Jack Pelham

You’ll see roughly 60 English translations of Hebrews 9:27 below. I have listed them below for your examination. Here are our questions, with my brief answers:

Q: Four of these translations specify “only once” or “but once”, but does the Greek have the equivalent of a “but” or an “only”? in this verse?
A: No. Here’s BlueLetterBible’s interlinear. Note that you won’t find any “but” or “only” here. You can also double check the verse at Mounce’s Reverse Interlinear here.

Q: Isn’t this verse, even without the “only” or “but”, a rule that humans only die one time, and that a judgment follows that death?
A: Logically speaking, that’s going too far. The rule that says “It is appointed for each student to take PE once before graduation” is not the same as the rule that says, “No student shall take PE more than once.” Similarly, the rule, “It is appointed for each incumbent to be audited once during his or her term of office” is not the same as the rule, “It is appointed that no incumbent shall be audited more than once during his or her term in office.”

Many have supposed Hebrews 9:27 to be giving a rule that includes this part: “No human shall die more than once.” If that were a rule, it would have consequential implications for certain eschatological questions, such as “What happened to the boy that Elijah raised from the dead ― was he supposed to go on living until the Second Coming of Jesus?” But if Hebrews 9:27 contains no such rule, then there’s no requirement (as far as I have read in scripture) that someone could not die twice. Is this me telling you that this boy died twice? No! We are not told what did happen to him afterward. Nor are we told what must or should have happened to him afterward, except that he was to face judgment. And we can wonder at whether he faced judgment immediately after he died. Did Elijah raise him back to life so fast that there was no time for the boy’s soul to face God for judgment? And if that had happened, would that break the rule about the judgment part? Or would the rule still be true if the judgment had been delayed until, say, after he died again a second time ― or until the Second Coming? I suppose it would still be true, as long as he was (eventually) judged.

I must admit before that I was biased early on in my church life by hearing this verse discussed as if the Greek said “only once” or “but once”. This programmed me to think that I had an argument when it says “…once to die”, that I really had a point in saying, “Aha! It says once to die, and not more than that.” But I can see now that the verse didn’t make it its job to point out every detail about how death works. In other words, it says that the “once” is mandatory, but it neither implies nor demands that it could not happen more than once. Clearly, someone (such as myself), could read that into the verse, but that would be Jack’s idea, and not the writer’s idea, for the driver makes no such statement, and the context doesn’t demand such an extremely strict reading, either. I could be hard-headed about it, of course ― and many do ― but there’s no responsible way to keep insisting that more than once is disallowed.

A Preterist might have an easy time with Lazarus, and reason simply that Lazarus would have remained alive until Jesus came back to get him in 70AD. And I could not rule that out. But with the widow’s son, raised back to life by Elijah in 900 BC, roughly, would be quite old by the time of Jesus’ Second Coming, whether that happened in 70AD, as the Preterist would think, or whether it hasn’t happened yet to this day, as a Futurist would believe.

I have done much writing on the difficult mass resurrection of Matthew 27:51-53, and in many places, I have argued Hebrews 9:27 as an “only once” rule. I regret this, and will be careful to correct those arguments, wherever I can find them in print.

Here are the English verses.

__________________________________________

KJ21
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the Judgment,

ASV
And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment;

AMP
And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment,

AMPC
And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment,

BRG
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

CSB
And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—

CEB
People are destined to die once and then face judgment.

CJB
Just as human beings have to die once, but after this comes judgment,

CEV
We die only once, and then we are judged.

DARBY
And forasmuch as it is the portion of men once to die, and after this judgment;

DLNT
And just as it is destined for people to die once and after this comes the judgment,

DRA
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment:

ERV
Everyone must die once. Then they are judged.

EASY
Every person must die once. After death, God will judge each person.

EHV
And, just as it is appointed for people to die only once and after this comes the judgment,

ESV
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

ESVUK
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement,

EXB
Just as ·everyone [L people] ·must [is/are destined/appointed to] die once and ·then be judged [T after this the judgment],

GNV
And as it is appointed unto men that they shall once die, and after that cometh the judgment:

GW
People die once, and after that they are judged.

GNT
Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.

HCSB
And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—

ICB
Everyone must die once. After a person dies, he is judged.

ISV
Indeed, just as people are destined to die once and after that to be judged,

JUB
And as it is appointed unto men to die once, and after this the judgment;

KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

AKJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

LSB
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

LEB
And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this, judgment,

TLB
And just as it is destined that men die only once, and after that comes judgment,

MSG
Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ’s death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation.

