Jew

Jew (Heb. Yehudi, יהוּדַי plur. יהוּדַים, sometimes יהוּדַיַּים, Es 4:7; Es 8:1,7,13; Es 9:15,18 text; femn. יהוּדַיָּה, 1Ch 4:18; Chald. in plur. emphat. יהוּדָיֵּי, Da 3:8; Ezr 4:12; Ezr 5:1,5; adv. יהוּדַית, Judaici, in the Jews' language, 2Ki 18:26; Ne 13:24; Sept. and N.T. Ι᾿ουδαῖος, hence verb Ι᾿ουδαϊvζω, to Judaize, Ga 2:14; adj. Ι᾿ουδαικός, Jewish; Tit 1:14 etc.), a name formed from that of the patriarch Judah, and applied in its first use to one belonging to the tribe or country of Judah, or rather, perhaps, to a subject of the separate kingdom of Judah (2Ki 16:6; 2Ki 25:5; Jer 32:12; Jer 38:19; Jer 40:11; Jer 41:3; Jer 44:1; Jer 52:28), in contradistinction from the seceding ten tribes, who retained the name of Israel or Israelites. During the captivity the term seems to have been extended (see Josephus, Ant. 11, 5, 6) to all the people of the Hebrew language and country, without distinction (Es 3:6,9; Da 3:8,12); and this loose application of the name was preserved after the restoration to Palestine (Hag 1:14; Hag 2:2; Ezr 4:12; Ezr 5:1,5; Ne 1:2; Ne 2:16; Ne 5:1,8,17), when it came to denote not only every descendant of Abraham in the largest possible sense (2 Macc. 9:17; Joh 4:9; Ac 18:2,24, etc.), especially in opposition to foreigners ("Jews and Greeks," Ac 14:1; Ac 18:4; Ac 19:10; 1Co 1:23-24), but even proselytes who had no blood-relation to the Hebrews (Ac 2:5; comp. 10). An especial use of the term is noticeable in the Gospel of John, where it frequently stands for the chief Jews, the elders, who were opposed to Christ (Joh 1:19; Joh 5; Joh 15; Joh 16; Joh 7:1,11,13; Joh 9:22; Joh 18:12,14, etc.; comp. Ac 23:20). See JUDAH.

The original designation of the Israelitish nation was the Hebrews, by which all the legitimate posterity of Abraham were known, not only among themselves (Ge 11:15; Ex 2:7; Ex 3:18; Ex 5:3; Ex 7:16; Ex 9:13; Jon 1:9; comp. 4 Macc. 10 — although the name Jew was in later times prevalent; see the Targum of Jonathan on Exodus, ut sup.), but also among foreigners (as the Egyptians, Ge 39:14; Ge 41:12; Ex 1:16; the Philistines, 1Sa 4:6,9; 1Sa 13:19; 1Sa 29:3; the Assyrians, Judith 12:11; and even the Greeks and Romans, see Plutarch, Sympos. 4, 5; Appian, Civ. 2, 71; Pausan. 1, 6, 24; 5, 7, 3; 10, 12, 5; Porphyry, Vit. Pythag. p. 185; Tacit. Hist. 5, 2). See ISRAELITE. After the exile, the title Jews became the usual one (compare 1 Macc. 8), while the term "Hebrews" fell into disuse, being still applied, however, to the Samaritans (Josephus, Ant. 11, 8, 6), or more commonly to designate the vulgar Syro- Chaldee spoken by the Palestinian Jews (comp. Ac 9:29; Eusebius 3, 24), in distinction from the Hellenists (Ac 6:1; comp. the title of the "Epistle to the Hebrews," and see Bleek, Einleit. in d. Br. a. d. Hebr. p. 32 sq.; Euseb. 6, 14). See HELLENIST. Yet Paul, who spoke Greek, was appropriately styled a Hebrew (2Co 11:22; Php 3:5); and still later the terms Hebrew and Jew were applied with little distinction to persons of Jewish descent (Eusebius, Hist. Ev. 2, 4; Philo, 3, 4). See HEBREW. (For a further discussion of these epithets, see Gesenius, Gesch. d. Hebr. Sprache, 9 sq.; Hengstenberg, Bileam, p. 207 sq.; Ewald, Krit. Gramre. p. 3, and Israel. Gesch. 1, 334; Hoffmann, in the Hall. Encyclop. 2, 3, 307 sq.; Henke's Mus. 2, 639 sq.; Carpzov, Crit. Saccra, p.170 sq.)

The history of the Jewish nation previous to the Christian era, is interwoven with that of their country and capital. See PALESTINE; see JERUSALEM. During the Biblical periods it consists mostly of the narratives of the progenitors and rulers of the people, or of the events that marked its leading epochs. See ABRAHAM; see JACOB; see MOSES; see JOSHUA; see JUDGES; see DAVID; see SOLOMON; see JUDAH; see ISRAEL; see CAPTIVITY; see MACCABEES; see HEROD; see JUDEA. (For further details, see list of works below.)