Meaning
denotes (a) "common, belonging to several" (Lat., communis), said of things had in common, Act 2:44, Act 4:32; of faith, Tit 1:4; of salvation, Jud 1:3; it stands in contrast to idios, "one's own;" (b) "ordinary, belonging to the generality, as distinct from what is peculiar to the few;" hence the application to religious practices of Gentiles in contrast with those of Jews; or of the ordinary people in contrast with those of the Pharisees; hence the meaning "unhallowed, profane," Levitically unclean (Lat., profanus), said of hands, Mar 7:2 (AV, "defiled,") RV marg., "common;" of animals, ceremonially unclean, Act 10:14, Act 11:8; of a man, Act 10:28; of meats, Rom 14:14, "unclean;" of the blood of the covenant, as viewed by an apostate, Heb 10:29, "unholy" (RV, marg., "common"); of everything unfit for the holy city, Rev 21:27, RV, "unclean" (marg., "common"). Some mss. have the verb here. See DEFILED, UNCLEAN UNHOLY.
"to make, or count, common," has this meaning in Act 10:15, Act 11:9. See DEFILE, POLLUTE, UNCLEAN.
Notes: (1) Polus, used of number, signifies "many, numerous;" used of space, it signifies "wide, far reaching;" hence, with the article it is said of a multitude as being numerous; it is translated "common" (people) in Mar 12:37 (see the RV, marg.). It does not, however, mean the ordinary folk, but the many folk. See ABUNDANT, GREAT, LONG, MANY, MUCH, PLENTY.
(2) Ochlos denotes "a crowd, a great multitude;" with the article it is translated "the common people," in Joh 12:9, Joh 12:12 (RV, marg.). See COMPANY, CROWD, MULTITUDE, NUMBER, PEOPLE, PRESS.
(3) Tunchano, "to happen," is used as an adjective in Act 28:2, of the kindness shown by the people of Melita to the shipwrecked company; AV, "(no) little;" RV, "(no) common;" the idea suggested by the verb is that which might happen anywhere or at all times; hence, "little, ordinary, or casual." See CHANCE, ENJOY, OBTAIN.
(4) In Mat 27:27, what the AV describes as "the common hall," is the praetorium, RV, "palace," the official residence of the Governor of a Province (marg., "praetorium").
(5) In Act 5:18, demosios (AV, "common," with reference to the prison) signifies "public," belonging to the people, demos, (RV, "public").
(6) In 1Co 5:1, holos, "altogether" (AV, "commonly") means "actually" (RV).
(7) In Mat 28:15, diaphemizo, "to spread abroad" (as in the RV), is rendered in the AV, "is commonly reported. See SPREAD, Note (5).
