Who Was The First Gentile In The Bible?
The Bible contains many stories about God’s chosen people, the Israelites, but when was the first non-Israelite or Gentile mentioned? If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: The first Gentile convert described in the Bible is Cornelius in Acts 10.
He was a Roman centurion who became a follower of Jesus.
In this comprehensive article, we will examine the stories of the first Gentiles in the Bible in the order they appeared. We’ll look at Rahab, Ruth, Naaman, Jonah and the people of Ninevah, the Queen of Sheba, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Cornelius, and others.
By carefully studying their stories, we can better understand God’s plan to bring salvation to all nations through faith in Jesus Christ.
Rahab the Canaanite Prostitute
Rahab Hides the Israelite Spies
As the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, they sent two spies to scout the city of Jericho. The spies came to the house of Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute.
When the king of Jericho heard about the Israelite spies, he ordered Rahab to bring them out. But Rahab had hidden the spies under bundles of flax on her roof and told the king’s messengers, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.
At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left.”
Rahab had heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea for the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. She told the spies, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us…for the Lord your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.”
Impressed by Rahab’s strong faith, the spies promised to spare her and her family when they attacked Jericho if she kept their mission secret.
Rahab Joins the Israelites and Helps Conquer Jericho
Rahab helped the spies escape from Jericho and kept her word to keep their mission secret. True to their promise, when the Israelites later attacked and conquered Jericho, Rahab and her family were spared. The Bible says Rahab lived among the Israelites from then on (Joshua 6:25).
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Canaanite from Jericho | Lived among Israelites |
| Prostitute by trade | Married Salmon, gave birth to Boaz |
| Worshipped Canaanite gods | Became a believer in Yahweh |
Truly, God can use anyone – however imperfect – in his redemptive plan!
To learn more, check out these great resources:
Ruth the Moabite Woman
Ruth was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite man named Mahlon. After Mahlon’s death, Ruth chose to accompany her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem in Judah. There, Ruth met and married a wealthy Israelite landowner named Boaz.
Ruth Marries an Israelite Widower Named Boaz
As a foreigner in Bethlehem, Ruth took advantage of a provision in Mosaic law allowing gleaners to pick up leftover grain in harvested fields (Leviticus 19:9-10). She started gleaning in the fields of Boaz, who showed her great kindness.
Learning of Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, Boaz acted as her guardian-redeemer and married her.
Their marriage restored Naomi’s family line and property. It also fulfilled God’s greater purposes. As a Moabite, Ruth became the first non-Israelite woman grafted into the family tree of Jesus Christ. Her story shows God’s inclusive love crossing ethnic boundaries.
Ruth Becomes Great-Grandmother of King David
Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed. Obed later became the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David. That makes Ruth David’s great-grandmother (Ruth 4:13-17).
Ruth’s integration into Israel paved the way for God’s messianic plan. As a foremother of David and Jesus, she became instrumental in bringing blessing to “all families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). Truly Ruth went from being a destitute foreigner to playing a pivotal role in biblical history.
Naaman the Syrian Army Commander
Naaman Seeks Healing from Elisha
Naaman was a commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a valiant soldier whom his master esteemed highly, but he suffered from leprosy (2 Kings 5:1). At this time, Aram (Syria) and Israel were engaged in military hostilities.
Through a young Israelite girl who had been captured and brought to serve Naaman’s wife, Naaman learned of Elisha the prophet and that he could heal his leprosy. Naaman went to the king of Aram and asked for leave to go to Israel to find this prophet of God.
The king sent Naaman off with a letter to the king of Israel, asking that Naaman be healed of his leprosy.
When Elisha heard of Naaman’s arrival, he sent word for Naaman to go wash himself seven times in the Jordan River.
Naaman was angry that Elisha did not come out and speak to him directly and did not seem to be offering any great healing ritual. But Naaman’s servants urged him to simply do what the prophet had said, so Naaman went and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan.
His flesh became restored and clean like that of a child (2 Kings 5:1-14).
Naaman Declares Faith in the God of Israel
After being healed, Naaman returned to Elisha and declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel…” (2 Kings 5:15). He offered payment to Elisha as an expression of gratitude, but Elisha refused any reward.
