The Nations
The term 'Nations' and the term 'World' (when referring to people) have very similar meanings.
These terms generally refer to all peoples but particularly 'the unsaved' especially when used in contrast to God's people (the Children of Israel in the Old Testament and the Born Again Believers in the New Testament)
The word 'World' appears 55 times in the Old Testament compared to 206 times in the New Testament
The word 'Nations' appears 521 times in the Old Testament compared to 39 times in the New Testament
In the Old Testament, the term 'Nations' referred to Peoples other than Israel (ie not Jews) and the Term 'World' refers to all peoples (or the planet or universe that they live in)
In the New Testament, the term 'Nations' usually refers to all peoples, (particularly the unsaved) and the term 'World' usually refers to those who are not of God
In the Old Testament, God's chosen people were the Jews and all peoples on Earth were meant to be blessed through them. (Genesis 12:2-3) In the New Testament (since the death and resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ), God's Chosen people are taken from every nation, tribe and language. (Revelation 7:9-14)
The 'Nations' are therefore like the 'Field' (Matthew 13:37-43) or the 'World' where God sows his seed. God's kingdom is a subset of these people as not all will be saved. (Matthew 13:11-23)
See World
New Testament
Matthew 12:18 Matthew 12:21 Matthew 24:9 Matthew 24:14 Matthew 24:30 Matthew 25:32 Matthew 28:19 Mark 11:17 Mark 13:10 Luke 21:24 Luke 21:25 Luke 24:47 Acts 4:25 Acts 7:45 Acts 13:19 Acts 14:16 Romans 4:17 Romans 4:18 Romans 15:12 Romans 16:26 Galatians 3:8 1 Timothy 3:16 James 1:1
Revelation 2:26 Revelation 10:11 Revelation 11:18 Revelation 12:5 Revelation 14:8 Revelation 15:4 Revelation 16:19 Revelation 17:15 Revelation 18:3 Revelation 18:23 Revelation 19:15 Revelation 20:3 Revelation 20:8 Revelation 21:24 Revelation 21:26 Revelation 22:2
Old Testament
Genesis 10:5 Genesis 10:20 Genesis 10:31 Genesis 10:32 Genesis 17:4 Genesis 17:5 Genesis 17:6 Genesis 17:16 Genesis 18:18 Genesis 22:18 Genesis 25:23 Genesis 26:4 Genesis 27:29 Genesis 35:11 Genesis 48:19 Genesis 49:10 Exodus 15:14 Exodus 19:5 Exodus 34:24 Leviticus 18:24 Leviticus 18:28 Leviticus 20:23 Leviticus 20:24 Leviticus 20:26 Leviticus 25:44 Leviticus 26:33
Leviticus 26:38 Leviticus 26:45 Numbers 14:15 Numbers 23:9 Numbers 24:8 Numbers 24:20 Deuteronomy 2:25 Deuteronomy 4:6 Deuteronomy 4:19 Deuteronomy 4:27 Deuteronomy 4:38 Deuteronomy 7:1 Deuteronomy 7:17 Deuteronomy 7:22 Deuteronomy 8:20 Deuteronomy 9:1 Deuteronomy 9:4 Deuteronomy 9:5 Deuteronomy 10:15 Deuteronomy 11:23 Deuteronomy 12:2
Deuteronomy 12:29 Deuteronomy 12:30 Deuteronomy 15:6 Deuteronomy 17:14 Deuteronomy 18:9 Deuteronomy 18:12 Deuteronomy 18:14 Deuteronomy 19:1 Deuteronomy 20:15 Deuteronomy 20:16 Deuteronomy 26:19 Deuteronomy 28:1 Deuteronomy 28:12 Deuteronomy 28:37 Deuteronomy 28:64 Deuteronomy 28:65 Deuteronomy 29:18 Deuteronomy 29:24 Deuteronomy 30:1
