Lexical Definition

‎יְהוּדָה‎ Yᵉhûwdâh (yeh-hoo-daw') Judah ^N:N-M-P
from ‎יָדָה‎; celebrated

Judah.

• § Judah = "praised"
• Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites
• also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory

1) the son of Jacob by Leah
2) the tribe descended from Judah the son of Jacob
3) the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah
4) the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon
5) a Levite in Ezra's time
6) an overseer of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah
7) a Levite musician in the time of Nehemiah
8) a priest in the time of Nehemiah

See Greek: Ἰουδά · Ἰούδας

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎יְהוּדָה‎₈₂₀ proper name, masculine and of a territory Judah (treated Gen 29:35; Gen 49:8 (q. v. below) as if derived from Hoph`al of ‎ידה‎ = praised, object of praise (on ‎ה‎ compare Hiph`il ‎אֲהוֺדֶ֑נּוּ‎ Ps 28:7, ‎יְהוֺדֶה‎ Neh 11:17), but this dubious; relation to ‎יְהֻד‎, II. ‎יְהוּדִית‎: unexplained; see further Jastr^{JBL xii, 1898, 61 ff.}; Assyrian Ia-u-du, of land; Ia-u-da-ai, Judaean COT^Gloss) —

I. proper name, masculine 1. son of Jacob and Leah, explained by Leah's words I will praise ‎׳‎‎י‎ Gen 29:35 (J); compare Jacob's prediction, thy brethren shall praise thee Gen 49:8 (poem in J E), see also vGen 49:9 vGen 49:10 elsewhere Gen 37:26; Gen 38:1 + 14 t. Gen 38; Gen 43:3; Gen 43:8; Gen 44:14; Gen 44:16; Gen 44:18; Gen 46:28 (all J), Gen 35:23 (P), 1Chr 2:1; 1Chr 2:3; Ruth 4:12 ‎בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה‎ sons of Judah Gen 46:12; Num 26:19 (P), 1Chr 2:3; 1Chr 2:4; 1Chr 4:1.

2. tribe descended from Judah Deut 33:7 (poem), Num 1:7 (P), Deut 27:12 +; ‎בְּנֵי יהודה‎ Num 1:26; Josh 14:6 (D), Judg 1:8 +; ‎שֵׁבֶט יהודה‎ Josh 7:16 (J), 1Kgs 12:20; 2Kgs 17:18; Ps 78:68 ‎מַטֵּה בְנֵי יהודה‎ Josh 15:1; Josh 15:20; Josh 15:21; Josh 21:9 (all P), 1Chr 6:50* elsewhere ‎מַטֵּה‎ ‎יהודה‎ Exod 31:2; Exod 35:30; Exod 38:22; Num 1:27; Num 7:12; Num 13:6; Num 34:19; Josh 7:1; Josh 7:18; Josh 21:4 (all P); ‎אישׁ יהודה‎ Judg 15:20 +; ‎אנשׁי יהודה‎ 2Sam 2:4 +, (compare amelûti [ƒabê] Ia-u-du Tel el-Amarna^{No. 39} Jastr^{JBL xii, 1893, 64}).

3. nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel: Hos 4:15; Jer 2:28; 2Chr 12:12 +; of the returned exiles Neh 4:4* ‎עַם יהודה‎ 2Kgs 14:21 = 2Chr 26:1; Jer 25:1; Jer 25:2; Ezra 4:4 ‎בְּנֵי יהודה‎ Hos 2:2*; Jer 7:30; 2Chr 13:18; 2Chr 25:12; 2Chr 28:10 ‎בֵּית יהודה‎ Hos 1:7; Jer 3:18; Ezek 4:6 +; ‎מַלְכוּת‎ ‎יהודה‎ 2Chr 11:17 personified, ‎׳‎‎בַּת י‎ Lam 1:15; Lam 2:2; Lam 2:5.

4. Levite, Ezra's time, Ezra 10:23.

5. an over-seer of Jerusalem Neh 11:9.

6. Levite musician Neh 12:8.

7. priest Neh 12:36.

II. proper name, of a territory land of Judah, feminine Isa 7:6; Jer 23:6 = Jer 33:16; Joel 4:30; Ps 114:2 +; ‎ארץ יְהוּדָה‎ 1Sam 22:5; 2Kgs 23:24 +; ‎אדמת יהודה‎ Isa 19:17 ‎עָרֵי יהודה‎ 2Sam 2:1; 1Kgs 12:17; 2Kgs 18:13; 2Kgs 23:5; 2Kgs 23:8; Isa 40:9; Isa 44:26; Zech 1:12; Ps 69:36*; Lam 5:11 elsewhere 15 t. Chronicles, 23 t. Jeremiah; ‎בִּיהודה‎ Judg 15:9 +; ‎מיהודה‎ 1Kgs 13:1 +; ‎הר יהודה‎ the hill-country of Judah Josh 11:21(D), Josh 20:7; Josh 21:11 (P), 2Chr 27:4 ‎נֶגֶב יהודה‎ the south (country) of Judah 1Sam 27:10; 2Sam 24:7 ‎מדבר יהודה‎ Judg 1:16; Ps 63:1* (title).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References