ju ̄ , jōo ̄ , jū´ish , jōō ´- ish (, יהוּדי yehūdhı̄ , plural יהוּדים , yehūdhı̄m ; Ἰονδαῖοι , Ioudaı́oi ; feminine adjective יהוּדית , yehūdhı̄th ; Ἰονδαΐκός , Iou̇dai̇kós ): "Jew" denotes originally an inhabitant of Judah ( 2 Kings 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. ( Esther 2:5; Esther 3:4 , etc.; Jeremiah 34:9; Zechariah 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 (2 Kings 18:26 , 2 Kings 18:28 parallel Nehemiah 13:24; Isaiah 36:11 , Isaiah 36:13 ). "Jews" (always plural) is the familiar term for Israelites in the Gospels (especially in John), Acts, Epistles, etc. "Jewess" occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:18; Acts 16:1; Acts 24:24 . In Titus 1:14 a warning is given against "Jewish fables" (in Greek the adjective is found also in Galatians 2:14 ). The "Jews' religion" (Ioudaismós ) is referred to in Galatians 1:13 , Galatians 1:14 . On the "Jews' language,' see LANGUAGES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT; on the "Jews' religion," see ISRAEL , RELIGION OF .
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
But as with any writings of men, the careful student of the Bible must always compare them with Scripture. As you use this helpful study resource, remember that only God's word is pure.
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