Deuteronomy 30:3 Deuteronomy 31:3 Deuteronomy 32:8 Deuteronomy 32:43 Deuteronomy 33:17 Joshua 23:3 Joshua 23:4 Joshua 23:7 Joshua 23:9 Joshua 23:12 Joshua 23:13 Joshua 24:17 Joshua 24:18 Judges 2:21 Judges 2:23 Judges 3:1 1 Samuel 8:5 1 Samuel 8:20 2 Samuel 7:23 2 Samuel 8:11 2 Samuel 22:44 2 Samuel 22:48 2 Samuel 22:50 1 Kings 4:31 1 Kings 4:34
1 Kings 8:53 1 Kings 11:2 1 Kings 14:24 2 Kings 16:3 2 Kings 17:8 2 Kings 17:11 2 Kings 17:15 2 Kings 17:33 2 Kings 19:12 2 Kings 19:17 2 Kings 21:2 2 Kings 21:9 1 Chronicles 14:17 1 Chronicles 16:8 1 Chronicles 16:24 1 Chronicles 16:26 1 Chronicles 16:28 1 Chronicles 16:31 1 Chronicles 16:35 1 Chronicles 17:21 1 Chronicles 18:11 1 Chronicles 22:5 2 Chronicles 20:6
2 Chronicles 28:3 2 Chronicles 32:13 2 Chronicles 32:14 2 Chronicles 32:23 2 Chronicles 33:2 2 Chronicles 33:9 2 Chronicles 36:14 Nehemiah 1:8 Nehemiah 5:17 Nehemiah 6:6 Nehemiah 6:16 Nehemiah 9:22 Nehemiah 13:26 Job 12:23 Job 36:31 Psalms 2:1 Psalms 2:8 Psalms 9:5 Psalms 9:11 Psalms 9:15 Psalms 9:17 Psalms 9:19 Psalms 9:20 Psalms 10:16 Psalms 18:43 Psalms 18:47
Psalms 18:49 Psalms 22:27 Psalms 22:28 Psalms 33:10 Psalms 44:2 Psalms 44:11 Psalms 44:14 Psalms 45:5 Psalms 45:17 Psalms 46:6 Psalms 46:10 Psalms 47:1 Psalms 47:3 Psalms 47:8 Psalms 47:9 Psalms 56:7 Psalms 57:9 Psalms 59:5 Psalms 59:8 Psalms 65:7 Psalms 66:7 Psalms 67:2 Psalms 67:4 Psalms 68:30 Psalms 72:11 Psalms 72:17 Psalms 78:55 Psalms 79:1 Psalms 79:6
Psalms 79:10 Psalms 80:8 Psalms 82:8 Psalms 86:9 Psalms 89:50 Psalms 94:10 Psalms 96:3 Psalms 96:5 Psalms 96:7 Psalms 96:10 Psalms 98:2 Psalms 99:1 Psalms 99:2 Psalms 102:15 Psalms 105:1 Psalms 105:44 Psalms 106:27 Psalms 106:35 Psalms 106:41 Psalms 106:47 Psalms 108:3 Psalms 110:6 Psalms 111:6 Psalms 113:4 Psalms 115:2 Psalms 117:1 Psalms 118:10 Psalms 126:2
Psalms 135:10 Psalms 135:15 Psalms 148:11 Psalms 149:7 Proverbs 24:24 Isaiah 2:2 Isaiah 2:4 Isaiah 5:26 Isaiah 8:9 Isaiah 10:7 Isaiah 10:13 Isaiah 10:14 Isaiah 11:10 Isaiah 11:12 Isaiah 12:4 Isaiah 13:4 Isaiah 14:2 Isaiah 14:6 Isaiah 14:9 Isaiah 14:12 Isaiah 14:18 Isaiah 14:26 Isaiah 16:8 Isaiah 17:12 Isaiah 23:3 Isaiah 24:13 Isaiah 25:3 Isaiah 25:7 Isaiah 29:7 Isaiah 29:8
Isaiah 30:28 Isaiah 33:3 Isaiah 33:4 Isaiah 34:1 Isaiah 34:2 Isaiah 37:12 Isaiah 40:15 Isaiah 40:17 Isaiah 41:1 Isaiah 41:2 Isaiah 42:1 Isaiah 43:9 Isaiah 45:1 Isaiah 45:20 Isaiah 49:1 Isaiah 51:4 Isaiah 51:5 Isaiah 52:10 Isaiah 52:15 Isaiah 54:3 Isaiah 55:5 Isaiah 56:7 Isaiah 60:3 Isaiah 60:5 Isaiah 60:11 Isaiah 60:16 Isaiah 61:6 Isaiah 61:9 Isaiah 61:11 Isaiah 62:2
Isaiah 62:10 Isaiah 63:3 Isaiah 63:6 Isaiah 64:2 Isaiah 66:12 Isaiah 66:18 Isaiah 66:19 Isaiah 66:20 Jeremiah 1:5 Jeremiah 1:10 Jeremiah 3:17 Jeremiah 4:2 Jeremiah 4:7 Jeremiah 4:16 Jeremiah 6:18 Jeremiah 9:16 Jeremiah 9:26 Jeremiah 10:2 Jeremiah 10:7 Jeremiah 10:10 Jeremiah 10:25 Jeremiah 14:22 Jeremiah 16:19 Jeremiah 18:13 Jeremiah 22:8 Jeremiah 25:9
Jeremiah 25:11 Jeremiah 25:13 Jeremiah 25:14 Jeremiah 25:15 Jeremiah 25:17 Jeremiah 25:31 Jeremiah 26:6 Jeremiah 27:7 Jeremiah 28:11 Jeremiah 28:14 Jeremiah 29:14 Jeremiah 29:18 Jeremiah 30:11 Jeremiah 31:7 Jeremiah 31:10 Jeremiah 33:9 Jeremiah 36:2 Jeremiah 43:5 Jeremiah 44:8 Jeremiah 46:1 Jeremiah 46:12 Jeremiah 46:28 Jeremiah 49:14 Jeremiah 49:15
Jeremiah 50:2 Jeremiah 50:9 Jeremiah 50:12 Jeremiah 50:23 Jeremiah 50:46 Jeremiah 51:7 Jeremiah 51:20 Jeremiah 51:27 Jeremiah 51:28 Jeremiah 51:41 Jeremiah 51:44 Jeremiah 51:58 Lamentations 1:1 Lamentations 1:3 Lamentations 1:10 Lamentations 2:9 Lamentations 3:45 Lamentations 4:15 Lamentations 4:20 Ezekiel 4:13 Ezekiel 5:5 Ezekiel 5:6 Ezekiel 5:7 Ezekiel 5:8
Ezekiel 5:14 Ezekiel 5:15 Ezekiel 6:8 Ezekiel 6:9 Ezekiel 7:24 Ezekiel 11:12 Ezekiel 11:16 Ezekiel 11:17 Ezekiel 12:15 Ezekiel 12:16 Ezekiel 16:14 Ezekiel 19:4 Ezekiel 19:8 Ezekiel 20:9 Ezekiel 20:14 Ezekiel 20:22 Ezekiel 20:23 Ezekiel 20:32 Ezekiel 20:34 Ezekiel 20:35 Ezekiel 20:41 Ezekiel 22:4 Ezekiel 22:15 Ezekiel 22:16 Ezekiel 23:30 Ezekiel 25:7 Ezekiel 25:8
Ezekiel 25:10 Ezekiel 26:2 Ezekiel 26:3 Ezekiel 26:5 Ezekiel 27:33 Ezekiel 27:36 Ezekiel 28:7 Ezekiel 28:19 Ezekiel 28:25 Ezekiel 29:12 Ezekiel 29:13 Ezekiel 29:15 Ezekiel 30:3 Ezekiel 30:11 Ezekiel 30:23 Ezekiel 30:26 Ezekiel 31:6 Ezekiel 31:11 Ezekiel 31:12 Ezekiel 31:16 Ezekiel 31:17 Ezekiel 32:2 Ezekiel 32:9 Ezekiel 32:12 Ezekiel 32:16 Ezekiel 32:18 Ezekiel 34:13
Ezekiel 34:28 Ezekiel 34:29 Ezekiel 35:10 Ezekiel 36:3 Ezekiel 36:4 Ezekiel 36:5 Ezekiel 36:6 Ezekiel 36:7 Ezekiel 36:15 Ezekiel 36:19 Ezekiel 36:20 Ezekiel 36:21 Ezekiel 36:22 Ezekiel 36:23 Ezekiel 36:24 Ezekiel 36:30 Ezekiel 36:36 Ezekiel 37:21 Ezekiel 37:22 Ezekiel 37:28 Ezekiel 38:6 Ezekiel 38:8 Ezekiel 38:9 Ezekiel 38:12 Ezekiel 38:15 Ezekiel 38:16 Ezekiel 38:22
Ezekiel 38:23 Ezekiel 39:4 Ezekiel 39:7 Ezekiel 39:21 Ezekiel 39:23 Ezekiel 39:27 Ezekiel 39:28 Daniel 3:4 Daniel 3:7 Daniel 4:1 Daniel 5:19 Daniel 6:25 Daniel 7:14 Daniel 12:1 Hosea 7:8 Hosea 8:8 Hosea 8:10 Hosea 9:1 Hosea 9:17 Hosea 10:10 Joel 2:6 Joel 2:17 Joel 2:19 Joel 3:2 Joel 3:9 Joel 3:11 Joel 3:12 Amos 9:9 Amos 9:12 Obadiah 1:1 Obadiah 1:2 Obadiah 1:15
Obadiah 1:16 Micah 4:2 Micah 4:3 Micah 4:5 Micah 4:11 Micah 4:13 Micah 5:8 Micah 5:15 Micah 6:16 Micah 7:16 Nahum 3:4 Nahum 3:5 Habakkuk 1:5 Habakkuk 1:17 Habakkuk 2:5 Habakkuk 2:8 Habakkuk 2:13 Habakkuk 3:6 Habakkuk 3:12 Zephaniah 2:11 Zephaniah 3:6 Zephaniah 3:8 Haggai 2:7 Zechariah 1:15 Zechariah 1:21 Zechariah 2:8 Zechariah 2:11 Zechariah 7:14 Zechariah 8:13
Zechariah 8:22 Zechariah 8:23 Zechariah 9:10 Zechariah 11:10 Zechariah 12:3 Zechariah 12:4 Zechariah 12:9 Zechariah 14:2 Zechariah 14:3 Zechariah 14:12 Zechariah 14:14 Zechariah 14:16 Zechariah 14:18 Zechariah 14:19 Malachi 1:11 Malachi 1:14 Malachi 3:12