Naaman then asked if he could take some loads of Israelite soil back with him to Aram, explaining, “your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD” (2 Kings 5:17). Elisha told Naaman to go in peace.
This story illustrates how Naaman, a commander in the Syrian army, became a believer in the one true God of Israel. As an army commander of Aram, he would have worshipped the gods of Aram. But once he experienced the power and grace of the God of Israel through his healing, Naaman committed his life fully to the worship of Yahweh.
He is an example of one of the first Gentiles who came to faith in the God of Israel.
The People of Nineveh (Assyrians)
Jonah Preaches Repentance to the People of Ninevah
The book of Jonah in the Bible tells the story of how Jonah was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh and preach a message of repentance to the people there. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, which was located in what is now northern Iraq.
The Assyrians were known for their cruelty and violence, so Jonah was reluctant to go preach to them. After an adventure involving a large fish, Jonah finally went to Nineveh and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4).
To Jonah’s surprise, the people of Nineveh believed God and declared a fast. They put on sackcloth as a sign of repentance. When news reached the king of Nineveh, he too put on sackcloth and issued a decree that both people and animals should fast and repent. The king said, “Who knows?
God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:9).
The People and King of Nineveh Repent and Avoid Destruction
Remarkably, the entire city of Nineveh repented at Jonah’s preaching. From the greatest to the least, they turned from their evil ways. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened (Jonah 3:10).
The story of Nineveh gives us an example of how an entire Gentile city repented when hearing God’s word. Their repentance was so complete that God spared them, even though their sin had been very great. Some key points about Nineveh’s repentance include:
- It occurred from the top down – the king led in repentance.
- It involved fasting, praying, wearing sackcloth – signs of humility.
- They turned from their evil ways – repentance involves action.
- God relented from the disaster he planned to bring on them.
The conversion of Nineveh shows that God’s mercy is available even to those considered evil or outside the covenant. The prophet Jeremiah used Nineveh’s repentance as an example, saying if wicked Nineveh could repent, surely Judah could too (Jeremiah 3:6-11).
Approximately 150 years after Nineveh’s repentance, the prophet Nahum prophesied that God would judge Assyria/Nineveh for returning to evil (Nahum 1-3). Archaeological evidence confirms Nineveh was destroyed by 612 BC, vindicating Nahum’s prophecy (National Geographic).
Queen of Sheba
The Queen Visits King Solomon to Observe His Wisdom
The story of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon is found in 1 Kings 10 of the Bible. As the account goes, the queen had heard reports of Solomon’s great wisdom and wealth, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions and see his prosperity firsthand.
She arrived with a large caravan of camels loaded with spices, gold, and precious stones, which she presented to Solomon as gifts. King Solomon answered all of the queen’s riddles and impressed her with his extensive knowledge.
The lavish palace he had built, along with the food on his table and the organization of his court officials, amazed the Queen of Sheba. After observing Solomon’s wisdom and prosperity, she praised the Lord who had blessed Solomon and enabled him to become a wise, just, and prosperous king.
Many scholars believe the Queen of Sheba came from the kingdom of Saba, a wealthy trading nation that flourished in southwestern Arabia, in what is now Yemen and Ethiopia. The queen tested Solomon with difficult philosophical questions, but Solomon’s God-given wisdom allowed him to impress her.
She recognized that his wisdom and prosperity were divine gifts from the Lord. Her visit affirmed God’s blessing and favor on Solomon’s reign. The meeting of these two influential monarchs had political and economic implications, as it fostered trade relationships between their kingdoms.
But more importantly, the Queen of Sheba’s visit demonstrated the reach and reputation of Israel’s wise King Solomon and his God.
She Praises the God of Israel
After spending time with King Solomon, seeing his wealth and wisdom firsthand, and having all of her difficult questions answered, the Queen of Sheba praised the Lord, the God of Israel. She recognized that it was the Lord who had made Solomon wise and prospered his kingdom.
She said, “Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” (1 Kings 10:9).
The Queen was awed by Solomon’s wisdom and kindness and praised his God for empowering him to lead Israel.
