Gentile

Gentile is an anglicized version of the Latin word gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe. In some translations of the Bible it is used to refer to non-Israelite tribes or nations, as the English translation of the Hebrew words goy (גוי) and nochri (נכרי—"stranger"). The Hebrew plural word goyim is sometimes translated as "the nations." Today, the primary meaning of Gentile is simply a "non-Jew."

Etymology

In the Hebrew Bible the terms "goy" and "goyim" were sometimes applied both to Israelites and to non-Israelites (Gen. 12:2, Ex. 33:10; Deut. 4:7 etc.). However, they are employed in many other passages to designate nations that are politically distinct from Israel (Deut. 15:6, Josh. 23:4, etc.). From this use is derived the meaning "stranger" (Deut. 29:24). Since the non-Israelites were worships of other gods, goy came to denote a "heathen."

The Latin term gentilis relates to gens (from which also derive gene, general, genus, and genesis). The original meaning of "clan" or "family" was extended in post-Augustan Latin to the wider meaning of belonging to a distinct nation or ethnicity. Later still the word came to mean "foreign," i.e. non-Roman. After the Christianization of the empire it could also be used of pagan or barbarian cultures. In Saint Jerome's Latin version of the Bible, the Vulgate, gentilis was used in this wider sense to translate both Greek and Hebrew words with similar meanings that referred to the non-Israelite peoples.

In the King James Version, "Gentile" is one of several words used to translate goy or goyim. It is translated as "nation" 374 times, "heathen" 143 times, "Gentiles" 30 times, and "people" 11 times. In the New Testament, the word translates Greek terms for peoples in general, and is used specifically to indicate non-Jewish peoples, as in Jesus's command to the apostles in Matthew 10:5-6:

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."

Altogether, the word Gentile(s) is used 123 times in the King James Version of the Bible.

Biblical attitude

The ancient biblical writers displayed a passionate intolerance toward the immorality connected with the goyim. The Canaanite tribes in particular constituted a constant temptation for the Israelites to engage in forbidden idolatrous practices. Because of this, the seven "goyim," i.e., the Gentile nations of Canaan (Deut. 7:1), were to be treated with little mercy. More especially, marriages with them were not to be tolerated (Deut. 7:3, Ex. 34:16). Nevertheless, some biblical books do mention marriages with non-Hebrews (Ruth 1:4, 2 Sam. 3:3, Judges 3:6, 2 Sam. 11:3, I Kings 11: 1). This shows that in practice, intermarriage was not uncommon.

Despite this hostility to foreign influence, the "stranger," whether merely a visitor or a foreign resident, received protection under the Law. The native-born Israelite was enjoined to love him (Lev. 19:34): "The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself." Recourse to the courts was open to him (Ex. 22:21, Deut. 24:17), and "one law and one statute" was to apply to native and stranger alike (Lev. 24:22, Num. 9:14, Ex. 12:49). However, the stranger was expected to refrain from the worship of idols (Lev. 20:2, Ezek. 14:7), from eating blood (Lev. 17:10), working on Sabbath (Ex. 20:10), and eating leavened bread on Passover (Ex. 12:19). In practice, however, the kings of Judah provided altars for resident foreigners to venerate non-Israelite deities, a fact much criticized by the prophets and authors of the Deuteronomic history.

In some cases, non-Israelites figure as exemplars of fidelity (Abraham's servent Eliezer), devotion (Ruth), piety (Job), and worship of Yahweh (Jethro). The Book of Isaiah's welcome and promise to the "sons of the stranger" (Isa. 56:3-6) displays the polar opposite of the spirit of exclusiveness often thought to be characteristic of Judaism.

Under Ezra and Nehemiah, on the other hand, rigorous measures were enforced to insure the purity of the seed of Abraham (Neh. 9:2, Ezra 9:2, etc.), namely the requirement of Jewish men to divorce their Gentile wives. However, this attitude was balanced by the teachings of the Book of Ruth, which shows that a Gentile woman was the great-grandmother of none other than King David, and the Book of Jonah, which shows God's compassionate providence for the citizen of the Gentile city of Nineveh.

Judaism's maturing attitude to Gentiles

In pre-exilic times commerce between Israelites and Gentiles was not very active or extensive, and non-Israelites such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians often appeared as enemies. The Babylonian exile brought "Israel" into closer contact with "non-Israel." The books of Ruth and Jonah are also documentary evidence that the Hebrew racialism of Ezra met with strenuous opposition.

