Jews – descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Though the word itself is derived from the name of one of Jacob’s 12 sons – Judah – it applies to all of Jacob’s descendants.) Contrast with Gentiles.
- Ancient Jews – that is, Jews in the Bible – were called Israelites. Modern Jews living in modern Israel are called Israelis.
- Ancient Jews were also called Hebrews. The origin of this term is uncertain.
Gentiles – how Jews referred to non-Jewish people; thus, every human being was considered either a Jew or a Gentile.
Defined: Gentiles are simply people other than Jews, nations other than Israel. Thus, the Bible speaks of Israel and the nations; similarly, the people and the peoples (Ps 2:1), Jews and Gentiles (1 Cor 1:23). The following equivalencies generally prevail:
| the Jews | the Gentiles |
| the nation | the nations* |
| the people | the peoples* |
*Special Note: Sometimes, the expressions “the nations” and “the peoples” refer to all the nations (peoples) including Israel (the Jews). Context and time determines; and, given that Jesus Christ has already come again which means that the kingdom of God has come, its King (Jesus Christ) reigns over all the nations. Israel and America are judged according to the same standards as all the others.
As for NT usage, the expression “Jews and Greeks” is synonymous with the expression “Jews and Gentiles.” Sometimes the individual word “Greek” will be used as a synonym for “Gentile” even when the word “Jew” is not present in the sentence.
- Some of the OT Gentile nations and tribes:
- Ammonites – descendants of Ben-ammi, a descendant of Lot by his second-born daughter (Gen 19:36-38). aka “sons of Ammon.” Their god was Milcom (1 King 11:33; 2 King 23:13)
- Canaanites – descendants of Canaan (the son of Ham, who was a son of Noah) and inhabitants of the land of Canaan. They are often associated with other peoples with whom they shared the land of Canaan (as in Ex 33;2; Josh 9:1; Neh 9:8).
- Edomites – descendants of Esau (aka Edom – Gen 36:1, 8-9). aka “sons of Esau,” “sons of Edom.” Associated with Seir (as in “Mount Seir,” “land of Seir,” “hill country of Seir”), named for Seir the Horite. The Edomites dispossessed the Horites from the land of Seir just as the Israelites had dispossessed the Canaanites from Canaan (Deut 2:12, 22).
- Horites – associated with Mount Seir and with Seir the Horite (Gen 14:6; 36:20-21), dispossessed by the Edomites (Deut 2:12, 22).
- Moabites – descendants of Lot by his firstborn daughter (Gen 19:36-38). aka “sons of Moab.” Their god was Chemosh (1 King 11:33; 2 King 23:13).
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