Dr. Couch, should we use the word Hebrew to describe Abraham’s other
children, such as Ishmael and grandson Esau? And what about the word
Jew?
The word “Hebrew” is first mentioned in Genesis 14:13 where it is
applied to Abram (Abraham). It was specifically applied to Abram since
he had “crossed over from the other side” of the River Euphrates. The
word is related to the word e’ber which means “the other side,” or to
come from the other side, i.e. of the Euphrates. However, interestingly,
the word refers to ancient times when there was one named Eber, who was
a descendant of Shem (Gen. 10:21-24). So the word had a reference point
in a name who probably came from Babylon, then in time was broadened
and specifically applied to Abraham in 14:13.
Up until Genesis 39:14 it is not mentioned again. So from chapters
14-39, it had an application only to Abraham. In 39:14 it is
specifically applied to Joseph. “See, he has brought in a Hebrew
(Joseph) to us to make sport of us,” Potiphar’s wife said. By the time
of Exodus 2:6, the word is applied only to Jacob’s children.
While the word originally had a broad meaning, in time, it focused
down to describe the Jewish descendants of Abraham, but specifically by
its usage, mainly those who are of the line of Abraham-Isaac-Jacob-and
Jacob’s twelve sons.
The word Hebrew(s) is used some forty-seven times in Scripture. Acts
21-26 speaks of the Hebrew dialect, which was probably Aramaic. Paul
calls himself a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Phil. 3:5). Thus we are safe now in
using the word Hebrew to refer only to the Jewish people. In proper
usage it would not now describe any of the Arabic peoples who come from
Ishmael, Esau, the children of Keturah (Abraham’s second wife), and
Abraham’s later concubines. A large group of what we call “Arabic”
people came through Keturah and the concubines (Gen. 25:1-4). Abraham
separated these children from the clan of Isaac so that there would be
no inheritance problems. He sent them eastward with gifts to get rid of
them (vv. 5-6).
The word Jew became a catch-all nickname for those of the tribe of
Judah, the largest tribe in Israel. And in time, it became a reference
word for all the descendants of Abraham-Isaac-Jacob-and Jacob’s twelve
sons. Paul calls himself a Jew though technically he was of the tribe of
Benjamin (Acts 21:39). The word Jew was first used in Esther 2:5. It is
used some thirty times throughout Scripture. It is used most often in
Esther (8 times), Acts (6 times), and Romans (8 times).
Paul places all of the Israelites under the description of “the
Jews.” The last use is in Colossians 3:11: “no distinction between Greek
and Jew.”
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