The rise of Alexander the Great brought Judaism of the Second Temple era into more direct confrontation with Greek culture as a sometimes antagonistic force. The Maccabean revolution represented a bitter struggle against militant Hellenism. Occasional persecution under various Roman administrations intensified this antagonism. The Essenes, especially in the War Scroll, saw the Romans as enemy kittim against whom the Son of Light would fight in the Last Day.

In New Testament times, a lively and sometimes heated debate over relations with Gentiles was conducted between the disciples of the Pharisaic sages Hillel and Shammai, the former taking a more liberal view toward commerce with non-Jews and the later taking the stricter attitude. The Jewish teacher Jesus of Nazareth himself seems to have sided with Hillel for the most part in this debate. Jesus' dialog with the "expert in the Law" in Luke 10 typifies this debate. Here, Jesus and the halakhic authority agree that "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" are the two most important commandments in the Torah. The crucial question followed: "Who is my neighbor?"

The early Christian movement—still at this time basically a Jewish sect—would soon face a major crisis over the question of relations with Gentiles, when Paul of Tarsus insisted that Gentiles be admitted to full membership without first converting to Judaism. Soon, Judaism and Christianity would part ways altogether.

Meanwhile, increasing Roman persecution resulted in the ascendancy of those rabbinical authorities who took a hard line against commerce with Gentiles. Later, Jewish revolts under the emperors Titus and Hadrian intensified the sense of antagonism between Jews and non-Jews.

Early Talmudic views of Gentiles

In judging the later halakic laws one must keep in mind the situation of the Jews, who were engaged in a bitter struggle for self-preservation and suffering from persecution. According to Rabbi Eliezer, the maxim "Love and benevolence exalteth a nation" refers to Israel, while whatever charity the Gentiles practice is actually motivated by self-glorification. Several other tannaim agree. But Rabbi Neḥunya ben ha-Ḳana interprets the maxim as follows: "Righteousness exalteth a nation, for benevolence both for Israel and for the Gentiles is a sin-offering."

Gamaliel II is reported to have repealed an obnoxious law allowing Jews to use property stolen from Gentiles. Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, however, held that the mind of every non-Jew is always intent upon idolatry (Giṭ. 45b) and that Gentiles have no share in the life to come (Sanh. 105a).

On the contrary, Joshua ben Hananiah contends that there are righteous men among the Gentiles, and that these will enter the world to come (Tosef., Sanh. 13:2). He is of the decided opinion that Gentiles may lead a righteous life and thus escape hell.

Akiva, like Hillel, declared the command to love one's neighbor as oneself (Lev. 19:18) to be the fundamental proposition of religion (Yer. Ned. 41c; Gen. R. 24). However, among Akiva's disciples, Tarphon is noted for his antipathy to the Jewish Christians, whose books he would burn without regard for the name of God occurring within them (Shab. 116a).

Rabbi Meir show a particularly inclusive attitude when he insisted that a non-Jew versed in the Torah equals in rank the high priest (Sanh. 59a, Sifra 86b). He was also an intimate acquantance with the Gentile philosopher Euonymos of Gadara.

Simon ben Yochai, on the other hand, was the preeminently the anti-Gentile teacher. He is infamously quoted as declaring (Yer. Ḳid. 66c; Massek. Soferim xv. 10, etc), "The best among the Gentiles deserves to be killed." Judah ben 'Illai recommends the daily recital of the benediction, "Blessed be Thou... who hast not made me a goy" (Men. 43b).

Judah ha-Nasi on the other hand, makes a distinction between those Gentiles that subjected Israel those that did not.

In one instance a Gentile had the benefit of the technical term "neighbor," and it was declared that his property was private. The Law provides that an Israelite employed in his neighbor's vineyard or grain-field is allowed to pick there as much as he can eat while working (Deut. xxiii. 25-26). But since the employer in this case was a Gentile (i.e., not a "neighbor"), the Israelite was forbidden to eat anything without permission (B. M. 87b). As regards the property of this Gentile perhaps his title to it was not disputed, and it was therefore considered just as sacred as that of a Jew.

