In the context of the Bible, the concept of population is intricately linked to God's command to humanity, His covenant promises, and the unfolding of His divine plan throughout history. The Bible provides insights into the growth, movement, and significance of populations from the earliest chapters of Genesis to the prophetic visions in Revelation.

Creation and the Mandate to Multiply

The idea of population begins with the creation narrative. In Genesis 1:28 , God blesses Adam and Eve, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it." This divine mandate establishes the foundation for human population growth as part of God's design for creation. The command to multiply is reiterated to Noah and his sons after the flood in Genesis 9:1 : "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth."

The Patriarchs and God's Promises

Population growth is also a key element in God's covenant with the patriarchs. To Abraham, God promises numerous descendants, likening them to the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17). This promise is central to the Abrahamic covenant and is reiterated to Isaac and Jacob, emphasizing the importance of population in the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel.

Israel's Growth in Egypt

The book of Exodus highlights the rapid population growth of the Israelites in Egypt, which becomes a source of concern for Pharaoh. Exodus 1:7 states, "But the Israelites were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and became exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them." This growth sets the stage for the subsequent oppression and eventual deliverance of the Israelites, demonstrating how population dynamics can influence historical and divine events.

Census and Organization

The Bible records several instances of census-taking, reflecting the importance of population data for organizational and military purposes. In Numbers 1, God commands Moses to take a census of the Israelite men able to serve in the army. This census serves both practical and theological purposes, as it underscores God's provision and the fulfillment of His promises to multiply the descendants of Abraham.

Prophetic Visions and Eschatological Populations

In prophetic literature, population themes often appear in visions of future restoration and judgment. The prophets speak of a time when the population of Israel will be restored and multiplied. For instance, Jeremiah 30:19 declares, "From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will multiply them, and they will not be decreased; I will honor them, and they will not be belittled."

The New Testament and the Spread of the Gospel

In the New Testament, the concept of population takes on a spiritual dimension with the Great Commission. Jesus commands His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), emphasizing the expansion of the spiritual population of God's kingdom. The early church's growth, as recorded in Acts, reflects the fulfillment of this commission and the spread of the gospel to diverse populations.

Eschatological Fulfillment

The book of Revelation presents a vision of a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne of God (Revelation 7:9). This imagery highlights the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for a redeemed population, united in worship and service to Him.

Throughout the Bible, population is not merely a demographic concern but a theological theme that underscores God's sovereignty, faithfulness, and redemptive purposes for humanity.1. (n.) The act or process of populating; multiplication of inhabitants.

2. (n.) The whole number of people, or inhabitants, in a country, or portion of a country; as, a population of ten millions.

2415. Hierosolumites -- an inhabitant of Jer.
... Cognate: 2415 (-, a masculine noun) -- (the population of Jerusalem). 2415 () is
only used twice in the NT. Word Origin from Hierosoluma Definition an inhab. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2415.htm - 7k

1553. ekdemeo -- to be away from home, absent
... 1553 (from 1537 , " and " and 1218 , "a population, people") -- properly,
out from home, ie with the of being ("away from home"). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1553.htm - 7k

6520. perazon -- perhaps rural population
... 6519, 6520. perazon. 6521 . perhaps rural population. Transliteration: perazon
Phonetic Spelling: (per-aw-zone') Short Definition: peasantry. ...
/hebrew/6520.htm - 6k

1546. galuth -- an exile
... Word Origin from galah Definition an exile NASB Word Usage captives (1), exile
(5), exiles (8), population (2). they that are carried away captives. ...
/hebrew/1546.htm - 6k

4186. moshab -- a seat, assembly, dwelling place, dwelling ...
... from yashab; a seat; figuratively, a site; abstractly, a session; by extension an
abode (the place or the time); by implication, population -- assembly, dwell ...
/hebrew/4186.htm - 6k

1995. hamon -- a sound, murmur, roar, crowd, abundance
... commotion (2), great quantity (1), horde (2), hordes (14), many (3), multitude
(31), multitudes (2), noise (2), people (1), populated (1), population (1), roar ...
/hebrew/1995.htm - 6k

120. adam -- man, mankind
... 9), men (104), men of low degree* (1), men's (3), men* (4), mortal (1), one (3),
people (1), person (5), person* (1), persons (3), population (1), someone (1). ...
/hebrew/120.htm - 6k

