Quick Definition
ὄχλος, ου, ὁ n.m. a crowd
Strong's Definition
from a derivative of 2192 (meaning a vehicle); a throng (as borne along); by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot
KJV Usage: company, multitude, number (of people), people, press
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m. | -ου | ὀχλέω
11.1 · Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes · General
crowd, multitude a casual non-membership group of people, fairly large in size and assembled for whatever purpose In a number of languages there is no term corresponding to ‘crowd.’ One may, however, usually speak of such a group of people as ‘many people’ or ‘many men and women.’ Depending on the context, it may besary to indicate some relative difference in size, for example, ‘very large crowd’ or ‘many, many people.’ If the crowd is relatively small, one may sometimes speak of ‘just some people.’
MAT 4:25 · MAT 5:1 · MAT 7:28 · MAT 8:1 · MAT 9:8 · MAT 9:23 · MAT 9:25 · MAT 9:33 · MAT 9:36 · MAT 11:7 · MAT 12:23 · MAT 12:46 · MAT 13:2 · MAT 13:2 · MAT 13:34 · MAT 13:36 · MAT 14:13 · MAT 14:14 · MAT 14:15 · MAT 14:19 · MAT 14:19 · MAT 14:22 · MAT 14:23 · MAT 15:10 · MAT 15:30 · MAT 15:31 · MAT 15:32 · MAT 15:33 · MAT 15:35 · MAT 15:36 · MAT 15:39 · MAT 17:14 · MAT 19:2 · MAT 20:29 · MAT 20:31 · MAT 21:8 · MAT 21:9 · MAT 21:11 · MAT 22:33 · MAT 23:1 · MAT 26:47 · MAT 26:55 · MAT 27:15 · MAT 27:20 · MAT 27:24 · MRK 2:4 · MRK 2:13 · MRK 3:9 · MRK 3:20 · MRK 3:32 · MRK 4:1 · MRK 4:1 · MRK 4:36 · MRK 5:21 · MRK 5:24 · MRK 5:27 · MRK 5:30 · MRK 5:31 · MRK 6:34 · MRK 6:45 · MRK 7:14 · MRK 7:17 · MRK 7:33 · MRK 8:1 · MRK 8:2 · MRK 8:6 · MRK 8:6 · MRK 8:34 · MRK 9:14 · MRK 9:15 · MRK 9:17 · MRK 9:25 · MRK 10:1 · MRK 10:46 · MRK 11:18 · MRK 11:32 · MRK 12:12 · MRK 12:37 · MRK 12:41 · MRK 14:43 · MRK 15:8 · MRK 15:11 · MRK 15:15 · LUK 3:7 · LUK 3:10 · LUK 4:42 · LUK 5:1 · LUK 5:3 · LUK 5:15 · LUK 5:19 · LUK 5:29 · LUK 6:17 · LUK 6:19 · LUK 7:9 · LUK 7:11 · LUK 7:12 · LUK 7:24 · LUK 8:4 · LUK 8:19 · LUK 8:40 · LUK 8:42 · LUK 8:45 · LUK 9:11 · LUK 9:12 · LUK 9:16 · LUK 9:18 · LUK 9:37 · LUK 9:38 · LUK 11:14 · LUK 11:27 · LUK 11:29 · LUK 12:1 · LUK 12:13 · LUK 12:54 · LUK 13:17 · LUK 14:25 · LUK 18:36 · LUK 19:3 · LUK 19:39 · LUK 22:6 · LUK 22:47 · LUK 23:48 · JHN 5:13 · JHN 6:2 · JHN 6:5 · JHN 6:22 · JHN 6:24 · JHN 7:12 · JHN 7:12 · JHN 7:20 · JHN 7:31 · JHN 7:32 · JHN 7:40 · JHN 7:43 · JHN 11:42 · JHN 12:9 · JHN 12:12 · JHN 12:17 · JHN 12:18 · JHN 12:29 · JHN 12:34 · ACT 1:15 · ACT 6:7 · ACT 8:6 · ACT 11:24 · ACT 11:26 · ACT 13:45 · ACT 14:11 · ACT 14:13 · ACT 14:14 · ACT 14:18 · ACT 14:19 · ACT 16:22 · ACT 17:8 · ACT 17:13 · ACT 19:26 · ACT 19:33 · ACT 19:35 · ACT 21:27 · ACT 21:34 · ACT 21:35 · ACT 24:12 · ACT 24:18 · REV 7:9 · REV 17:15 · REV 19:1 · REV 19:6
87.64 · Status · Low Status or Rank [including persons of low status]
common people, rabble the common people, in contrast with those who are rich, leaders, and/or authorities in the society, often with the implication of disdain and low esteem In a number of languages the equivalent of ‘the common people’ is ‘the poor people,’ but in some languages an equivalent depends upon geographical location, for example, ‘those who live on the edge of town’ (the opposite situation from what exists in most present-day metropolitan centers). In still other languages ‘the common people’ may be designated in terms of lack of status, for example, ‘those who have no position’ or ‘those whom the rich do not greet’ or ‘those before whom no one ever bows.’