MEV
As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment,

MOUNCE
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that to experience judgment,

NOG
People die once, and after that they are judged.

NABRE
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment,

NASB
And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment,

NASB1995
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

NCB
And just as human beings are destined to die but once, and after that to face judgment,
NCV

Just as everyone must die once and then be judged,

NET
And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment,

NIRV
People have to die once. After that, God will judge them.

NIV
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

NIVUK
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

NKJV
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

NLV
It is in the plan that all men die once. After that, they will stand before God and be judged.

NLT
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

NMB
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and then comes the judgment,

NRSVA
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement,

NRSVACE
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement,

NRSVCE
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment,

NRSVUE
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once and after that the judgment,

NTFE
Furthermore, just as it is laid down that humans have to die once, and after that comes judgment,

OJB
And in as much as it is appointed for men to die once and after this HaMishpat [Yom HaDin],

RGT
And as much as it has been appointed to man that he shall die once (and after that comes the Judgment),

RSV
And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment,

RSVCE
And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment,

TLV
And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this judgment,

VOICE
Just as mortals are appointed to die once and then to experience a judgment,

WEB
Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,

WE
People must die, and after that they will be judged.

WYC
And as it is ordained to men, once to die, but after this is the doom,

YLT
and as it is laid up to men once to die, and after this — judgment,

In my reading, I ran across a reference to one’s life being “weighed in a balance”, so I thought I’d search to see how much language of this sort there is in the ancient literature. This post, therefore, is a work in progress, and I will add to it as I discover other such references. I include in the scriptures below not only what the Bible documents say about it, but anything else I could find in the writings of the ancient Hebrew Culture (before AD 100).

1 Samuel 2:3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

Job 31:6 let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless—

Psalm 62:9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

Proverbs 16:2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.

Proverbs 21:2 A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Proverbs 24:12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Daniel 5:27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.
NOTE: There are several passages about people or their hearts being weighed down — as with age, for example. I did not include them in this list. But this one has them weighed down with sins, which makes me wonder if this is not a passage about emotional well-being, but about reaching a state in which one would fail the judgment if he were judged at that time..

1 Enoch 41:1 And after that I saw all the secrets of the heavens, and how the kingdom is divided, and how the actions of men are weighed in the balance.

1 Enoch 43:1 And I saw other lightnings and the stars of heaven, and I saw how He called them all by their names and they hearkened unto Him. 2. And I saw how they are weighed in a righteous balance according to their proportions of light: (I saw) the width of their spaces and the day of their appearing, and how their revolution produces lightning: and (I saw) their revolution according to the number of the angels, and (how) they keep faith with each other.

1 Enoch 60:12 And the chambers of the winds, and how the winds are divided, and how they are weighed, and (how) the portals of the winds are reckoned, each according to the power of the wind, and the power of the lights of the moon, and according to the power that is fitting: and the divisions of the stars according to their names, and how all the divisions are divided.

1 Enoch 61:8 And the Lord of Spirits placed the Elect one on the throne of glory.
And he shall judge all the works of the holy above in the heaven,
And in the balance shall their deeds be weighed

2 Esdras 3:34. Now therefore weigh in a balance our iniquities and those of the inhabitants of the world; and it will be found which way the turn of the scale will incline. 35. When have the inhabitants of the earth not sinned in your sight? Or what nation has kept your commandments so well? 36. You may indeed find individuals who have kept your commandments, but nations you will not find.”

Apocalypse of Zephaniah 8:6 Now, moreover, my sons, this is the trial because it is necessary that the good and the evil be weighed in a balance.
NOTE: Here is the most specific reference to the good deeds being weighed against the bad. This could possibly be in view in this passage:
2 Corinthians 5:For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Bible mentions several covenants, but by far, the two most important are the ones we know as the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. How well do you understand the differences and similarities between these two? Take the 14-question quiz below, and see what I think are the correct answers thereafter.

1. In which covenant, Old or New, were curses promised for the disobedient?
2. In which covenant is God depicted as a loving God?
3. In which covenant were they required to “circumcise” their hearts?
4. In which covenant is God depicted as a stern God?
5. In which covenant were they required to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength?
6. In which covenant were they required to correct/rebuke their fellow believers?
7. In which covenant were they required to obey God’s commands?
8. In which covenant were they required to judge without partiality?
9. In which covenant were they required to be holy?
10. In which covenant were they required to seek God wholeheartedly?
11. In which covenant were they required to stop sinning?
12. In which covenant were they required to love their neighbors as themselves?
13. In which covenant were they required to learn the scriptures?
14. In which covenant were blessings promised for the obedient?