The Queen of Sheba’s visit showed the nations around Israel that King Solomon’s wisdom and prosperity came from the one true God. Her acknowledgment of the Lord’s role in Solomon’s kingship honored Israel’s God before other nations.
The queen’s visit and her face-to-face encounter with Solomon’s wisdom pointed to an even greater king who would come from Solomon’s line – Jesus. Like the Queen of Sheba, those who earnestly seek wisdom will ultimately find Jesus, the embodiment of God’s infinite wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar Dreams About Four Kingdoms
In the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon who conquered Judah and Jerusalem around 605 BC. He is an important figure in the Book of Daniel, which records some of his interactions with the prophet Daniel and Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
One famous story describes a dream that Nebuchadnezzar had about a giant statue made of different metals.
Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream that he wanted his wise men to interpret, but none of them could. When Daniel heard about this, he asked God to reveal the dream’s meaning. God showed Daniel that the statue’s head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire.
The silver chest and arms stood for the Medo-Persian Empire that would conquer Babylon. The bronze belly and thighs symbolized the Greek Empire, while the iron legs represented the Roman Empire. Finally, the feet mixed with iron and clay foretold a divided kingdom.
This dream outlined a succession of world empires that would rise and fall. Nebuchadnezzar was awed when Daniel described his dream precisely. He praised Daniel’s God, saying, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery” (Daniel 2:47).
This shows that Nebuchadnezzar came to acknowledge the power of the true God through his interactions with Daniel.
He Declares the Greatness of the Most High God
Another famous story about Nebuchadnezzar is found in Daniel 3. The king constructed a massive gold statue and ordered all his officials to bow down and worship it. However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship any god but Yahweh.
Furious over their defiance, Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a blazing furnace.
But God miraculously protected the three men, and Nebuchadnezzar was amazed to see them walk out unharmed. This caused him to issue a decree praising the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:
“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! …There is no other god who can rescue like this.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.” (Daniel 3:28-30).
This shows another instance where Nebuchadnezzar came to recognize the supremacy of the God of Israel through witnessing miracles. While Nebuchadnezzar began and ended as a pagan king, these accounts show his growing awareness of the power of Yahweh during his interactions with Daniel and his friends.
Cyrus King of Persia
Cyrus Allows Jews to Return from Exile
In 539 BC, the Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and ended the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. After 70 long years of exile, Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
This was an amazingly benevolent act for a conquering king at that time. The Bible records Cyrus’ decree in 2 Chronicles 36 and Ezra 1.
Cyrus showed tremendous respect for the customs and religions of the lands he conquered. When he conquered Babylon, he earned the title “King of Babylon, King of Sumer and Akkad, King of the Four Corners of the World”.
But he was also given the title “King of lands” by the Babylonians because of his unprecedented tolerance and magnanimous attitude towards the people under his authority.
The famous Cyrus Cylinder, discovered in 1879 and now housed in the British Museum, contains cuneiform script that corroborates the Biblical account of Cyrus’ decree. In that ancient document, Cyrus proclaims that the Babylonian god Marduk instructed him to “make prosperous the way to any place to which I should go”.
This provides a remarkable parallel to the God of Israel’s actions in charge of Cyrus to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
By allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, Cyrus played a pivotal role in Jewish history and in the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. The prophet Isaiah predicted this turn of events 150 years earlier (Isaiah 44:28), referring to Cyrus as God’s “shepherd” and the one who would “rebuild Jerusalem” and lay the foundation of the temple.
Truly an enlightened ruler, Cyrus made this generous decree which allowed over 40,000 Jews to return home and restore their ancient temple. His decree was the high point of an end of an era of Jewish history and paved the way for the Second Temple period.
He is Called God’s Anointed
Remarkably, Cyrus is the only Gentile in the Bible to be called God’s “anointed one” or Messiah. The Hebrew word for Messiah is “Mashiach”. But in Isaiah 45:1, God calls Cyrus by name and refers to him as “His anointed one whose right hand He has grasped.” This is truly a lofty title for a pagan king.
