:21; Ezekiel 5:6 +; hostile Genesis 15:14 (J) Leviticus 26:33, 38, 45 (H) Deuteronomy 4:27; 9:4-5, 18:9; 1 Chronicles 16:35; Jeremiah 5:15; Ezekiel 4:13 +? Jeremiah Ezekiel, etc.; in simile 20:32; 25:8; sometimes "" עַם Psalm 33:10; 33:12; Isaiah 11:10; Jeremiah 6:18, see also Isaiah 2:2, 4 compare with Micah 4:1, 3.
2 figurative of swarm of locusts Joel 1:6; of all species of beasts Zephaniah 2:14.
3 גּוֺיִם Genesis 14:1, 9 probably mutilated proper name see below
גּוֺיִם proper name, of a people Genesis 14:1, 9, in phrase גּוֺיִם מֶלֶךְ תִּדְעָל Tid`al king of Goim; probably a Babylonian (Elamitic, etc.) name corrupted; H. Rawlinson proposes Gutî a people northeast of Babylonia COT on 14:1; also KGF258and elsewhere; compare also DlPa 233 f.
גול see גיל.