Ἰσραηλίτης
Israēlítēs
G2475 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member of the people or nation descended from the patriarch Jacob (whose alternate name was Israel). Denotes one belonging to the ancestral, ethnic, or religious community of the historical Israelite people. In some contexts, it emphasizes lineage or heritage, while in others it may carry implications of participation in the covenant community or religious practices associated with ancient Israelite identity.
Semantic Range
descendant of Israel (Jacob), member of the people of Israel, person of Israelite lineage, one who claims ancestral or covenantal participation with Israel
Root / Etymology
Formed from Ἰσραήλ (Israel) with the adjectival suffix -ίτης (‑itēs), indicating association or belonging to. The suffix was commonly used in Greek to denote adherence, descent, or origin from a particular person or place (compare Κορινθίτης for 'Corinthian').
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Greek of the Hellenistic and Second Temple periods, Ἰσραηλίτης denoted a member of the historical people of Israel, typically with focus on descent from Jacob/Israel. The term appears infrequently in the Septuagint relative to Hebrew ישראלי (Israelite), and is used in the New Testament generally to emphasize legitimate or full descent from Israel (as in Romans 9:4, 11:1; 2 Corinthians 11:22), often as distinct from the more ambiguous Ἰουδαῖος (Judean). While 'Israelite' corresponds closely to the English usage for a member of the biblical people of Israel, English translations sometimes prefer 'Jew' or 'Judean' in contexts where Greek uses Ἰσραηλίτης. In Greek literature outside the biblical corpus, the term is essentially ethnic or genealogical, not religious in the modern sense. It may be used, especially in polemic or apologetic contexts, to assert a claim to ancestry, covenantal status, or particular privileges. Unlike Ἰουδαῖος, which could signify regional, ancestral, or religious identity, Ἰσραηλίτης is more specifically linked to descent from Jacob/Israel and does not primarily denote geographic association. English translations that use 'Jew' in places where Ἰσραηλίτης appears may obscure the intended reference to ancestral or covenantal lineage that differentiates it from other descriptors of the Judean community. This distinction is especially significant in passages where the author wishes to underline continuity with the ancestral people or to make claims regarding inheritance and promise.
Translation Consistency
‘Israelite’ is the natural, commonly used English noun that accurately names a member of the people descended from Jacob/Israel. It covers lineage, national, and covenantal senses in the SILEX definition and can be inflected to singular or plural as needed for consistency across all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Ἰσραήλ; an "Israelite", i.e. descendant of Israel (literally or figuratively):--Israelite.
Root Family
Ἰσραηλίτης (Israēlitēs) — descendant of Israel, member of Israel, one belonging to Israel
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2475-01 |
Ἰσραηλεῖται | israeleitai | N VOC M PL |
Israelites | O Israelites | O Israelites | 7 |
G2475-02 |
Ἰσραηλείτης | israeleites | N NOM M SG |
an Israelite | Israelite | Israelite | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2475-02 |
John 1:47 | Ἰσραηλείτης | israeleites | N NOM M SG |
an Israelite | Israelite | Israelite |
G2475-01 |
Acts 2:22 | Ἰσραηλεῖται | israeleitai | N VOC M PL |
of Israel | O Israelites | O Israelites |
G2475-01 |
Acts 3:12 | Ἰσραηλεῖται | israeleitai | N VOC M PL |
Israelites | O Israelites | O Israelites |
G2475-01 |
Acts 5:35 | Ἰσραηλεῖται | israeleitai | N VOC M PL |
of Israel | O Israelites | O Israelites |
G2475-01 |
Acts 13:16 | Ἰσραηλεῖται | israeleitai | N VOC M PL |
of Israel | O Israelites | O Israelites |
G2475-01 |
Acts 21:28 | Ἰσραηλεῖται | israeleitai | N VOC M PL |
Israelites | O Israelites | O Israelites |
G2475-01 |
Romans 9:4 | Ἰσραηλεῖται | israeleitai | N NOM M PL |
Israelites | O Israelites | Israelites |
G2475-02 |
Romans 11:1 | Ἰσραηλείτης | israeleites | N NOM M SG |
an Israelite | Israelite | Israelite |
G2475-01 |
2 Corinthians 11:22 | Ἰσραηλεῖταί | israeleitai | N NOM M PL |
Israelites | O Israelites | Israelites |