Bible Strong
Explore
Open the app

Bible dictionaries

Jew

What Bible dictionaries say about “Jew”, one article after the other.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Jew - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

The name derived from the patriarch Judah, at first given to one belonging to the tribe of Judah or to the separate kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 16:6; 25:25; Jer. 32:12; 38:19; 40:11; 41:3), in contradistinction from those belonging to the kingdom of the ten tribes, who were called Israelites.

During the Captivity, and after the Restoration, the name, however, was extended to all the Hebrew nation without distinction (Esther 3:6, 10; Dan. 3:8, 12; Ezra 4:12; 5:1, 5).

Originally this people were called Hebrews (Gen. 39:14; 40:15; Ex. 2:7; 3:18; 5:3; 1 Sam. 4:6, 9, etc.), but after the Exile this name fell into disuse. But Paul was styled a Hebrew (2 Cor. 11:22; Phil. 3:5).

The history of the Jewish nation is interwoven with the history of Palestine and with the narratives of the lives of their rulers and chief men. They are now [1897] dispersed over all lands, and to this day remain a separate people, "without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image [R.V. pillar,' marg. obelisk'], and without an ephod, and without teraphim" (Hos. 3:4). Till about the beginning of the present century [1800] they were everywhere greatly oppressed, and often cruelly persecuted; but now their condition is greatly improved, and they are admitted in most European countries to all the rights of free citizens. In 1860 the "Jewish disabilities" were removed, and they were admitted to a seat in the British Parliament. Their number in all is estimated at about six millions, about four millions being in Europe.

There are three names used in the New Testament to designate this people, (1.) Jews, as regards their nationality, to distinguish them from Gentiles. (2.) Hebrews, with regard to their language and education, to distinguish them from Hellenists, i.e., Jews who spoke the Greek language. (3.) Israelites, as respects their sacred privileges as the chosen people of God. "To other races we owe the splendid inheritance of modern civilization and secular culture; but the religious education of mankind has been the gift of the Jew alone."

Jew - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

JEW, n. [a contraction of Judas of Judah.] A Hebrew or Israelite.

Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

The article in Easton + Webster 1828

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Jewish - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

JEW'ISH, a. Pertaining to the Jews or Hebrews. Titus 1.

Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

The article in Easton + Webster 1828

Smith’s Bible Dictionary

(a man of Judea). This name was properly applied to a member of the kingdom of Judah after the separation of the ten tribes. The term first makes its appearance just before the captivity of the ten tribes. The term first makes it appearance just before the captivity of the ten tribes. (2 Kings 16:6) After the return the word received a larger application. Partly from the predominance of the members of the old kingdom of Judah among those who returned to Palestine, partly from the identification of Judah with the religious ideas and hopes of the people, all the members of the new state were called Jews (Judeans) and the name was extended to the remnants of the race scattered throughout the nations. Under the name of "Judeans" the people of Israel were known to classical writers. (Tac. H. v.2, etc.) The force of the title "Jew" is seen particularly in the Gospel of St. John, who very rarely uses any other term to describe the opponents of our Lord. At an earlier stage of the progress of the faith it was contrasted with Greek as implying an outward covenant with God, (Romans 1:16; 2:9,10; Colossians 3:11) etc., which was the correlative of Hellenist [HELLENIST], and marked a division of language subsisting within the entire body, and at the same time less expressive than Israelite , which brought out with especial clearness the privileges and hopes of the children of Jacob. (2 Corinthians 11:22; John 1:47)

William Smith; revised by F. N. Peloubet and M. A. Peloubet; CrossWire SWORD module Smith 1.3

The article in Smith

Smith’s Bible Dictionary

of or belonging to Jews; an epithet applied to their rabbinical legends. (Titus 1:14)

William Smith; revised by F. N. Peloubet and M. A. Peloubet; CrossWire SWORD module Smith 1.3

The article in Smith

Translation Words

Definition

Jews are people who are descendants of Abraham’s grandson Jacob. The word “Jew” comes from the word “Judah.”

  • People began to call the Israelites “Jews” after they returned to Judah from their exile in Babylon.
  • Jesus the Messiah was Jewish. However, the Jewish religious leaders rejected Jesus and demanded that he be killed.

(See also: Abraham, Jacob, Israel, Babylon, Jewish leaders)

Bible References

Examples from the Bible stories

  • __20:11 The Israelites were now called Jews__ and most of them had lived their whole lives in Babylon.
  • __20:12 So, after seventy years in exile, a small group of Jews__ returned to the city of Jerusalem in Judah.
  • __37:10 Many of the Jews__ believed in Jesus because of this miracle.
  • __37:11 But the religious leaders of the Jews__ were jealous, so they gathered together to plan how they could kill Jesus and Lazarus.
  • __40:2 Pilate commanded that they write, “King of the Jews__” on a sign and put it on the cross above Jesus’ head.
  • __46:6 Right away, Saul began preaching to the Jews__ in Damascus, saying, “Jesus is the Son of God!”

Word Data

The original work by unfoldingWord is available from https://www.unfoldingword.org/utw. Bible Strong converted the Markdown and resource links to its dictionary schema and normalized Bible references.

The article in Translation Words