A Group of Miracles among a Semi-Heathen Population
... CHAPTER XXXIV. A GROUP OF MIRACLES AMONG A SEMI-HEATHEN POPULATION. (Matthew
15:29-31; Mark 7 31-37; Mark 8:22-26; Matthew 11:27-31.) ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxxiv a group of.htm

Introduction
... Its population could never have been great, and though cities and villages were
crowded together on the plains and in the valleys, and perched at times on ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/introduction.htm

The Reformation in Hungary and the Confession of Czenger.
... country on the banks of the lower Danube, once an independent kingdom, then united
with the empire of Austria, and containing a mixed population of Magyars ...
/.../ 75 the reformation in.htm

Some Preliminary Definitions
... A more practical definition, then, of a "community" would be "That aggregation of
population which is bound together by a predominating proportion of its local ...
/.../church cooperation in community life/chapter i some preliminary definitions.htm

A Corps Commander
... The business man finds that the hustle, the high rent, floating population and the
keen competition of the city necessitates extraordinary care and daring to ...
/.../carpenter/the angel adjutant of twice born men/v a corps commander.htm

Further Refutation of the Pythagorean Theory. The State of ...
... We find, however, in the records of the Antiquities of Man, [1713] that the human
race has progressed with a gradual growth of population, either occupying ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter xxx further refutation of the.htm

Jews.
... says:" "The statistics of the Jewish population are among the most singular
circumstances of this most singular of all people. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/jews 2.htm

Roman Catholics.
... They form, it is stated, more than three fourths of the population of the Canadas. ...
The population of Canada, in 1840, was at least one million. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/roman catholics 2.htm

The Syrian Enrollment in 8 Bc
... Other considerations, also, prove that some attempt was made in Syria, whether
systematically or sporadically, to number the population Such enumerations can ...
/.../ramsay/was christ born in bethlehem/chapter 8 the syrian enrollment.htm

Spanish Conquest-The Propagation, Decay, and Downfall of Spanish ...
... priests and of soldiers were received from Mexico; by the end of ten years baptisms
were reported to the number of eight thousand; the entire population of the ...
/.../chapter ii spanish conquest-the propagation.htm

Population (11 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The whole number of people, or inhabitants, in a country, or portion of
a country; as, a population of ten millions. ...Population (11 Occurrences). ...
/p/population.htm - 9k

Lystra (6 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A town of Lycaonia, in Asia Minor, in a wild
district and among a rude population. Here Paul preached ...
/l/lystra.htm - 14k

Ethiopia (26 Occurrences)
... e-thi-o'-pi-a (kush; Aithiopia): 1. Location, Extent and Population: Critically
speaking Ethiopia may refer only to the Nile valley above the First Cataract ...
/e/ethiopia.htm - 45k

Zoan (7 Occurrences)
... zo'-an (tso`an; Tanis): 1. situation 2. Old Testament Notices 3. Early History 4.
Hyksos Monuments 5. Hyksos Population 6. Hyksos Age 7. Description of Site 1 ...
/z/zoan.htm - 17k

Syrians (63 Occurrences)
... The earliest layer of Semitic population was the Amorite which was found in Syria
when the first Babylonian empire extended its authority over the land. ...
/s/syrians.htm - 37k

Trachonitis (1 Occurrence)
... Leja', "the refuge" or "asylum." It lies in the midst of an arable and pastoral
country; and although it could never have supported a large population, it has ...
/t/trachonitis.htm - 13k

Elamites (2 Occurrences)
... Contents 1. Geographical Position and Names 2. Surface Configuration 3. Mountain
Ranges 4. Rivers 5. Climate 6. Vegetation 7. Fauna 8. The Population 9. The ...
/e/elamites.htm - 39k

Elam (24 Occurrences)
... Contents 1. Geographical Position and Names 2. Surface Configuration 3. Mountain
Ranges 4. Rivers 5. Climate 6. Vegetation 7. Fauna 8. The Population 9. The ...
/e/elam.htm - 48k

Canaan (102 Occurrences)
... Our first knowledge of its population dates from the neolithic period. The neolithic
inhabitants of Gezer were of short stature (about 5 ft. ...
/c/canaan.htm - 64k

Antioch (21 Occurrences)
... battle of Actium. A Roman element was added to its population, and several
of the emperors contributed to its adornment. Already a ...
/a/antioch.htm - 27k

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