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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Jew; Jewess; Jewish
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juÌ„, joÌ„oÌ„, jū´ish, joÌ„ō´-ish (,יהוּדי yehuÌ„dhı̄, plural יהוּדי×, yehuÌ„dhı̄m; Ἰονδαῖοι, IoudaıÌoi; feminine adjective יהוּדית, yehuÌ„dhı̄th; ἸονδαΐκοÌÏ‚, Iou̇dai̇koÌs): “Jew†denotes originally an inhabitant of Judah ( 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. (; , etc.; ; ); 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 (, parallel ; , ). “Jews†(always plural) is the familiar term for Israelites in the Gospels (especially in John), Acts, Epistles, etc. “Jewess†occurs in ; ; . In a warning is given against “Jewish fables†(in Greek the adjective is found also in ). The “Jews' religion†(IoudaismoÌs) is referred to in , . On the “Jews' language,'' see LANGUAGES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT; on the “Jews' religion,†see ISRAEL, RELIGION OF.