Lexical Summary
Yehudi: Jews, Jew, Jewish
Original Word:יְהוּדִי
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:Yhuwdiy
Pronunciation:yeh-hoo-DEE
Phonetic Spelling:(yeh-hoo-dee')
KJV: Jew
NASB:Jews, Jew, Jewish, Jews', Judeans
Word Origin:[patronymically fromH3063 (יְהוּדָה - Judah)]
1. a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jew
Patronymically fromYhuwdah; a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah) -- Jew.
see HEBREWYhuwdah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
YehudahDefinitionJewish
NASB TranslationJew (10), Jewish (4), Jews (59), Jews' (1), Judeans (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. , as substantive ; —
Zechariah 8:23; pluralJewish menJeremiah 43:9;Esther 2:5; .as substantiveJeremiah 34:9;Esther 3:4;the JewEsther 5:13;Esther 6:10;Esther 8:7;Esther 9:29,31;Esther 10:3; femininethe jewess1 Chronicles 4:18; pluralJewsJeremiah 52:28,30;the Jews2 Kings 16:6;2 Kings 25:25;Jeremiah 32:12;Jeremiah 38:19;Jeremiah 40:11,12;Jeremiah 41:3;Jeremiah 44:1;Nehemiah 1:2;Nehemiah 2:16;Nehemiah 3:33;Nehemiah 3:34;Nehemiah 4:6;Nehemiah 5:1,8,17;Nehemiah 6:6;Nehemiah 13:23;Esther 3:6,10,13;Esther 4:3,13,14,16;Esther 6:13;Esther 8:3,5,8,9 (twice in verse);Esther 8:11;Esther 8:16;Esther 8:17 (twice in verse);Esther 9:1 (twice in verse);Esther 9:2,3,5,6,10,12,13,16,19,20,22,23,24 (twice in verse);Esther 9:25;Esther 9:27;Esther 9:28;Esther 9:30;Esther 10:3;Esther 4:7;Esther 8:1,7,13;Esther 9:15,18
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe term יְהוּדִי occurs approximately seventy-six times across the Old Testament and denotes an individual identified with Judah—first the tribe, then the Southern Kingdom, and eventually the whole covenant community returned from exile. Its usage charts the history of God’s redemptive dealings with His people from the divided monarchy through the Persian period and into the eschatological hope embodied in the line of David.
Historical Development of the Term
1. Tribal Distinction
After the schism under Rehoboam, “Jew” distinguished subjects of the Kingdom of Judah from those of Israel (for example,2 Kings 16:6). This political label carried the covenantal promise attached to David’s throne.
2. Exilic Consolidation
With the Northern Kingdom dissolved (722 B.C.) and Judah later exiled (586 B.C.), יְהוּדִי became the prevailing self-designation in Babylon. Jeremiah speaks of “the Jews who live in the land of Egypt” (Jeremiah 44:1), showing its early expansion beyond strict territorial borders.
3. Post-Exilic Identity
In Ezra and Nehemiah the term is ethnoreligious, marking those who returned to rebuild the temple and city (Ezra 4:12;Nehemiah 2:16). Their distinctiveness rested in covenant fidelity rather than geography alone.
4. Diaspora Usage
Esther portrays Jews scattered throughout the Persian Empire (Esther 3:6, 8). Here יְהוּדִי expresses solidarity under threat, highlighting divine preservation irrespective of locale.
Covenant Identity and Tribal Affiliation
Judah’s tribal inheritance carried the scepter promise (Genesis 49:10). Thus “Jew” implicitly recalls:
• The Davidic covenant: God’s commitment to an everlasting throne (2 Samuel 7:16).
• Temple centrality: Jerusalem as the locus of worship (Psalm 132:13-14).
• Messianic expectation: the coming Branch of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1).
Even when the Northern tribes faded from view, the name “Jew” preserved Israel’s corporate calling through Judah’s line.
Key Literary Clusters
1. Jeremiah (10 occurrences) – Warns Jews in Egypt against idolatry (Jeremiah 44).
2. Daniel (8 occurrences) – Elevates exilic faithfulness; “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you; they are Jews” (Daniel 3:12).
3. Ezra-Nehemiah (26 occurrences) – Chronicles restoration; “And the elders of the Jews were successful in building” (Ezra 6:14).
4. Esther (55 references to “Jew” or “Jews” across the book; 24 are יְהוּדִי / יְהוּדִים) – Depicts covenant survival; “For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus” (Esther 10:3).
Representative Passages
•2 Kings 25:25 – “Ishmael son of Nethaniah… struck down Gedaliah… and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him.”
•Ezra 5:1 – “Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah… prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.”
•Nehemiah 4:2 – “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it by themselves?”
•Esther 4:14 – “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place.”
•Jeremiah 34:9 – “That everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves—both male and female—so that no one should hold a fellow Jew in bondage.”
Corporate Witness and Mission
Through יְהוּדִי Scripture demonstrates how covenant loyalty outlasts political collapse. Whether in Jerusalem’s ruins or Persia’s courts, Jews function as guardians of revelation (Romans 3:2) and as living evidence that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
Messianic Connections
The New Testament employs Ἰουδαῖος to translate the same concept, and the genealogy ofMatthew 1 traces Jesus through Judah’s royal line.Revelation 5:5 hails Him as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” confirming that Christian faith rests on the promises entrusted to the Jews.
Theological Themes
• Divine Preservation – Haman’s decree in Esther and Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace in Daniel both highlight God’s ability to safeguard His people.
• Covenant Faithfulness – Though judged for unfaithfulness, the Jews’ restoration under Cyrus confirms God’s steadfast love.
• Universal Blessing – Zachariah foresees ten men from every nation grasping “the robe of a Jew” (Zechariah 8:23), signaling the flow of salvation from Jewish roots to the nations.
Practical Ministry Implications
1. Preaching – The resilience of the Jews supplies rich illustrations of God’s unbreakable promises.
2. Apologetics – The continuous existence of the Jewish people substantiates biblical prophecy and divine sovereignty.
3. Missions – Gentile believers are “grafted in” (Romans 11), fostering humility toward the natural branches.
4. Worship – Recognizing Jesus as the fulfillment of Judah’s hope fuels gratitude for the heritage preserved through יְהוּדִי.
Conclusion
The term יְהוּדִי weaves together tribal ancestry, national identity, exile endurance, and messianic hope. Tracking its Old Testament occurrences underscores God’s faithfulness to Judah, a faithfulness ultimately realized in Jesus Christ and extended to all who trust in Him.
Forms and Transliterations
בִּיהוּדִ֥י בַּיְּהוּדִ֖ים בַּיְּהוּדִֽים׃ ביהודי ביהודים ביהודים׃ הַ֠יְּהוּדִים הַיְּהוּדִ֑י הַיְּהוּדִ֑ים הַיְּהוּדִ֔י הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים הַיְּהוּדִ֖י הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים הַיְּהוּדִ֗י הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַיְּהוּדִ֡ים הַיְּהוּדִ֣ים הַיְּהוּדִ֥ים הַיְּהוּדִ֧ים הַיְּהוּדִ֨ים הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃ הַיְּהוּדִי֙ הַיְּהוּדִים֙ הַיְּהוּדִים֩ ׀ הַיְהוּדִ֖ים הַיְּהוּדִ֑ים הַיְּהוּדִ֣ים הַיְּהוּדִ֤ים היהודי היהודים היהודים׃ וְהַיְּהוּדִ֨ים וְהַיְּהוּדִים֙ וְהַיְּהוּדִ֣ים וְלַיְּהוּדִ֨ים והיהודים וליהודים יְהוּדִ֔י יְהוּדִ֕ים יְהוּדִ֜י יְהוּדִֽי׃ יְהוּדִֽים׃ יְהוּדָ֔ה יהודה יהודי יהודי׃ יהודים יהודים׃ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים לַיְּהוּדִ֕ים לַיְּהוּדִ֣ים ׀ לַיְּהוּדִים֙ ליהודים baiyehuDim bay·yə·hū·ḏîm bayyəhūḏîm bî·hū·ḏî bihuDi bîhūḏî haiyehuDi haiyehuDim hay·hū·ḏîm hay·yə·hū·ḏî hay·yə·hū·ḏîm hayhuDim hayhūḏîm hayyəhūḏî hayyəhūḏîm laiyehuDim lay·yə·hū·ḏîm layyəhūḏîm vehaiyehuDim velaiyehuDim wə·hay·yə·hū·ḏîm wə·lay·yə·hū·ḏîm wəhayyəhūḏîm wəlayyəhūḏîm yə·hū·ḏāh yə·hū·ḏî yə·hū·ḏîm yehuDah yəhūḏāh yehuDi yəhūḏî yehuDim yəhūḏîm
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