The Answers

Contrary to how so many view the covenants, I believe that the same answer applies to each of the 14 questions above. It is “both“.

Let me demonstrate. Here’s the list above, each with two passages of scripture in support, one from the Old Testament, and one from the New:

1. Q: In which covenant, Old or New, were curses promised for the disobedient?
   A: Both.
   OT: Deuteronomy 28:15 However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:
   NT: 1 Corinthians 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!
   
2. Q: In which covenant is God depicted as a loving God?
   A: Both.
   OT: Exodus 15:13 In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.
   NT: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
   
3. Q: In which covenant were they required to “circumcise” their hearts?
   A: Both.
   OT: Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.
   NT: Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
   
4. Q: In which covenant is God depicted as a stern God?
   A: Both.
   OT: Proverbs 15:10 Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die.
   NT: Romans 11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
   
5. Q: In which covenant were they required to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength?
   A: Both.
   OT: Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
   NT: Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
   
6. Q: In which covenant were they required to correct/rebuke their fellow believers?
   A: Both.
   OT: Leviticus 19:17 Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.
   NT: Matthew 18:15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
   
7. Q: In which covenant were they required to obey God’s commands?
   A: Both.
   OT: Exodus 12:24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.
   NT: Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...
   
8. Q: In which covenant were they required to judge without partiality?
   A: Both.
   OT: Leviticus 19:Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
   NT: James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
   
9. Q: In which covenant were they required to be holy?
   A: Both.
   OT: Leviticus 11:44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy….
   NT: Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
   
10. Q: In which covenant were they required to seek God wholeheartedly?
    A: Both.
    OT: Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.
    NT: Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…
    
11. Q: In which covenant were they required to stop sinning?
    A: Both.
    OT: Exodus 20:20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
    NT: 1 Corinthians 15:34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning;
    
12. Q: In which covenant were they required to love their neighbors as themselves?
    A: Both.
    OT: Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
    NT: Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
    
13. Q: In which covenant were they required to learn the scriptures?
    A: Both.
    OT: Deuteronomy 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
    NT: Romans 15:14 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
    
14. Q: In which covenant were blessings promised for the obedient?
    A: Both.
    OT: Deuteronomy 11:26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — ²⁷ the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; ²⁸ the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God
    NT: Luke 11:28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
    

Some Parting Thoughts about the Covenants

So much more could be pointed out about the covenants and how they are similar. Also, much could be pointed out about how they differ. My main reason for wanting to highlight these similarities is that there seems to be a vast misconception today about the two covenants ― something along these lines: “The Old Covenant is harsh and stern, while the New Covenant is loving and gentle.” To maintain this view, however, one has to disregard a lot of scripture! That’s why I want people to see the passages above, regarding what these two covenants have in common.

If these things were widely understood, it would surely have a profound effect on the churches!

What can be figured out about how “many” people were raised from the dead here?:

ESV Matthew 27:50  And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

This article aims to track down the “semantic range” of the word “many” (πολύς in the Greek, and polys when spelled with our Latin/English letters). That is: What is the range of all that it could mean, based on the what is known about the word from its use elsewhere? I’ll demonstrate in the article below these quick facts:

1. πολύς / polys is a relative term, quite like our English word, “many”. That is to say, 10 people would be “many” to have in your kitchen, but not “many” to have in a stadium.
2. The meaning of πολύς / polys seems to be reliant upon the context it’s used in, as if it means something like, “a lot for whatever we’re talking about”.
3. πολύς / polys is a very common Koine Greek word. In its various forms, it was used over 300 times in the New Testament writings, and over 500 times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament writings. (See study links below.)
4. What range of numbers was it used to describe? It was used to describe smaller numbers (such as “many” people in a house), and larger numbers, such as, for example: 1) a herd of 2,000 pigs, 2) the entire set of people for whom Jesus sacrificed himself; 3) the entire set of holy angels: ” “…ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands”. (At the end of this short article, I’ll display several dozen excerpts of its usage for your convenience, so that you can give the matter some deep consideration for yourself.)

Our Challenge

Had Matthew written that there were, say, 8 people brought back to life that day, there would be no need for this article at all, for there would be no mystery in the number itself. What would remain then would be the mysteries of “What was going on here?” and “Why was this resurrection event necessary?” and “What did this have to do with Jesus’ own resurrection on the same day?” Similarly, had Matthew told us that the number was 81,324 people (which number I just made up), we would also be relieved of needing to know the actual number, but would be faced with questions as to whether the number was significant: “Does the number 81,324 have some symbolic significance? Is it used elsewhere in the scriptures to mean something?” And with either number, the 8 or the 81,324, we’d be smart to wonder whether it had ever been prophesied about in advance.

