Original Word: ὄχλος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: ochlos
Pronunciation: OKH-los
Phonetic Spelling: (okh'los)
Definition: Crowd, multitude, throng
Meaning: a crowd, mob, the common people.

Word Origin: Derived from a primary word (meaning a vehicle); akin to ἔχω (echō, Strong's 2192), meaning "to have" or "to hold."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often used in the Old Testament for a similar concept is קָהָל (qahal, Strong's 6951), meaning assembly or congregation.

Usage: The Greek word "ochlos" is used in the New Testament to denote a large group of people, often gathered together in a public setting. It can refer to a crowd that is either neutral or has a specific intent, such as following Jesus, seeking healing, or even opposing Him. The term is frequently used in the Gospels to describe the masses that followed Jesus during His ministry, highlighting both their curiosity and need, as well as their occasional misunderstanding of His mission.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the first-century Greco-Roman world, large crowds were common in public spaces such as marketplaces, synagogues, and during festivals. The presence of a crowd often indicated significant events or public figures. In the context of Jesus' ministry, crowds gathered due to His reputation as a healer and teacher. The dynamics of these gatherings were complex, as they included a mix of genuine seekers, skeptics, and those with political or religious agendas.

3793 óxlos – a crowd (throng). The singular ("crowd"/oxlos) is used about three times more frequently than the plural ("crowds"/oxloi). The singular and plural should be distinguished in translation because they each express distinct nuances.

[Of the 174 NT examples of 3793 (óxlos),118 are singular and 56 are plural. Of the 118, "63 are in an oblique case, 55 in nominative singular. Of these 55 there are 44 with singular verb and 11 with plural verb. When oxlos is subsequently referred to in narrative or by some speaker, the reference is always in the plural, whether verb or pronoun autois, etc., except Rev 7:9 where proximity is probably the cause of the singular. That also is the only passage where the relative is used" (R, 1390).]

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a crowd, multitude, the common people
NASB Translation
crowd (87), crowds (47), gathering (1), many (1), mob (1), multitude (3), multitudes (1), number of people (1), numbers (2), people (27), riot* (1).

STRONGS NT 3793: ὄχλος

ὄχλος, ὄχλου, ὁ, in the N. T. only in the historical books and five times in the book of Revelation; as in Greek writings from Pindar and Aeschylus down, a crowd, i. e.

1. a casual collection of people; a multitude of men who have flocked together in some place, a throng: Matthew 9:23, 25; Matthew 15:10, etc.; Mark 2:4; Mark 3:9, and often; Luke 5:1, 19; Luke 7:9, etc.; John 5:13; John 6:22, 24; John 7:20, 32, 49, etc.; Acts 14:14; Acts 17:8; Acts 21:34; τίς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου, Luke 11:27; Luke 12:13; or ἀπό τοῦ ὄχλου, ; ἀπό (for i. e. on account of (cf. ἀπό, II. 2 b.)) τοῦ ὄχλου, Luke 19:3; ἡ βία τοῦ ὄχλου, Acts 21:35; πολύς ὄχλος and much more often ὄχλος πολύς, Matthew 14:14; Matthew 20:29; Matthew 26:47; Mark 5:21, 24; Mark 6:34; Mark 9:14; Mark 14:43 (here T Tr WH omit; L Tr marginal reading brackets πολύς); Luke 7:11; Luke 8:4; Luke 9:37; John 6:2, 5; John 12:12 (but here Tr marginal reading brackets WH prefix ὁ; cf. Buttmann, 91 (80)); Revelation 19:1, 6; with the article ὁ πολύς ὄχλος, the great multitude present, Mark 12:37; (ὁ ὄχλος πολύς (the noun forming with the adjective a single composite term, like our) the common people, John 12:9 T WH Tr marginal reading; cf. Buttmann, as above; some would give the phrase the same sense in Mark, the passage cited); πάμπολυς, Mark 8:1 (Rec.); ἱκανός, Mark 10:46; Luke 7:12; Acts 11:24, 26; Acts 19:26; ὁ ... πλεῖστος ὄχλος (the most part of the multitude), Matthew 21:8; πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος, Matthew 13:2; Mark 2:13; Mark 4:1; Mark 7:14 (Rec.); ; Luke 13:17; Acts 21:27; ὄχλον τοσοῦτον, Matthew 15:33; αἱ μυριάδες τοῦ ὄχλου Luke 12:1; οὐ μετά ὄχλου, not having a crowd with me, Acts 24:18; ἄτερ ὄχλου, in the absence of the multitude ((see ἄτερ)), Luke 22:6. plural οἱ ὄχλοι, very often in Matt. and Luke, as Matthew 5:1; Matthew 7:28; Matthew 9:8, 33, 36; Matthew 11:7; Matthew 12:46; Matthew 13:34, 36, etc.; Luke 3:7, 10; Luke 4:42; Luke 5:3; Luke 8:42, 45; Luke 9:11; Luke 11:14, etc.; Acts 8:6; Acts 13:45; Acts 14:11, 13, 18; Acts 17:13; once in John 7:12 (where Tdf. the singular); in Mark only Rec.; and without the article Mark 10:1; ὄχλοι πολλοί, Matthew 4:25; Matthew 8:1; Matthew 12:15 (R G); ; Luke 5:15; Luke 14:25; πάντες οἱ ὄχλοι, Matthew 12:23.

2. the multitude, i. e. the common people, opposed to the rulers and leading men: Matthew 14:5; Matthew 21:26; Mark 12:12; (John 7:12b (provided the plural is retained in the first part of the verse)); with contempt, "the ignorant multitude, the populace, John 7:49; ἐπισύστασις ὄχλου, a riot, a mob, Acts 24:12 (L T Tr WH ἐπίστασιν (which see) ὄχλου).

3. universally, a multitude: with a genitive of the class, as τελωνῶν, Luke 5:29; μαθητῶν, Luke 6:17; ὀνομάτων (see ὄνομα, 3), Acts 1:15; τῶν ἱερέων, Acts 6:7; the plural ὄχλοι, joined with λαοί and ἔθνη, in Revelation 17:15 seems to designate troops of men assembled together without order. (The Sept. chiefly for הָמון.)

multitude, crowd

From a derivative of echo (meaning a vehicle); a throng (as borne along); by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot -- company, multitude, number (of people), people, press.

see GREEK echo

οχλοι όχλοι ὄχλοι οχλοις όχλοις ὄχλοις οχλον όχλον ὄχλον οχλος όχλος ὄχλος οχλου όχλου ὄχλου οχλους όχλους ὄχλους οχλω όχλω ὄχλῳ οχλων όχλων ὄχλων οχυρά οχυραί οχυραίς οχυράν οχυράς οχυροίς οχυρόν οχυρών οχυρώση ωχυρωμένη ωχύρωσεν ochlo ochlō ochloi óchloi óchlōi ochlois óchlois ochlon ochlōn óchlon óchlōn ochlos óchlos ochlou óchlou ochlous óchlousInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts