Bible Dictionary
JEW, JEWESS, JEWISH
Jew originally meant an inhabitant of Judah but later came to designate the descendants of Abraham and the people of Israel generally. In the New Testament it commonly refers to the Jewish people, their language, or their religious customs.
Definition
Jew originally denoted an inhabitant of Judah, especially someone belonging to the southern kingdom. The meaning later broadened to include all descendants of Abraham and Israelites generally. Jewess is the feminine form, while Jewish functions as an adjective.
Biblical Usage
In the New Testament, Jews is the familiar term for Israelites. Jewish may describe their language, religion, or traditions, and Jewess occurs in reference to particular women.
Historical Background
The Old Testament uses the singular only occasionally and the plural frequently in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jeremiah, and Daniel. The adjective in the Old Testament is especially associated with the Jews’ language or speech.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ju, joo, ju'-ish, joo'-ish (yehudhi plural yehudhim; Ioudaioi; feminine adjective yehudhith; Ioudaikos): "Jew" denotes originally an inhabitant of Judah (2Ki 16:6 applies to the two tribes of the Southern Kingdom), but later the meaning was extended to embrace all descendants of Abraham. In the Old Testament the word occurs a few times in the singular. (Es 2:5; 3:4, etc.; Jer 34:9; Zec 8:23); very frequently in the plural in Ezra and Nehemiah, Esther, and in Jeremiah and Daniel. The adjective in the Old Testament applies only to the "Jews' language" or speech (2Ki 18:26,28 parallel Ne 13:24; Isa 36:11,13). "Jews" (always plural) is the familiar term for Israelites in the Gospels (especially in John), Acts, Epistles, etc. "Jewess" occurs in 1Ch 4:18; Ac 16:1; 24:24. In Tit 1:14 a warning is given against "Jewish fables" (in Greek the adjective is found also in Ga 2:14). The "Jews' religion" (Ioudaismos) is referred to in Ga 1:13,14. On the "Jews' language,'' see LANGUAGES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT; on the "Jews' religion," see ISRAEL, RELIGION OF.</p><p>James Orr</p>