But we didn’t get a number from Matthew; we got the very common word πολύς/polys/many. And that word is always used relative to the context. For this study, I read all 331 New Testament verses where it occurs, and about half of the 515 Old Testament verses where it occurs. (Go here and scroll down for the New Testament Verses. And go here and scroll down for the Old Testament Verses.)

Some Questions for Pondering and Study

These are the kinds of things I think we should be wondering when it comes to this passage and the way πολύς/polys/many is used here:

1. If no actual number is given in Matthew 27:51-53, are there any other indications in this passage (or in others) as to the scope of the number raised?
2. Are there any logical reasons to place boundaries on what the number might have been? For example, we can reason that it must have been more than one since:
   1) Matthew writes in the plural, and since
   2) πολύς/polys/many never refers to just one.
   Or similarly, we could reason by simple logic that: the number of holy people raised could could not exceed the number of holy people that were dead at that time — whatever number that might have been. Is there more that could be deduced like this?
3. Are there any allusions to this event in the rest of the New Testament writings? For example, might this be a case of that?: ESV Romans 8:29b …in order that he [Jesus] might be the firstborn among many brothers.
4. Was this event ever prophesied in advance? And if it were, might the Ezekiel 37 “Dry Bones” prophecy be a case of that?

I argued in my 2021 article, Jesus’ Resurrection Day Was a Bigger Day than You May Realize!, that the Matthew 27 resurrection event makes sense as the literal fulfillment of the Ezekiel 37 Dry Bones prophecy. I still find this hypothesis compelling. And in discussing it with many over the last four years, I have been disappointed to see how few are willing to give the idea a fair hearing. Instead, many are quick to hand-wave it away in various ways, such as what follows:

Some Dubious Reasoning

I’ve been studying and discussing this mass resurrection for several years now, and have noted several ill-reasoned or non-reasoned assumptions that seem to be popular. I don’t intend to comment on what’s below, except to say that good logic does not demand these conclusions, however popular they may be:

1. “This event must have been just an auxiliary miracle, generally adding heavenly witness to the miracle of Jesus’ own resurrection.”
2. “This must have been just a few people who were raised, or the story would have been told by more than just Matthew.”
3. “Those raised must have been the recently-deceased, as in the examples of those Jesus raised in the gospel accounts.”
4. “This event cannot be the fulfillment of Ezekiel 37’s Dry Bones Prophecy because we all know that that is just an allegory for the spiritual reawakening of Israel.”
5. “The mass resurrection of Matthew 27 cannot have been a literal fulfillment of the Dry Bones prophecy because: 1) If that had been fulfilled, the Bible writers would have told us this was the fulfillment. 2) Those “raised” in Ezekiel 37 were “an exceedingly great army”, and if the Matthew 27 event had been that large, we’d have been told about it specifically.
6. Gotquestions.org agrees with me that the Matthew 27 event is the fulfillment of the Ezekiel 37 prophecy, but surprisingly goes on to say it was a “few” who were raised. This contradicts the use of πολύς/polys/many in Matthew 27, and it completely ignores the mention of “an exceedingly great army” in Ezekiel 37:10 and of “the whole house of Israel” in 37:11. Without making any argument in support of the “few” assertion, Gotquestions.org says (emphasis added):
   “The raising of a few and not all of the saints shows that Jesus has power to resurrect, but also points forward to the second coming and judgment of Jesus Christ, which will include all those whose names are written in the Book Life by faith in the grace of God.”

Conclusion

So, how “many” were raised that day? I think I’ve demonstrated above (and below) that the “semantic range” of πολύς/polys/many does not rule out a very large number. So we’d have to ask ourselves: If we were standing in Jerusalem that day, looking across all the tombs in the city, and were to hear a prediction that “many” people would rise from those tombs in a few minutes, just what would we expect to see (provided we took the prediction to heart)? Would we think 3 to be a proper fulfillment of that? Or if it turned out to be 3,000, would we find that number inconsistent with πολύς/polys/many ?

I’m not suggesting that I know the number. I don’t even have one in mind. I’m content to go with “the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:10-11). I take this to mean all those whom God had considered faithful. (That is “spiritual Israel” as some call it, as opposed to those who were Jews merely physically.) But it takes some faith to think it this way, because “the whole house of Israel” was not entombed in Jerusalem; they were scattered across the nations on the Earth. And while the Matthew account only mentions those who were raised in Jerusalem, “the whole house of Israel” could possibly suggest that there was a mass resurrection among the faithful dead all across the Earth that day.