Discriminations against Gentiles, while strictly in accordance with the just law of reciprocity and retaliation, were nevertheless seldom practiced. The principal drawback was the fear of "profaning the Holy Name" (). Consequently it was necessary to overlook legal quibbles which might appear unjust in the eyes of the world, and which would reflect on the good name and integrity of the Jewish nation and its religion. Another point to be considered was the preservation, "for the sake of peace" ("mi-pene darke shalom"), of the friendly relations between Jew and Gentile, and the avoidance of enmity (Ab. Zarah 26a; B. Ḳ. 113b).

A Gentile woman was not allowed to suckle a Jewish babe, save in the presence of Jews. Even so it was feared that the Gentile nurse might poison the child (ib. 25a). As a retaliative measure, or for fear of accusation, the Rabbis forbade Jewish midwives and nurses to engage themselves in Gentile families, unless offered a fee for the service or to avoid enmity (ib.). The same rule applied to physicians (Maimonides, "Yad," 'Akkum, ix. 16).

It would naturally be quite unsafe to trust a Gentile as a witness, either in a criminal case or in a civil suit. He could not be depended upon to keep his promise or word of honor like a Jew (Bek. 13b). The Talmud comments on the untruthfulness of Gentiles and contrasts it with the reputation of a Jew: "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth" (Zeph. iii. 13).

Also excluded as a "neighbor" was the Gentile in whose trust property was left with all prescribed provisions (Ex. xxii. 6-14). The Torah does not discriminate against the testimony of a Gentile, save when he is held to be a robber; when it is thought that he has no intention of perjuring himself he is believed (Mordecai, Annotations to Rosh Giṭ. 10). Hence documents and deeds prepared by Gentile notaries in their courts are admitted as valid evidence (Giṭ. i. 4). R. Simeon even validates a Jewish writ of divorce signed by a Gentile notary (ib.). A Gentile's testimony to a man's death, incidentally related as a matter of fact, he being unaware that his evidence is wanted, is held sufficient to release a woman from her marriage bond and to permit her to marry again (Giṭ. 28b; Shulḥan 'Aruk, Eben ha-'Ezer, 17, 14; see 'Agunah).

Present Status of the Gentile

With the conversion of the Gentile to Christianity or to Islam, the heathen and pagan of the civilized or semi-civilized world has become almost extinct, and the restrictions placed on the ancient Gentile are not applicable to the Gentile of the present day, except in so far as to consider him a Noachian observing all moral laws, in contradistinction to the Jew, who as one of the chosen people observes in addition the Mosaic laws.

That the laws against the Gentile as a barbarian were not entirely expunged from the rabbinic literature after the advent of Christianity, was due to the persecutions and the barbaric treatment of the Jews in the Middle Ages. The gradual decrease of animosity may, however, be noted by comparing the various codes and collections of responsa. For example, that a Jewish physician should be forbidden to offer his services to a Gentile was contrary to the general practise of the Jews in the Middle Ages. Maimonides himself became the physician of Sultan Saladin in Egypt. The prohibition against the employment of a Gentile nurse or midwife "except a Jewess stands by her" was modified by an eminent authority with "so long as there is a Jew living in that town who is liable to come into the house" (Moses of Coucy, "Semag," § 45). That no such distinction exists anywhere nowadays is an acknowledged fact, proving conclusively that the Rabbis regulate their decisions in accordance with the spirit of the Jewish law.

Latter-day Saints Church usage

Main article Mormonism and Judaism.

In the terminology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church"; see also Mormon) the word Gentile takes on different meanings in different contexts, which may confuse some and alienate others. Members of the LDS church regard themselves as regathered Israelites, and so sometimes use the word "Gentile" to refer to non-members. In such usage Jews may be colloquially referred to as "Gentiles" because they are not members of the LDS Church. However, the traditional meaning is also to be found in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, in the statement that it is written to both "Jew" (literal descendants of the House of Israel) and "Gentile" (those not descended from the House of Israel or those of the tribe of Ephraim scattered among the "Gentiles" throughout the earth).

In order to avoid confrontation and pejorative connotations, Latter-day Saints in the 21st century avoid using the term "Gentile" in everyday matters, preferring "non-member." "Gentile" is usually reserved for discussions of scriptural passages.

See also

• Goy
• Israelite
• B'nei Noah

External links

• Jewish Encyclopedia: Gentile. Retrieved December 10, 2007.

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