Have you ever been reading your Bible and suddenly wondered, “Who exactly are the Hebrews? Who are the Israelites?
And who are the Jews?” These terms come up over and over again in scripture.
Sometimes they seem interchangeable.
Other times they carry a very specific meaning. Yet for many Christians today, the distinctions aren’t clear.
Are they three words for the same people or do they point to something deeper?
That’s what we’re going to explore together in this video. By the time we’re finished, you’ll understand how the Bible itself defines these three identities and why understanding the difference can strengthen your own faith.
Jesus said in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” So stay with me because we’re going to trace the journey from Abraham the Hebrew to the children of Israel and finally to the Jews of the New Testament.
Let’s dive in. The first question we need to answer is this. Who are the Hebrews?
The very first time the word Hebrew shows up in scripture is in Genesis 14:13, which says, “Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew.” This is fascinating. Out of all the possible titles Abram could have been given, shepherd, wanderer, man of God, the text specifically calls him Abram the Hebrew.
So what does that actually mean?
The word Hebrew comes from the Hebrew root word avar which means to cross over to pass through to move from one side to another. Many scholars point out that this title is connected to Abraham’s defining act of obedience. When God called him out of Ur of the Shaldis and later from Haran, Abraham crossed over the Euphrates River into the land of Canaan.
That physical act of crossing over was also symbolic of something greater. He left behind a land of idolatry and entered into a covenant with the one true God.
He stepped away from his old identity and into the promise that he would become the father of many nations.
So when you hear Abram the Hebrew, think of it as a description of the man who crossed over. He crossed from his old life into a new one.
From a homeland filled with idols into the land of promise.
From being an unknown wanderer to becoming the father of faith.
Hebrew then is not simply an ethnic label. It’s a covenant identity. It marks Abraham as someone called out and set apart for God. And this title didn’t stop with him.
In Genesis 40:15, while Joseph is in prison in Egypt, he says, “I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, Joseph identified himself with that covenant family line, even though he was in a foreign land.” In Exodus 1, when Pharaoh gave the command to kill the male babies, he specifically told it to the Hebrew midwives.
The Egyptians clearly recognized the descendants of Abraham as Hebrews. To them, the Hebrews were different. People who worshiped one God instead of many.
Throughout much of the Old Testament, the term Hebrew is often used by outsiders when they refer to God’s people.
The Egyptians, the Philistines, and other nations called them Hebrews.
Even in 1st Samuel 14:11, the Philistines mock them, saying, “Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” In the mouths of the nations, the word carried a sense of separation.
These are not like us. These are the ones who have crossed over into a unique identity.
So to sum up, Hebrew is the earliest label given to God’s people. It’s not primarily about ethnicity. It’s about covenant. Abraham was called the Hebrew because he left behind everything to follow God. His descendants carried that name as a reminder that they too were people set apart. Now let’s move to the next question. Who are the Israelites?
Abraham’s grandson Jacob plays a central role here in Genesis 32:28.
After wrestling all night with the angel of the Lord, Jacob is given a new name, Israel. The angel tells him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel.
For you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” From that moment on, Jacob’s identity shifts. He is no longer just Jacob the man. He is Israel, the one who wrestled with God and overcame. Out of Jacob, now Israel, came 12 sons. And those sons became the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphali, Gad, and Asher.
This is where the term Israelite originates. An Israelite is literally a descendant of Jacob, the man renamed Israel.
Exodus 1:7 paints a vivid picture of their growth. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty, and the land was filled with them. What began as a single family in Canaan grew into a vast nation in Egypt. And when God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush, he identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
By this name, he tied himself directly to the people of Israel. From this point on, the identity of Israelite is central throughout the Old Testament.
They are the covenant nation God brought out of Egypt, guided through the wilderness, and led into the promised land.
In Deuteronomy 7:6, God declares, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” To be an Israelite was to be part of that covenant nation, chosen and set apart.
But history took a dramatic turn after the reign of King Solomon. The once united kingdom of Israel split in two.
The northern kingdom kept the name Israel and was made up of 10 tribes.
The southern kingdom was called Judah and consisted of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and many Levites who ministered in the temple.
Sadly, the northern kingdom fell rapidly into idolatry.
They set up golden calves, rejected the temple in Jerusalem, and ignored the warnings of prophets like Elijah, Hosea, and Amos.
Eventually, God’s judgment came.
In 722 BC, the Assyrians conquered Samaria and carried the northern tribes away into exile. These became known as the lost tribes of Israel. From that time forward, Israel as a United Kingdom never returned. Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Judah endured. Jerusalem remained its capital and the temple continued to be the center of worship.
Though Judah also struggled with sin and rebellion, God preserved them because of his covenant with David. In 2 Kings 8:19, it says, “Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David, his servant’s sake. as he promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
From this remnant nation came the next great identity in scripture, the Jews.
Before we move into that, let’s pause and reflect. Notice the progression.
Hebrew begins with Abraham, the man who crossed over into covenant.
Israelite begins with Jacob, the man renamed after wrestling with God, whose family became a nation.
Each identity builds upon the last, becoming more specific, more tied to the unfolding covenant story. And that brings us to the third identity. Who are the Jews? The word Jew comes from the name Judah, one of Jacob’s 12 sons.
Judah’s descendants became one of the most influential tribes of Israel. In Genesis 49:10, Jacob prophesies over his son Judah, saying, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the people.” From the very beginning, Judah’s tribe was marked for leadership.
It was out of Judah that the kings of Israel would arise. David, Solomon, and ultimately the Messiah himself, Jesus Christ. When the kingdom divided, Judah became the heart of the southern kingdom.
Alongside them were the tribe of Benjamin and many Levites who continued temple service.
So when the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Assyria, only Judah remained and the people of the southern kingdom came to be known collectively as Yehud, the Jews. When Babylon eventually turned its power toward Judah, devastation followed.
2 Kings 25 describes how Nebuchadnezzar’s forces besieged Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and carried the people into captivity. Those who once proudly bore the name of Israel were now scattered in a foreign land.
But even in exile, their identity endured.
They weren’t called Israelites anymore in everyday speech. They were increasingly known as Jews.
By the time of the Babylonian exile, the name Jew had become the most common label for God’s covenant people.
For example, Ezra 4:12 records the enemies of God’s people writing to the Persian king, saying, “Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem.
They are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city.” Notice how they are identified here not as Israelites but as Jews.
The name Jew was now firmly established.
Even the book of Esther which takes place during the Persian period consistently uses the word Jew. Esther 2:5 says, “In Shushan, the citadel, there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordei, the son of Jer, the son of Shime, the son of Kish, a Benjamite.” Did you catch that? Morai was from the tribe of Benjamin, not Judah. And yet, he was still called a Jew. This shows us something important. By this time, the name Jew no longer applied only to those from Judah’s tribe.
Instead, it had become the umbrella term for all those who belonged to the covenant people of the southern kingdom, Judah, Benjamin, Levi, and any others who remained faithful to God’s law.
Fast forward to the New Testament, and you’ll see how this title dominated.
When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, they asked in Matthew 2:2, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” At Jesus’s trial, Pilate asked him directly in John 18:33, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And when Jesus was crucified, the sign above his head declared in Matthew 27:37, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” From his birth to his death, Jesus was consistently identified as a Jew, the son of David, the heir of Judah’s line, the line of the tribe of Judah. So, let’s pause and think about this progression. Hebrew begins with Abraham, the one who crossed over. Israelite begins with Jacob, the one who wrestled with God and whose family became a nation.
Jew begins with Judah, the tribe that endured, preserved through exile and gave the world the Messiah.
Each step narrows the identity further while still building on what came before.
The Apostle Paul himself illustrates how these identities overlap and connect. In Romans 11:1, Paul writes, “For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin.” Here Paul is making three claims about who he is. First, he’s an Israelite, meaning he is a direct descendant of Jacob.
Second, he’s of the seed of Abraham, showing his connection back to the original covenant family, the Hebrews.
And third, he’s of the tribe of Benjamin.
which in his day would have marked him as a Jew because Benjamin was part of the southern kingdom. In Philippians 3:5, Paul goes even further describing himself as circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee.
Notice again how he embraces all three identities. He calls himself an Israelite by lineage, a Hebrew of Hebrews by heritage, and a Jew by his cultural and religious life in Judah’s community. In Paul’s story, we see how all three terms can be true at once, but each shines light on a different layer of his identity. So, now that we’ve defined each one, Hebrew, Israelite, and Jew, let’s bring it together.
How do these three fit within the grand story of God’s covenant?
The title Hebrew takes us back to the very beginning with Abraham. Genesis 14:13 calls him Abram the Hebrew.
This was the earliest identity of God’s people, marking Abraham as the man who crossed over. Every descendant of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob could be called a Hebrew.
But remember, Abraham also had other descendants like Ishmael and Esau.
They too were technically Hebrews since they were Abraham’s seed. That means not every Hebrew is an Israelite. The title Israelite narrows the focus. This name is tied specifically to Jacob, the man renamed Israel.
From his 12 sons came the 12 tribes of Israel. An Israelite was not just any Hebrew. An Israelite was a member of that covenant nation descended from Jacob.
But after the kingdom split and the northern tribes were taken into captivity, the word Israelite was used less in daily life, though it remained a powerful ancestral title.
The title Jew is the narrowest of the three.
It originates from Judah, one of Jacob’s sons, whose descendants formed the southern kingdom after Israel split.
When the northern tribes were exiled, only Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites remained.
Over time, everyone from that southern kingdom, no matter their exact tribe, came to be known as Jews. By the New Testament era, Jew had become the universal label for God’s people.
So, think of it this way. Every Jew is an Israelite because they descend from Jacob’s family.
Every Israelite is a Hebrew because they descend from Abraham the Hebrew. But not every Hebrew is an Israelite. Abraham’s other descendants fall into that category. And not every Israelite is a Jew because the Jews specifically came from the southern kingdom of Judah.
Rather than being contradictions, these three names are layers of identity.
Hebrew speaks of origin, those who crossed over with Abraham. Israelite speaks of nationhood, the covenant people descended from Jacob. Jew speaks of survival and continuity. The remnant preserved through exile from whom the Messiah came.
Each term tells part of the larger story of how God kept his promises from Abraham to Jacob to Judah and ultimately to Christ.
Revelation 5:5 declares, “Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” That lion of Judah, Jesus, is the ultimate fulfillment of them all. At this point, you might be wondering, why does this matter for us today? Why spend so much time sorting out the differences between Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews?
The reason is simple. The Bible uses these names to reveal something deeper about identity with God. And that identity has always been about more than bloodline. It has always been about covenant and about the heart.
Paul makes this crystal clear in Romans 2:28-29 when he says, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, not in the letter.” Do you see the shift here? To God, being part of his people has never been about outward appearances alone.
It’s not just about being born into the right family or performing the right rituals. It’s about the heart. It’s about being set apart on the inside for God.
This means that while Abraham, Jacob, and Judah gave us the identities of Hebrew, Israelite, and Jew, in Christ there is something even greater.
There is a new identity, a new creation identity that is open to all who believe. In Jesus, God has united Jew and Gentile alike into one household of faith.
Galatians 3:28-29 puts it beautifully.
There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and hes according to the promise.
That means if you belong to Christ, you are counted as Abraham’s seed. You share in the promises given to Abraham, not because of bloodline, but because of faith.
Romans 4:16 says, “Therefore, it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed.” That includes not only those of the law, but also those who walk in the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. So what does all of this mean in practical terms? If the promises given to Abraham, to Israel, and to the Jews now flow to us through Christ, then the blessings they carried are blessings available to us as well. Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed in the Lord and he accounted it to him for righteousness.
Romans 4:3 repeats the same truth. The blessing of justification by faith, the very thing that made Abraham righteous, is ours in Christ.
Deuteronomy 7:6 declared that Israel was God’s treasured possession, set apart above all peoples.
Through Christ, we too are called God’s treasured people, no matter our earthly background.
And Hebrews 9:15 points us to an eternal inheritance guaranteed through the new covenant.
Every blessing that once belonged to Abraham, Israel, and the Jews now extends to all who believe in Jesus.
This is why Paul could write in Romans 9:6, “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel.” What he means is that being part of God’s covenant family has never been just about bloodline.
True Israel has always been defined by faith. And now through Christ, Gentiles like you and me are grafted into that family tree. Ephesians 2:19 says it clearly. Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
That changes everything. It means you don’t need to have been born into Abraham’s bloodline to be part of God’s family. You need to be born again in Christ. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Identity with God isn’t about where you were born. It’s about whether you’ve been born again. Think about it this way. Each of these identities, Hebrew, Israelite, and Jew, ultimately points us to Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of every promise, the embodiment of every covenant, and the center of all history. As a Hebrew, Jesus fulfills Abraham’s covenant. Galatians 3:16 tells us, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.” He does not say and to seeds as of many but as of one and to your seed who is Christ. Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham. He is the one through whom all nations are blessed.
