Heathen

Heathen (Hebrew plural goyim) originally designated "nations" or "peoples" in a general sense — all the peoples of the earth, including Israel (Genesis 12:2; 18:18). Over the course of Israel's history, the term became more specifically applied to the non-Israelite nations who did not worship the LORD, and carried connotations of idolatry, moral impurity, and separation from the covenant. The Mosaic law repeatedly warns Israel not to walk in the statutes of the heathen (Leviticus 20:23; 26:14), and the prophets condemned Israel when they adopted heathen practices.

The Old Testament's ultimate vision, however, was not the permanent exclusion of the heathen but their inclusion in God's covenant purposes: Abraham was to be a father of many nations, and "in thee shall all nations (goyim) be blessed" (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; Galatians 3:8). The prophets looked forward to a day when the heathen nations would stream to Zion (Isaiah 2:2–4; Micah 4:1–3) and worship the God of Israel. Paul quotes these passages extensively in Romans 15 to ground his mission to the Gentiles in the purposes of God declared in the Old Testament, and Peter's vision in Acts 10 dramatically demonstrated that the heathen were not to be called "unclean" any longer (Acts 10:28).