### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **dēmos**, represented by `{{G1218}}`, refers to **the public** as a group bound together socially. Stemming from a root word meaning "to bind," it appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible. Its usage specifically denotes the populace or a gathered assembly of people.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{G1218}}` is used exclusively in the book of Acts to describe the public in a civic context, often during times of unrest or formal address. In one instance, agitators set a city on an uproar and "sought to bring them out to the **people**" [[Acts 17:5]]. The term is also used when individuals wish to address the public body, as when Alexander intended to make his defense "unto the **people**" [[Acts 19:33]], or when Paul wanted to enter "in unto the **people**" [[Acts 19:30]]. It can also represent a collective body expressing a unified opinion, as when "the **people** gave a shout" in praise of Herod [[Acts 12:22]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the specific meaning of `{{G1218}}` as the organized public:
* `{{G3792}}` **ochlopoiéō** (to make a crowd, i.e. raise a public disturbance): This verb describes the action that leads to the formation of a public disturbance. It is used to describe how agitators "gathered a company" before seeking to bring Paul and Silas before the `dēmos` [[Acts 17:5]].
* `{{G3793}}` **óchlos** (a throng... the rabble): This term signifies a more general or disorganized crowd. It is used in contrast to `dēmos` when Alexander was drawn "out of the multitude" `(óchlos)` in order to make a formal defense to the assembled "people" `(dēmos)` [[Acts 19:33]].
* `{{G4172}}` **pólis** (a town... city): This word for "city" provides the setting where the `dēmos` resides. An uproar was set in the entire "city" `(pólis)`, which culminated in an interaction with the "people" `(dēmos)` [[Acts 17:5]].
### Theological Significance
The use of `{{G1218}}` highlights the interaction between early believers and the civic structures of their time.
* **The Formal Assembly:** The term often denotes the public as a body that could be formally addressed. Both Paul and Alexander sought to speak to the `dēmos` as if it were an official or recognized gathering ([[Acts 19:30]], [[Acts 19:33]]).
* **Public Opinion:** The `dēmos` functions as the source of public opinion, capable of being swayed into a collective outcry, whether in acclaim of a ruler [[Acts 12:22]] or as a volatile mob during civic unrest [[Acts 17:5]].
* **Target of Unrest:** The word appears in contexts of social disturbance, where the `dēmos` is the audience or a key player in a city-wide uproar, demonstrating its power within the urban environment [[Acts 17:5]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G1218}}` is a specific term for **the public** as a civic body. Used exclusively in Acts, it refers not just to any crowd, but to the assembled people of a town or city, particularly in the context of a public address or civic disturbance. It illustrates the challenges and dynamics the early church faced when engaging with the organized, and often volatile, populations of the Greco-Roman world.
TRV