When Abraham crossed over in faith, it was ultimately pointing forward to Christ. The one who would invite the whole world to cross over from death to life. As an Israelite, Jesus fulfills the promises given to Jacob and his descendants. Matthew 2:6 quotes the prophet Micah saying, “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” Jesus is that shepherd. He is the faithful Israelite who obeyed God perfectly where the nation of Israel so often failed. While Israel wandered in the wilderness, Jesus walked in obedience.
While Israel stumbled into sin, Jesus fulfilled the law in the prophets. In him, all the promises to Israel find their yes and amen, as 2 Corinthians 1:20 reminds us. And as a Jew, Jesus fulfills the promises given to Judah.
Revelation 5:5 declares, “Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the rightful heir to David’s throne, the Messiah, Israel, long awaited. Even Pilate’s inscription on the cross declared it for all to see. Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
Genesis 49:10 said, “The scepter would not depart from Judah until Shiloh came.” That prophecy found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
So whether you look at him as a Hebrew, as an Israelite, or as a Jew, Jesus is the culmination of every layer of God’s covenant plan. In him, the story of Abraham, Jacob, and Judah all come together. And in him, we who were once outsiders are now invited into the covenant family of God. That’s why Paul writes in Galatians 3:28-29.
There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and hes according to the promise. Do you see what that means?
Through Christ, you inherit the blessings of Abraham. Through Christ, you share in the promises made to Israel. Through Christ, you enter into the hope carried by the Jews. He unites us all into one family of faith.
So today, let’s bring it all together.
The Hebrews were the family of faith beginning with Abraham, the man who crossed over. The Israelites were the covenant nation born from Jacob, organized into 12 tribes. The Jews were the people of Judah, preserved through exile, from whom came the Messiah, and through Jesus, the Hebrew of Hebrews, the true Israelite, the lion of Judah, we are all invited into the same covenant promise.
Galatians 4:28 reminds us, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” That means you and I, by faith in Christ, share in that same promise. We are part of God’s covenant family. And here’s why that matters for your daily life. First, it reminds us that God is faithful. He kept his promises across centuries through Abraham, Jacob, Judah, exile, and restoration until Christ was born. If God kept his word, then he will keep his word to you now. Whatever he has promised in scripture, you can trust it will come to pass.
Second, it reminds us that faith, not bloodline, is what truly defines us.
You don’t have to come from the right family or background to belong to God.
What matters is whether you’ve placed your faith in Christ and been born again.
That’s what brings you into his household.
So the next time you hear the words Hebrew, Israelite, or Jew in your Bible reading, remember the story they tell.
They’re not just old labels from history. They’re part of the unfolding plan of redemption that leads us straight to Christ.
And in him, those identities expand to include you and me, grafted into God’s covenant family by faith. If this teaching has helped bring clarity to your understanding of the Bible, don’t keep it to yourself.
Like this video so others can discover these truths as well. Subscribe if you want more Bible-based teaching every week and let’s make it interactive. Drop a comment below with these words. I am Abraham’s seed through Christ. Let’s declare together the truth of who we are in him. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you as you walk in his truth. And may you remember that in Jesus, the Hebrew of Hebrews, the true Israelite, and the lion of Judah, you are a child of promise.
The Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews: A Descriptive Summary
In this exploration, we trace three pivotal identities in the Bible—Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews—and uncover how each term deepens our understanding of God’s covenant people. The journey begins with Abraham, moves through Jacob, and culminates in Judah and the Messiah. Along the way, we see that these labels are not mere bloodlines but levels of covenant belonging that point to Christ and shape faith today.
Identities, and Relationships
- Hebrew: covenant before culture
- The first occurrence of the term Hebrew is Genesis 14:13: “Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew.”
- Meaning: derived from avar, “to cross over.” It marks a person who crosses from an old life into God’s promise.
- Symbolic act: Abraham’s crossing of the Euphrates into Canaan signals a spiritual shift—away from idolatry toward the one true God.
- Identity: not merely ethnicity, but a covenant identity: a calling-out people set apart for God.
- Examples across Scripture show outsiders recognizing them as Hebrews, underscoring separation from other nations.
- ** takeaway**: being Hebrew begins with crossing over—a life defined by covenant faith.
- Israelite: nationhood within the covenant
- Jacob’s renaming to Israel in Genesis 32:28 marks a new identity: “you have wrestled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
- Origin: from Jacob, who becomes the father of twelve tribes.
