Who are the many that Jesus gave his life for?

In Matthew 20:28, Jesus said that he gave his life as a ransom for many. Who are the many? The Hebrew word for “many” is “rohv” (רב) and it appears many places in the Old Testament including Genesis 32:12,… “I will do you good, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” However, the first place that the Hebrew word (רב) appears in the Bible is in Genesis 6:5 where it has the meaning of “great”… “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great (רב) in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Jesus gave his life as a ransom for “many” (רב) whose wickedness was “great” (רב). Why did he do this? Numbers 14:18, `The LORD is slow to anger, and abounding (רב) in steadfast love…

Fortunately, for the “many” (רב) whose wickedness was “great” (רב) God’s love is abounding (רב)!

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament