2450. Ioudaizó

Lexicon

Ioudaizó: To Judaize

Original Word: Ἰουδαΐζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: Ioudaizó
Pronunciation: ee-oo-dah-id'-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-oo-dah-id'-zo)
Definition: To Judaize
Meaning: I live as a Jew (in religion, ceremonially).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

live as the Jews.

From Ioudaios; to become a Judaean, i.e. "Judaize" -- live as the Jews.

see GREEK Ioudaios

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from Ioudaios
Definition
to Judaize
NASB Translation
live like Jews (1).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios), meaning "Jew" or "Judean."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Hebrew equivalent for Ἰουδαΐζω, as it is a term specific to the context of the New Testament and the early Christian church's interaction with Jewish customs. However, related concepts can be found in discussions of the law and Jewish identity, such as in entries related to the Hebrew word for "Jew" (יְהוּדִי, Yehudi) and "law" (תּוֹרָה, Torah).

Usage: The term is used in the New Testament to describe the act of adopting Jewish customs or compelling others to do so. It appears in the context of early Christian debates about the necessity of following Jewish law.

Context: The term Ἰουδαΐζω appears in the New Testament in Galatians 2:14, where the Apostle Paul confronts the Apostle Peter for compelling Gentile Christians to "Judaize" or adopt Jewish customs. This incident highlights a significant theological debate in the early church regarding the relationship between Jewish law and the new covenant in Christ. Paul argues that justification comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not by observing the law, emphasizing the universality of the gospel message.

In Galatians 2:14 (BSB), Paul states: "When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, 'If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?'" This confrontation underscores the tension between Jewish and Gentile believers and the challenge of integrating diverse cultural practices within the early Christian community.

The use of Ἰουδαΐζω reflects the broader context of the early church's struggle to define its identity apart from the Jewish law while still honoring its Jewish roots. The term encapsulates the pressure faced by Gentile converts to conform to Jewish customs, a pressure that Paul vehemently opposed as contrary to the gospel of grace.

Forms and Transliterations

Ιουδαιζειν Ἰουδαΐζειν Ιουδάϊζον Ιουδαίος Ioudaizein Ioudaḯzein

Englishman's Concordance

Galatians 2:14 V-PNA
GRK: ἔθνη ἀναγκάζεις Ἰουδαΐζειν
NAS: the Gentiles to live like Jews?
KJV: the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
INT: Gentiles do you compel to Judaize

Strong's Greek 2450
1 Occurrence

Ἰουδαΐζειν — 1 Occ.