Further showing Cyrus’ stature, the prophet Daniel refers to him as a man “with understanding” through whom God will accomplish His own plans (Daniel 10:1). And the book of Ezra begins with these words: “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia…” (Ezra 1:1).
Clearly, Cyrus was an instrument in God’s hands.
While Cyrus was not Jewish and likely never became a follower of Yahweh, God nevertheless chose this benevolent king to fulfill His divine purposes. God can use anyone for His divine plans, whether they acknowledge Him or not.
Cyrus is remembered favorably by Jews today because his decree allowing their return from exile set in motion the chain of events which led to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. His edict provided for the return of the temple vessels which had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar 70 years earlier.
While Cyrus was a wise and discerning ruler, he could not have fulfilled his role in Jewish history and the purposes of God apart from the divine providence guiding his actions. As C.F. Keil notes in his commentary, Cyrus was “appointed and called long before” due to the “far-reaching foresight of divine providence.”
Cornelius the Roman Centurion
Cornelius was a Roman centurion who lived in Caesarea. He was described as a devout, God-fearing man who gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly. One day, Cornelius had a vision in which an angel of God told him to send for the apostle Peter, who was staying in nearby Joppa.
The angel told Cornelius that Peter would tell him what he must do to be saved.
Cornelius Has a Vision from an Angel
The Bible first introduces us to Cornelius in Acts 10. He was a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment (Acts 10:1). As a centurion, he was a man of good standing and authority in the Roman army. Centurions were non-commissioned officers usually in charge of 100 soldiers.
Cornelius is described as “a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God” (Acts 10:2). This tells us that Cornelius was faithful in seeking God despite being a Gentile (non-Jew).
One day, Cornelius clearly saw in a vision an angel who identified himself as coming from God. The angel told Cornelius, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4).
The angel then instructed Cornelius to send men to Joppa and bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. The angel revealed that Peter would share a message through which Cornelius and his whole household would be saved (Acts 10:5-6).
Without delay, Cornelius obeyed and sent two of his servants and a devout soldier to go and find Peter.
Peter Preaches the Gospel to Cornelius and His Household
Meanwhile in Joppa, Peter also had a miraculous vision in which God made clear to him that the gospel is open to the Gentiles and not the Jews only. When the men sent by Cornelius arrive, the Spirit tells Peter to go with them without hesitation (Acts 10:19-20).
So Peter welcomed the men and left for Caesarea the next day.
When Peter arrives, Cornelius falls at his feet in reverence, but Peter makes clear he is only a man (Acts 10:25-26). Peter then remarks how God made it clear to him that he should not call anyone impure or unclean (Acts 10:28). So Peter asks Cornelius why he was sent for.
Cornelius explains his vision and plea for Peter to come share a message from God (Acts 10:30-33).
Peter then shares the gospel with Cornelius and all those present: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35). Peter goes on to preach about Jesus – his life, death and resurrection.
He makes it clear forgiveness of sins is available to all who believe in Jesus (Acts 10:36-43).
They Receive the Holy Spirit and Are Baptized
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and all those listening. This was evident to the Jewish believers with Peter because they heard these Gentiles speaking in tongues and praising God (Acts 10:44-46).
Peter then has them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 10:47-48). Peter later declares in Acts 11:14 that Cornelius and his household were saved just as the angel had promised.
The story of Cornelius is important because he represents the first Gentile convert to Christianity after Jesus’ ascension. His story confirms that salvation through Jesus Christ is open to all people regardless of ethnicity or background.
As a God-fearing man, Cornelius sought after the truth and the Lord directed him to send for Peter. Cornelius’ obedience and eagerness to hear the gospel were evidence of a sincere faith. His conversion marks a major milestone in the early church.
Conclusion
By examining the stories of some of the first Gentile converts in Scripture, we gain important insights into God’s heart for all people. Long before Jesus’ official command to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), God was drawing outsiders like Rahab, Ruth and Cornelius into a saving faith.
The book of Acts especially highlights how the gospel spread beyond just the Jews to Samaritans and Gentiles from all walks of life. Just as Peter realized in Acts 10, God shows no partiality – anyone from any nation who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.