- Formation: the patriarchs’ descendants form a growing nation—Israel—whose story is told through exodus, wilderness, and conquest.
- Significance: Israelites are the covenant people chosen to bear God’s purposes, a nation centered on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- After Solomon, the kingdom splits: the northern tribes remain Israel; the southern tribes become Judah.
- Note: Israelite identity intensifies during exile and restoration but remains tied to covenant loyalty and worship.
- Jew: survival, leadership, and Messianic lineage
- The tribe of Judah becomes central to leadership, prophecy, and the Messiah.
- In the divided kingdom, Judah (and Benjamin with Levites) remains, while the northern tribes are exiled.
- Over time, the term Jew emerges as the umbrella label for those from the southern kingdom who remained faithful to God’s law.
- Babylonian exile solidifies the label: “the Jews” becomes common language for God’s people.
- In the New Testament, Jesus is consistently identified as a Jew—king of the Jews, descendant of Judah and the line of David.
- Paul’s overlapping identity: unity in Christ
- Romans 11:1: Paul aligns three identities: Israelite (Jacob’s descendant), seed of Abraham (Hebrew lineage), and tribe of Benjamin (a Jew’s ethnographic marker).
- Philippians 3:5 emphasizes being “a Hebrew of the Hebrews” and a Pharisee, embodying all three layers.
- Galatians 3:28–29 proclaims spiritual unity in Christ: there is neither Jew nor Greek; all are one in Jesus.
- The player is clear: these identities can converge in one person, especially in the life and mission of Paul.
- Christ as the fulfillment
- Jesus embodies the Hebrew through Abraham’s promises (Galatians 3:16) and the Israelite promises through Jacob’s line (Matthew 2:6; 2 Corinthians 1:20).
- He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) and the rightful heir to David’s throne (Genesis 49:10).
- In Christ, the distinctions broaden into a unified, faith-based identity.
Practical Takeaways and Structural Clues
- Sequential narrowing: Hebrew → Israelite → Jew. Each step tightens belonging while enlarging the scope of covenant fulfillment.
- Faith as the criterion: Hebrew and Israelite identities sit on covenant faith; Jew status becomes inclusive of faithful remnant from Judah and surrounding tribes.
- Gentile inclusion: Galatians 3:28–29 and Romans 4:16 show that faith in Christ grafts non-Israelites into Abraham’s family, making them part of God’s promises.
- Heart over ritual: Romans 2:28–29 reframes true Jewish identity as inward, not outward. Covenant faith rests on the heart, not merely bloodline or ritual.
- Identity in Christ as daily reality:
- Believers share in Abraham’s righteousness by faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3).
- Believers are God’s treasured possession and fellow citizens with the saints (Ephesians 2:19).
- Born again, not born into a lineage, defines Kingdom membership (John 3:3).
- Scriptural connectivity:
- Hebrew origins anchor the earliest faith call.
- Israelite identity anchors the nation’s covenant experience.
- Jewish identity anchors the line leading to the Messiah.
- Christ unites all three into one faith-family.
- Covenant continuity: The promises to Abraham, Israel, and the Jews are carried forward through Christ; blessings are available to all who believe (Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:29).
Conclusion
- The three labels illuminate a single, unfolding story: God’s people moved from crossing over in faith, to forming a covenant nation, to preserving the line of the Messiah, and finally to inviting all who believe into that promised lineage.
- Jesus stands at the convergence: He is the Hebrew of Hebrews, the faithful Israelite, the Lion of Judah, and the fulfillment of every covenant.
- Living in light of this truth means embracing faith over birthright, adoption over lineage, and heart transformation over outward display.
- As you read the Bible, let these identities guide you toward deeper trust: God’s promises are kept, not by human pedigree, but by divine faithfulness and the transformative work of Christ.
- If this perspective feels clarifying, share it with others, invite dialogue, and recommit to walking in the Spirit of the gospel.
Bible-centered recap (at a glance)
- Hebrew: Abraham’s crossing over; covenant identity.
- Israelite: Jacob’s covenant nation; twelve tribes.
- Jew: Judah’s line; southern kingdom; lineage to the Messiah.
- Christ’s role: Fulfillment of all three; creation of a new, inclusive family of faith.
- Life application: Faith defines belonging; being born again is the doorway into God’s promises.
- Final note: The promise remains true for all who trust in Jesus—Abraham’s seed, heir to the promises, and part of God’s eternal covenant.