MAT 14:5 · MAT 21:26 · MAT 21:46 · LUK 13:14 · LUK 23:4 · JHN 7:49
1 In this set of terms referring to a crowd or a multitude, it is possible that πλῆθος[b] denotes a somewhat larger group of persons than the other terms and that λαός[c] suggests a crowd made up of common people, but one cannot be certain of these distinctions from existing contexts.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ὄχλος, -ov, 6, in the N. T. only in the historical bks. and five times in the Rev.; asin Grk. writ. fr. Pind. and Aeschyl. down, a crowd, i. e. 1. a casual collection of people; a multitude of men who have flocked together in some place, a throng : Mt. ix. 23, 25; xv. 10, ete. ; Mk. ii. 4; iii. 9, and often; Lk. v. 1,19; vii. 9,ete.; Jn. v. 13; vi. 22, 24; vii. 20, 32,49, etc.; Actsxiv. 14; xvii. 8; xxi. 34; τὶς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου, Lk. xi. 27; xii. 13; or ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου, xix. 39; ix. 38; ἀπὸ (for 1. 6. on account of [ef. ἀπό, 11. 2b.]) τ. ὄχλου, Lk. xix. 3; ἡ βία τ. ὄχλου, Acts xxi. 35; πολὺς ὄχλος and much oftener ὄχλος πολύς, Mt. xiv. 14; xx. 29; xxvi.47; Mk. v. 21, 24; vi. 34; ix. 14; xiv. 43 [here T Tr WH om. L Tr mrg. br. oh. ]; Lk. vii. 11; viii. 4; ix.37; Jn. vi. 2,5; xii. 12 [but here Tr mrg. br. WH prefix 6; cf. B. 91 (80)]; Rev. xix. 1,6; with the art. ὁ πολὺς ὄχλ.» the great multitude present, Mk. xii. 37; [ὁ ὄχλος πολύς (the noun forming with the adj. a single composite term, like our) the common people, Jn. xii. 9 T WH Trmrg.; ef. B. u.s.; some would give the phrase the same sense in Mk. l.c.]; πάμπολυς, Mk. viii. 1 [Rec.]; ἱκανός, Mk. x. 46; Lk. vii. 12; Acts xi. 24, 26; xix. 26; ὁ πλεῖστος ὄχλ. [the most part of the multitude], Mt. xxi. 8; πᾶς ὁ ὄχλ., Mt. xiii. 2; Mk. ii. 13; iv. 1; vii. 14 [Rec.]; ix. 15; xi. 18; Lk. xiii. 17; Acts xxi. 27; ὄχλ. τοσοῦτος, Mt. xv. 33; αἱ μυριάδες τοῦ ὄχλ. Lk. xii. 1; οὐ μετὰ ὄχλου, ποῦ having a crowd with me, Acts xxiv. 18; ἄτερ ὄχλου, in the absence of the multitude [(see arep) ], Lk. xxii.6. plur. οἱ ὄχλοι, very often in Mt. and Lk., as Mt. v. 1; vii. 28; ix. 8, 33,36; xi. 7; xii. 46; xiii. 34, 36, ete. ; Lk. iii. 7, 10; iv. 42; v. 3; viii. 42, 45; ix. 11; xi. 14, ete.; Acts viii. 6; xiii. 45; xiv. 11,13, 18sq.; xvii. 13; once in Jn. vii. 12 [where Tdf. the sing.]; in Mk. only vi. 33 Rec. ; and without the art. Mk. x. 1; ὄχλοι πολλοί, Mt. iv. 25; viii. 1; xii.15 [RG]; xiii. 2; xv. 30; xix. 2; Lk. v. 15; xiv. 25; πάντες of ὄχλοι, Mt. xii. 23. 2. the multitude i. e. the common people, opp. to the rulers and leading men: Mt. xiv. 5; xxi. 26; Mk. xii.12; [Jn. vii. 12
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ὄχλος ochlos 175x
a crowd, a confused multitude of people, Mt. 4:25; 5:1; 7:28; spc. the common people, Jn. 7:49; a multitude, great number, Lk. 5:29; 6:17; Acts 1:15; by impl. tumult, uproar, Lk. 22:6; Acts 24:18
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ὄχλος, -ου, ὁ,
[in LXX for הָמוֹן (chiefly in Da TH), חַיִל, קָהָל, etc.;]
a moving crowd or multitude of persons, a throng: Mt 9:23, Mk 2:4, Lk 5:1, Jo 5:13, al.; pl., Mt 5:1, Mk 10:1, Lk 3:7, and freq.; ὄ. ἱκανός, Mk 10:46, al.; τοσοῦτος, Mt 15:33; οὐ μετ’ ὄχλου, Ac 24:18; ἄτερ ὄχλου, Lk 22:6; πᾶς ὁ ὄ., Mt 13:2, Mk 2:13, al.; ὄ. πολύς (π. ὄ), Mt 20:29, Mk 5:21, al.; ὁ πολὺς ὄ. (ὄ. π.), the populace, the common people, Mk 12:37 (Swete, in l.; Field, Notes, 37), Jo 12:9 (Westc, in l.).
