The term "Jews" refers to the descendants of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and is often used to describe the people of Israel, the chosen people of God. The identity and history of the Jewish people are deeply intertwined with the biblical narrative, beginning with God's covenant with Abraham and extending through the Old and New Testaments.

Covenant with Abraham

The origins of the Jewish people are traced back to Abraham, whom God called out of Ur of the Chaldeans. God made a covenant with Abraham, promising to make him the father of a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him (Genesis 12:1-3). This covenant was reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob, establishing the lineage through which the Jewish people would come.

The Exodus and the Law

The defining moment in the formation of the Jewish nation was the Exodus from Egypt. Under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites were delivered from slavery, an event that is commemorated annually in the Jewish festival of Passover. At Mount Sinai, God gave the Law to Moses, which included the Ten Commandments and detailed instructions for worship and community life (Exodus 20:1-17). This Law set the Israelites apart as a holy nation and a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6).

The Promised Land and the Monarchy

The conquest of Canaan under Joshua marked the fulfillment of God's promise to give the descendants of Abraham a land of their own. The period of the Judges followed, characterized by cycles of disobedience and deliverance. The establishment of the monarchy began with Saul and reached its zenith under King David, a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). David's son Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem, centralizing worship and solidifying Jerusalem as the spiritual and political capital of Israel.

Exile and Return

The disobedience and idolatry of the Israelites led to the division of the kingdom and eventually to exile. The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The destruction of the Temple and the Babylonian exile were pivotal events in Jewish history. However, God's promise of restoration was fulfilled when the Persian King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple (Ezra 1:1-4).

The Intertestamental Period and the New Testament

During the intertestamental period, the Jewish people faced Hellenistic influences and Roman occupation. The Maccabean Revolt and the rededication of the Temple are celebrated in the festival of Hanukkah. By the time of Jesus, various Jewish sects, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes, had emerged.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, a Jew from the line of David, is presented as the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. The early Christian church was initially composed of Jewish believers who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The Apostle Paul, himself a Jew, emphasized that the gospel was "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).

Theological Significance

The Jews hold a unique place in biblical theology as the people through whom God chose to reveal Himself and His redemptive plan. The covenants, the Law, the prophets, and the promises were entrusted to them (Romans 9:4-5). Despite periods of disobedience and judgment, God's faithfulness to His covenant with Israel remains a central theme in Scripture.

The Jewish people continue to be a testament to God's enduring promises and His unfolding plan of salvation for all nations.Deuteronomy 32:9
For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Samuel 7:24
For you have confirmed to yourself your people Israel to be a people to you for ever: and you, LORD, are become their God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 51:16
And I have put my words in your mouth, and I have covered you in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, You are my people.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2992. laos -- the people
... Definition: (a) a people, characteristically of God's chosen people, first the Jews,
then the Christians, (b) sometimes, but rarely, the people, the crowd. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2992.htm - 7k

4932. suntemno -- to cut in pieces
... This refers to God accomplishing His plan for the nation (land) of Israel
and its people -- for Antichrist has to ravage the Jews. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4932.htm - 7k

Ridiculous Interpretations of the Jews. Christians are the True ...
... Chapter CXXIII."Ridiculous interpretations of the Jews. ... on yourselves, as if you
alone were the Israel, and of execrating the people whom God has blessed ...
/.../chapter cxxiii ridiculous interpretations of the.htm

Of the Fact that the God of the Jews, after the Subjugation of ...
... the harmony of the gospels.Book I. Chapter XII."Of the Fact that the God of the
Jews, After the Subjugation of that People, Was Still Not Accepted by the ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xii of the fact that.htm

Why the Passover is Said to be that of the "Jews. " Its ...
... of Egypt." As, then, the people when it does not sin is the people of God, but when ...
passage before us is said to be that not of the Lord, but of the Jews. ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/11 why the passover is.htm

The Prophetical Gifts of the Jews were Transferred to the ...
... Chapter LXXXII."The prophetical gifts of the Jews were transferred to the ... do we wish
to live like the rulers of your people, whom God reproaches when He ...
/.../chapter lxxxii the prophetical gifts of.htm

The Gospel was Preached to Jews and Gentiles in Hades.
... in darkness, Show yourselves." For if the "prisoners" are the Jews, of whom ... place,
yet being confessedly of the number of the people of God Almighty, should ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the gospel was preached.htm

Occasion of Writing. Relative Position of Jews and Gentiles ...
... For, withal, according to the memorial records of the divine Scriptures, the people
of the Jews"that is, the more ancient"quite forsook God, and did ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter i occasion of writing relative.htm

The Scattering of the People
... How little they dreamt that the Jews' most precious possession ... the Book which told
them all they knew of God. Indeed, not until the people were forced to live ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter v the scattering of.htm

That the Jews have Fallen under the Heavy Wrath of God Because ...
... 1. That the Jews have fallen under the heavy wrath of God because they. have forsaken
the Lord, and have followed idols. In Exodus the people said to Aaron ...
/.../cyprian/three books of testimonies against the jews/1 that the jews have.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... the greatest and richest city in the whole earth; all other nations will bow down
before us, acknowledging that the Jews alone are the chosen people of God.'. ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter ix the destruction of.htm

The Jews Expound These Signs Jejunely and Feebly, and Take up ...
... Chapter CXII."The Jews expound these signs jejunely and feebly, and ... the lawgiver
did, when he, without forsaking God, persuaded the people to hope ...
/.../chapter cxii the jews expound these.htm

Why do Jews and Arabs / Muslims hate each other? | GotQuestions.org

Why didn't all the Jews want to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:5-6)? | GotQuestions.org

Jewish Questions - questions from Jews and about Judaism | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus