Multitudes of people feature prominently in the narrative parts of Scripture, particularly in the Gospels and Acts. The attitudes of the crowds to Jesus Christ throw light on his ministry, as do his attitudes to them. Passages gathered in the Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin H. Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
If only I had a traveler's lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.
accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head.
So the crowd went up and began asking Pilate to keep his custom. "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" Pilate asked. For he knew it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead. So Pilate asked them again, "What then do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?" And they shouted back, "Crucify Him!" "Why?" asked Pilate. "What evil has He done?" But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!" And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
These things come to mind as I pour out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise.
While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well.
Their violence has grown into a rod to punish their wickedness. None of them will remain: none of their multitude, none of their wealth, and nothing of value. The time has come; the day has arrived. Let the buyer not rejoice and the seller not mourn, for wrath is upon the whole multitude. The seller will surely not recover what he sold while both remain alive. For the vision concerning the whole multitude will not be revoked, and because of their iniquity, not one of them will preserve his life. They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one goes to war, for My wrath is upon the whole multitude.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable:
Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.
When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea.
In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
So Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, accompanied by a large crowd from Galilee, Judea,
When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," He said, "I command you to come out and never enter him again."
because his only daughter, who was about twelve, was dying. As Jesus went with him, the crowds pressed around Him,
Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Large crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them.
Then Levi hosted a great banquet for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors was there, along with others who were eating with them.
The crowd replied, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
Meanwhile, many people continued to testify that they had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead.
Many in the crowds were whispering about Him. Some said, "He is a good man." But others replied, "No, He deceives the people."
Once again Jesus went out beside the sea. All the people came to Him, and He taught them there.
The large crowds that followed Him came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed. The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all. Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?
After John's messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore. And He told them many things in parables, saying, "A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore. And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said, "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it.
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, "All of you, listen to Me and understand:
When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.
Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom.
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowds so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." "They do not need to go away," Jesus replied. "You give them something to eat." "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Bring them here to Me," Jesus said. And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About five thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.
By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But Jesus told them, "You give them something to eat." They asked Him, "Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?" "Go and see how many loaves you have," He told them. And after checking, they said, "Five—and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied,
As the day neared its end, the Twelve came to Jesus and said, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside for lodging and provisions. For we are in a desolate place here." But Jesus told them, "You give them something to eat." "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered, "unless we go and buy food for all these people." (There were about five thousand men.) He told His disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." They did so, and everyone was seated. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?" But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do. Philip answered, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece." One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?" "Have the people sit down," Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted."
Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way." The disciples replied, "Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?" "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish." And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. A total of four thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.
In those days the crowd once again became very large, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples to Him and said, "I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance." His disciples replied, "Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people?" "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well. The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me.
Jesus asked the crowd, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw?
When Jesus entered the house of the synagogue leader, He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd. "Go away," He told them. "The girl is not dead, but asleep." And they laughed at Him. After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
Since they were unable to get to Jesus through the crowd, they uncovered the roof above Him, made an opening, and lowered the paralytic on his mat.
but they could not find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.
After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.
But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.
So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man's ears. Then He spit and touched the man's tongue.
Someone in the crowd replied, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute.
The next day, when they came down from the mountain, Jesus was met by a large crowd. Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him. I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable."
When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea. A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet and pleaded with Him urgently, "My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him. And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse. When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she kept saying, "If only I touch His garments, I will be healed."
As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.
And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature.
Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by," they told him. So he called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and blessed are the breasts that nursed You!"
On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had spent a long time in this condition, He asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on my way, someone else goes in before me." Then Jesus told him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk." Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk. Now this happened on the Sabbath day,
I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me."
When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
David himself calls Him 'Lord.' So how can He be David's son?" And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.
Many in the crowd, however, believed in Him and said, "When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?"
The crowd standing there heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.
Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.
At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.
When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.
A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds replied, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood, " he said. "You bear the responsibility."
While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people.
While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, scribes, and elders.
While He was still speaking, a crowd arrived, led by the man called Judas, one of the Twelve. He approached Jesus to kiss Him.
And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language.
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words.
Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.
The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip's message and to the signs they saw him perform.
On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices in the Lycaonian language: "The gods have come down to us in human form!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting, "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In past generations, He let all nations go their own way. Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.
The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people. But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!" On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed. And they collected bond from Jason and the others, and then released them. As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him. Even some of Paul's friends who were officials of the province of Asia sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre. Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there. The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people. But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, "Men of Ephesus, doesn't everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?
When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place." For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple. The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.
The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!"
Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.
His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!
And I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of thunder, crying out: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.