I will take a stab at this one.
The Original Root of the Word
- The word “Jew” comes from the name of the tribe/kingdom of Judah (Hebrew: Yehudah).
- In Hebrew: Yehudah (יְהוּדָה) = Judah (the man, son of Jacob) / Yehudi (יְהוּדִי) = a person from Judah.
- In Greek (Septuagint & NT): Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios) = Judean or Jew.
- In Latin: Iudaeus.
- In English: “Jew” - an evolution through Old French (giu), Middle English (Iewe).
Early Usage in the Bible
- Old Testament: At first, “Yehudi” simply meant someone from the tribe or territory of Judah. Example: 2 Kings 16:6.
- After the Babylonian Exile (6th c. BC), the term broadened. Since Judah was the main surviving tribe (along with some Levites and Benjaminites), “Jew” came to mean any Israelite who adhered to the covenant and returned from exile.
- New Testament: Ioudaios is used broadly — not just for tribal Judah, but for the whole people identified with the Jewish religion and nation. Example: John 4:22, “salvation is from the Jews.”
The Shift in Meaning
- Originally: “Jew” = member of the tribe of Judah (narrow).
- Later OT / Second Temple Judaism: “Jew” = member of the people of Israel, especially those faithful to the Torah and Temple, regardless of exact tribal origin (broad).
- Today: “Jew” means someone belonging to the Jewish people, by religion or ethnicity, descended from the ancient Israelites.
Source of the Confusion
People hear that “the word Jew wasn’t in the Bible originally.”
Strictly speaking, the
English word “Jew” didn’t exist in biblical times — the Hebrew word was
Yehudi and the Greek was
Ioudaios. But the concept and the word’s equivalent did exist, just in those older languages. This is of course somewhat subjective and open to some debate. The meaning also shifted: first a geographic/tribal identity (Judah), later a broader religious/national identity (all Israelites).
The word
“Jew” ultimately comes from
Judah (Yehudah). In the Bible it first meant someone from the tribe or kingdom of Judah, but by the time of the New Testament it meant the whole people of Israel who followed the covenant. The modern English word is a translation of the Greek
Ioudaios and Hebrew
Yehudi. The “confusion” comes from the shift in scope: what began as a tribal/geographic label became a religious and ethnic one. The word semite or semitic (descendants from the tribe of Shem) has similar qualities and history/controversy. Something along the lines of "all jews are semites, but not all semites are jews".
From Israel to the Church
- The Orthodox Church teaches that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17).
- Those who receive Christ - Jews and Gentiles alike - become the “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16).
- St. Paul says: “Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” (Romans 9:6).
In other words, physical descent is not enough; faith in Christ is what unites someone to God’s people. Thus, in Orthodox understanding, the
Church is the continuation and fulfillment of Israel; not a replacement, but the true flowering of what Israel was and is meant to be.
What Happened to the Old Covenant?
After the rejection of Christ by many of the Jewish leaders, the Old Covenant sacrificial system
lost its salvific power. The Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, ending the priesthood and sacrifices of the Mosaic Law. From the Orthodox perspective, this was not an accident of history but a
sign that the Old Covenant had passed, and that salvation is now in Christ through the Church’s sacraments.
Rabbinic / Talmudic Judaism
After the Temple’s destruction, Judaism developed into what is now called
Rabbinic or Talmudic Judaism, centered not on the Temple and sacrifices but on the Torah, rabbinic teaching, and synagogue worship. Orthodoxy respects Jewish people as descendants of Abraham, but sees Rabbinic Judaism as
no longer possessing the fullness of God’s covenant, since that covenant is fulfilled in Christ.
The Sacraments and Birthright
The Church Fathers (e.g., St. Justin Martyr, St. John Chrysostom) taught that those who rejected Christ
forfeited the covenant blessings. The “birthright” of Israel now belongs to those united to Christ, the true Son of David and Seed of Abraham. Baptism and the Eucharist are the
new circumcision and sacrifice, given to the
New Israel,
the Church.
Modern State of Israel vs. Theological Israel
Orthodoxy
does not identify the modern State of Israel with the biblical Israel.
The modern state is a political entity, not a theological fulfillment. In Orthodox theology, the
Church, composed of all nations united in Christ, is the
true “Israel of God”. In Orthodox Christianity,
Christ is the fulfillment of Israel, and
the Church (Jews and Gentiles who believe in Him) is the New Israel.
The old sacrifices and Temple priesthood ended with Christ’s coming and the destruction of the Temple. Judaism after Christ preserved some aspects of the old faith but, in Orthodox eyes, no longer holds the sacraments or covenant in their fullness.
The modern state of Israel is seen as a political, not theological, entity.
