Throughout biblical history, the Jewish people have often found themselves at odds with surrounding nations, facing hostility and persecution. This enmity is rooted in both spiritual and historical contexts, as depicted in the Scriptures.

Biblical Context

The animosity towards the Jews by other nations is first evident in the early narratives of the Old Testament. From the time of Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish nation, there was a divine selection that set his descendants apart. Genesis 12:1-3 records God's promise to Abraham: "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." This covenant established the Jews as God's chosen people, a status that often incited jealousy and hostility from other nations.

Historical Hostility

The Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was marked by conflicts with various nations. The Amalekites, Moabites, and Philistines, among others, opposed Israel's progress and sought their destruction. In Exodus 17:8-16 , the Amalekites attacked the Israelites at Rephidim, prompting God to declare perpetual war against Amalek: "Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

The period of the Judges and the monarchy further illustrates the persistent enmity. The Philistines, in particular, were a constant threat, as seen in the accounts of Samson and David. In 1 Samuel 17 , the Philistine giant Goliath defied the armies of Israel, epitomizing the disdain and hatred towards the Jewish people.

Prophetic Warnings and Fulfillment

The prophets frequently warned Israel of the consequences of disobedience, including subjugation by foreign powers. The Assyrian and Babylonian captivities were direct fulfillments of these warnings. In Jeremiah 25:9 , God declares, "I will summon all the families of the north and My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations."

Despite these judgments, the prophets also foretold the eventual restoration and vindication of Israel. Isaiah 60:14-15 proclaims, "The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Although you have been forsaken and despised, with no one traveling through, I will make you an everlasting pride, a joy from age to age."

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the tension between Jews and Gentiles continues, particularly in the context of the early Christian church. The Apostle Paul addresses this in Romans 11:28-29 , acknowledging the complex relationship: "Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable."

The New Testament also emphasizes the breaking down of barriers between Jews and Gentiles through Christ. Ephesians 2:14-16 states, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility... His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace."

Conclusion

The historical and spiritual enmity towards the Jews by other nations is a recurring theme in the Bible, reflecting both the unique covenant relationship between God and Israel and the broader human struggle with sin and division. The Scriptures provide a narrative of conflict, judgment, and ultimate reconciliation, underscoring the enduring significance of the Jewish people in God's redemptive plan.Psalm 44:10
You make us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 35:5
Because you have had a perpetual hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jews.
... France and the United States, the Jews are admitted to equal rights with all other
citizens, which cannot be said of any other nations in Christendom. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/jews.htm

The Fall of Jerusalem.
... he did his utmost to save it, but all in vain ... He gave the Jews, some to work in the
Egyptian ... people thus dispersed had become fused into other nations; but it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxiii the fall of.htm

Judaism and Heathenism in Contact.
... Then, quoting from Strabo, he says: "These Jews are already gotten into all cities,
and it ... and Cyrene and a great number of other nations imitate their ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 13 judaism and heathenism.htm

"The Fullness of the Time"
... the separation between themselves and other nations, they were ... Among the Jews there
were yet steadfast souls ... an empire which should succeed all earthly kingdoms ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 3 the fullness of.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... Other Places After A Magnificent Manner; And Did Many Other Actions Gloriously. ... CHAPTER
1. How Antipater Was Hated By All The Nation [Of The Jews] For. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

John Chapter xv. 22, 23
... kept my saying, they will keep yours also; but all these things ... Gospel very clearly
indicates, and Christ spake to the Jews, not to other nations; and it ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate lxxxix john chapter xv.htm

Concerning the Famine that Happened in Judea and Syria; and How ...
... this seasonable benefaction, had such influence on the Jews, and was so cried up
among other nations, as to ... his reign, had procured him among all the nation ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 concerning the famine.htm

A Doomed People
... There was no other power by which they could be delivered ... over Jerusalem were for
the sins of all time ... treading on the same ground as were the unbelieving Jews. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 64 a doomed people.htm

From Abraham to Egypt.
... sin and accept the crucified Savior as the Jews' Messiah; the ... (2) God reveals himself
to all those who ... confined to Israel but are extended to other nations also ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter iv from abraham to.htm

The Story of the Fiery Furnace
... with the work of the kingdom in some other place. ... of all kinds, as a signal for all
the people ... These were the three young Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of the fiery.htm

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