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# heathen

noun (heathens); adjective

«heathen» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (noun) Old use: a person who does not follow one of the main world religions, often one who worships other gods. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heathen/#m1)
2. (adjective) Relating to such people or their beliefs; old-fashioned and can sound rude. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heathen/#m2)

### In the lessons

old use, in old stories and fairy tales; in the lessons it names people in another land or in olden times who are not Christian or who worship other gods

### Examples

- The guests called him a heathen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heathen/#x1)
- The heathen king was generous. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heathen/#x2)
- They lived as heathens in the old days. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heathen/#x3)

### Note

nothing for maths

## In Jewish tradition

The nations around Israel who did not worship the God of Israel and served idols.

**Interpretation.** The tradition sees the heathen as the nations whose idol worship and cruel customs Israel was warned not to copy. Their attacks on Jerusalem and the Temple are mourned in the Psalms.

### Examples

- O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; they have defiled Thy holy temple; they have made Jerusalem into heaps. (Writings PSA.79.1, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/heathen/#x1)
- Also I said: 'The thing that ye do is not good; ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? (Writings NEH.5.9, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/heathen/#x2)
- Moreover he offered in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. (Writings 2CH.28.3, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/heathen/#x3)

### Note

nothing for maths

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «heathen» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heathen/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«heathen» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/heathen.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «heathen» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/heathen/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«heathen» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/heathen.html) on Mova free.