יְהוּדִי

𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤉

Yehudi

H3064 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ידה to praise, to confess, to give thanks

Definition

An individual belonging to or descended from the tribe of Judah; in later periods, an inhabitant of the territory of Judah (Judahite, Judean). In the Persian and Hellenistic periods, the term expands to refer generally to members of the community defined by residence in Yehud and adherence to its laws and customs; eventually associated with a religious-ethnic identity. Its semantic range includes tribal, geographic, and communal-diasporic senses.

Semantic Range

a member of the tribe of Judah, an inhabitant of the kingdom or territory of Judah, a resident of Yehud (Persian province), member of the post-exilic Judean community, adherent of Judean customs; later: Jew (religious-ethnic sense)

Root / Etymology

From the root ידה (to praise, give thanks) via the name יְהוּדָה (Judah). יְהוּדִי is a gentilic formation with the ל suffix, indicating descent from or association with Judah (the person, tribe, or territory).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the monarchic period, יְהוּדִי primarily refers to a member of the tribe of Judah or an inhabitant of the kingdom of Judah. Following the Babylonian exile, under Persian rule, Yehud became the name of the province centered on Jerusalem, and יְהוּדִי broadened to denote anyone belonging to this community, including those living in diaspora (Esther, Daniel). In the Hebrew Bible, it never refers to members of the northern tribes except by association through settlement or community participation post-exile. The term 'Jew' in English translations reflects the later, postbiblical religious and ethnic senses, but these connotations are anachronistic for most biblical occurrences. יְהוּדִי should be understood in its historical context: Judahite in monarchic texts, Judean in exilic and post-exilic texts, expanding towards a communal and eventually religious identity in the Second Temple period. Distinguished from related terms such as יִשְׂרָאֵלִי (Israelite), which designates descent from all tribes of Israel.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

patronymically from יְהוּדָה; a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah); Jew.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ידה (y-d-h) — to praise, to confess, to give thanks

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1184 בַּעֲלֵי יְהוּדָה Yah is praised
H1937 הוֹדְוָה to Praise-of-Yah
H3029 יְדָא the one giving thanks
H3034 יָדָה I will acknowledge him
H3035 יִדּוֹ Thanking-One

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3064-04 הַ/יְהוּדִ֖ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites 49
H3064-06 לַ/יְּהוּדִ֔ים layehudim HRd/Ngmpa to the Jews to the Judahites 7
H3064-03 הַ/יְּהוּדִ֔י hayehudi HTd/Aamsa the Jew the Judahite 6
H3064-07 וְ/הַ/יְּהוּדִ֣ים vehayehudim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the Jews the Judahites 3
H3064-11 יְהוּדִ֜י yehudi HNp Jewish Judahite 3
H3064-05 ה/יהודיים hyhvdyym HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites 3
H3064-12 יְהוּדִֽים yehudim HNgmpa Jews Judahites 3
H3064-10 ב/יהודיים vyhvdyym HRd/Ngmpa against the Jews among Judean men 2
H3064-01 בַּ/יְּהוּדִ֖ים bayehudim HRd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites 2
H3064-02 בִּ/יהוּדִ֥י bihudi HR/Ngmsa a Judean Judahite 1

Occurrences in Scripture

81 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3064-04 2 Kings 16:6 הַ/יְהוּדִ֖ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites
H3064-04 2 Kings 25:25 הַ/יְּהוּדִים֙ hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites
H3064-04 Jeremiah 32:12 הַ/יְּהוּדִ֔ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites
H3064-02 Jeremiah 34:9 בִּ/יהוּדִ֥י bihudi HR/Ngmsa a Judean Judahite
H3064-04 Jeremiah 38:19 הַ/יְּהוּדִ֗ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites
H3064-04 Jeremiah 40:11 הַ/יְּהוּדִ֡ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites
H3064-04 Jeremiah 40:12 הַ/יְּהוּדִ֗ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites
H3064-04 Jeremiah 41:3 הַ/יְּהוּדִ֗ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites
H3064-12 Jeremiah 43:9 יְהוּדִֽים yehudim HNgmpa of Judah Judahites
H3064-04 Jeremiah 44:1 הַ/יְּהוּדִ֔ים hayehudim HTd/Ngmpa the Jews the Judahites