(As also cl., opp. to δῆμος, q.v., and cf. Tr., Syn., § xcviii), the populace, the common people (cf. ὁ πολὺς ὄ., supr.), Mt 14:5 21:26, Mk 12:12, Jo 7:12b; so with contempt (cl.), Jo 7:49. In a more general sense, a multitude: c. gen., ὀνομάτων (v.s. ὀ.), Ac 1:15; μαθητῶν, Lk 6:17, al.
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ὄχλος. In P Petr II. 4 (6)!® (B.c. 255-4) an official complains that on his way to work he had been hustled, and that, if care is not taken, he will be assaulted—8ivdv γάρ ἐστιν ἐν ὄχλωι ἀτιμάζεσθαι, ‘for it is a dreadful thing to be insulted before a crowd” (Ed.), and in 26. 4.51}. 23 (B.c. 246) ἄλλος ὄχ[λος ἐστεφ]ανωμένος is distinguished from various officials. A striking parallel to Mk 15%® (noted by the editor) is afforded by P Flor I. 618 (A.D. 85) (= Chest. II. p. 89), where the Egyptian Governor addresses a certain Phibion, who had been tried before him, in the words—&g.os μ[ὲ]ν ἧς μαστιγωθῆναι. . . χαρίζομαι δέ σε τοῖς ὄχλοις, ‘you deserved to be scourged, but I hand you over to the multitude.” [Note the use of ὄχλος in the plur., as frequently in Mt (e.g. 42°), with apparently the same meaning as the sing.] A Gnostic charm of iti/iv A.D., P Oxy XII. 1478, contains the invocation—8bs νείκην ὁλοκληρίαν σ᾿ «τ: αδίου καὶ ὄχλου τῷ προκειμένῳ Σαραπάμμωνι, “grant victory and safety in the race-course and the crowd to the aforesaid Sarapammon” (Edd.). We hear of συναγωγαὶ ὄχλων in OGTS 38315 (mid. i/B.c.), and the sing. is used of a ‘‘ mass”’ of soldiers in Sy// 318 (= *%700)*8 (B.c. 117) συνεπελθόντος per αὐτῶν Tora tay Μαίδων δυνάστου μετ᾽ ὄχλ[ου π]λείovos, cf. OG/S κ4419 (ii/A.p.) ἐν τῆι τῶν ὄχλων παρόδωι (with Dittenberger’s note). > , ὀχύρωμα. We are unable to illustrate from our sources the metaphorical meaning which this word has on its only occurrence in the NT (2 Cor 104), but for the original force of “ stronghold,’’ “‘prison’’ (as in Gen 39%°), cf. P Petr II. 13(3)? oe (B.C, 258-53) τὸ πρὸς νότον [τ]οῦ ὀχυρώματος, ‘the wall to the south of the prison,” P Strass II. $54 (B.c. 113) ἀπὸ τῆς ἐντὸς τοῦ ὀχυρώματος οἰκίας ὠικοδομημένης, and OG/S 45514 (B.c. 39). For ὀχύρωσις see P Lille I. 374 (after B.c. 241-0) εἰς ὀχύρωσιν. The verb is found in the Petrie papyri of strengthening the dykes in view of the rise of the Nile, e.g. IL. 9(1)® (B.c. 241-39) τοῦ yap ποταμοῦ πρὸς πόντα τὰ χώματα προσβαίνοντίος τὰ π]άντα ὀχ[υρῶσ]αι δεῖ: cf. ΟΟ175 οοὔδ (the Rosetta stone—B.C. 196) τὰ πεδία κατέσχεν ἐκ πολλῶν τόπων ὀχυρώσας τὰ στόματα τῶν ποταμῶν (“canals”).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ὄχλος (ochlos) — crowd. ὄχλος, ὁ, crowd, throng, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ ὄ. τῶν στρατιωτῶν the mass of the soldiers, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὄχλῳ in numbers (for an army), [Refs]; οἱ τοιοῦτοι ὄ. undisciplined masses like these,[Refs 2nd c.AD+]; of the camp-followers, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. in political sense, populace, mob, opposed to δῆμος (people), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δικαστηρίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὄ. and popular assemblies (in a contemptuous sense), [Refs 5th c.BC+] this is already in the mouths of the people, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
3. generally, mass, multitude, ὄ. τὸν πλεῖστον λόγων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἵππων ὄ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: in plural, the masses, καχεξία τις ὑποδέδυκε τοὺς ὄχλους [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II. annoyance, trouble, σχολὴν ὄ. τε μέτριον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὄχλον παρέχειν to give trouble, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δι᾽ ὄχλου εἶναι, γενέσθαι, to be or become troublesome, [Refs 5th c.BC+]