Can I prove that the Matthew 27 event is the same as the Ezekiel 37 event? No, but I think I make a strong case for it here, in my 2021 article: Jesus’ Resurrection Day was a Bigger Event than You May Realize. Sadly, however, so many believers seem to be trained to view the Bible as a collection of isolated incidents, only some of which are important to the overall story. They don’t tend to read with a view toward figuring out how each part of it fits into the whole, and what this might have to do with that. Rather, they endure the less obvious passages impatiently, in hopes of getting to something that is entertaining or otherwise useful as a stand-alone passage. So, while the Dry Bones prophecy makes for an entertaining Sunday School song, they don’t go looking for how that fits into the larger scheme of the Bible’s grand story.

What follows are some experts from where πολύς/polys/many is used (in its various word forms) in the Bible. In most instances, you’ll see a hyperlink for the verse details at BlueLetterBible.org. You’ll also see a Strong’s Number hyperlink just after the English word that was translated from the Greek.

New Testament

Matthew 27:52
καὶ πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἁγίων
and many bodies of the having-been-sleeping holy ones

(The form of the word above is polla (written in Latin/English letters), where the basic word itself is polys.

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many ^G4183 there be which go in thereat:

Mat 7:22 Many ^G4183 will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many ^G4183 wonderful works?

Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many ^G4183 shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many ^G4183 swine feeding.

Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many ^G4183 prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Mat 19:30 But many ^G4183 that are first shall be last; and th

Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ^G4183e last shall be first.

Mat 22:14 For many ^G4183 are called, but few are chosen.

Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many ^G4183 for the remission of sins.

Mark 5:⁸ For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” ⁹ And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. ¹¹ Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, ¹² and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” ¹³ So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ^G4183

Mar 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. ^G4183

Mar 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much ^G4183 people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. ^G4183

Mar 10:31 But many ^G4183 that are first shall be last; and the last first.

Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ^G4183

Mar 13:6 For many ^G4183 shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ^G4183

Mar 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. ^G4183

Luk 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many ^G4183 shall rejoice at his birth.

Luk 1:16 And many ^G4183 of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many ^G4183 in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

Luk 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many ^G4183 hearts may be revealed.

Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, ^G4183 I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Jhn 21:25 And there are also many ^G4183 other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Act 4:4 Howbeit many ^G4183 of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Rom 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many ^G4183 be dead, much ^G4183 more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. ^G4183

Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many ^G4183 were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many ^G4183 be made righteous.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many ^G4183 brethren.

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, ^G4183 are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

1Co 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many ^G4183 fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

1Co 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, ^G4183 and lords many,) ^G4183

1Co 10:17 For we being many ^G4183 are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. ^G4183

Phl 3:18 (For many ^G4183 walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Tit 1:10 For there are many ^G4183 unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; ^G4183 and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many ^G4183 be defiled;

2Pe 2:2 And many ^G4183 shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Rev 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many ^G4183 angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Old Testament

The following citations lack the Strong’s Numbers as BlueLetterBible does not provide them when showing excerpts from the Septuagint. In every instance, however, πολύς/polys is used in the Greek, in some form or another. And this is a good place to note that the word doesn’t only mean “many”, but also “much” and “large”. And it’s not always used as a an adjective, but is sometimes used as a noun.

Isa 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isa 8:15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Isa 13:4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

Isa 17:12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

Isa 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

GNT Isaiah 40:²⁶ Look up at the sky!
Who created the stars you see?
    The one who leads them out like an army,
    he knows how many there are
    and calls each one by name!
His power is so great—
    not one of them is ever missing!

Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isa 66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country
    and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
    the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
    a great company, they shall return here.

Eze 26:7 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.

Eze 26:19 For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;

Eze 37:2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

Eze 37:10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Eze 38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

Eze 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

Eze 38:15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:

Dan 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Dan 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

Daniel 12:1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. ² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above;^[a] and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Daniel 12:⁹ He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.

Mic 4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Mic 5:7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

Zechariah 10:⁶ “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,
    and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
    for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
⁷ Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
    and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
    their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.
⁸ “I will whistle for them and gather them in,
    for I have redeemed them,
    and they shall be as many as they were before.
⁹ Though I scattered them among the nations,
    yet in far countries they shall remember me,
    and with their children they shall live and return.
¹⁰ I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
    and gather them from Assyria,
and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,
    till there is no room for them.

Why should they come to you
When they do not even come to Him?

As reverently as they insist
Upon the one teaching of Jesus,
They turn a deaf ear toward another.

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