Nations in rev 20:3
ἔθνος, -ους, τό;
1. a
multitude (whether of men or of beasts)
associated or living together; a company, troop, swarm: ἔθνος ἑταίρων, ἔθνος Ἀχαιῶν, ἔθνος λαῶν, Hom. Il.; ἔθνος μελισσάων, 2, 87; μυιάων ἔθνεα, ib. 469.
2. a
multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus, (τὸ ἔθνος τὸ θῆλυ ἢ τὸ ἄρρεν, Xen. oec. 7, 26): πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων, the human race, Acts 17:26 [but this seems to belong under the next head].
3.
race, nation: Mt. 21:43; Acts 10:35, etc.; ἔθνος ἐπὶ ἔθνος, Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; οἱ ἄρχοντες, οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν, Mt. 20:25; Lk. 22:25; used [in the sing.] of the Jewish people, Lk. 7:5; 23:2; Jn. 11:48, 50–53; 18:35; Acts 10:22; 24:2 (3), 10; 26:4; 28:19.
4. (τὰ
ἔθνη, like הַגוֹיִם in the
O. T., foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles, [cf. Trench § xcviii.]: Mt. 4:15 (Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν
, 6:32; [3 Jn. 7 R G; cf. Rev. 15:3 G L T Tr WH mrg. after Jn. 10:7],
and very often; in plain contradistinction to the Jews: Ro. 3:29: 9:24; [1 Co. 1:23 G L T Tr WH]; Gal. 2:8, etc.; ὁ λαὸς (τοῦ θεοῦ, Jews) καὶ τὰ ἔθνη, Lk. 2:32; Acts 26:17, 23; Ro. 15:10.
5.
Paul uses τὰ ἔθνη even of Gentile Christians: Ro. 11:13; 15:27; 16:4; Gal. 2:12 (opp. vs. 13 to οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι i. e. Jewish Christians), vs. 14; Eph. 3:1, cf. 4:17 [W. § 59, 4 a.; B. 130 (114)].
Thayer, J. H. (1889). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm's Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti (168). New York: Harper & Brothers.
ἔθνος, εος, τό, (ἔθω
a
number of people accustomed to live together, a company, body of men, Il., etc.; ἔθνος λαῶν a host of men, Ib.; also of animals,
swarms, flocks, Ib., Soph.
2. after Hom., a
nation, people, Hdt., etc.:—in N.T. τὰ ἔθνη
the nations, Gentiles, i.e. all but Jews and Christians.
3. a
special class of men, a caste, tribe, Plat., Xen.
4. sex, Id.
Liddell, H. (1996). A lexicon : Abridged from Liddell and Scott's Greek-English lexicon (226). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
So which "nations" is john speaking of in rev 20: Nations could mean many things