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

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.23

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

Book	Refs
Genesis	29:35 · 35:23 · 37:26 · Chapter 38 · 38:1 · 43:3 · 43:8 · 44:14 · 44:16 · 44:18 · 46:12 · 46:28 · 49:8 · 49:9 · 49:10
Exodus	31:2 · 35:30 · 38:22
Numbers	1:7 · 1:26 · 1:27 · 7:12 · 13:6 · 26:19 · 34:19
Deuteronomy	27:12 · 33:7
Joshua	7:1 · 7:16 · 7:18 · 11:21 · 14:6 · 15:1 · 15:20 · 15:21 · 20:7 · 21:4 · 21:9 · 21:11
Judges	1:8 · 1:16 · 15:9 · 15:20
Ruth	4:12
1 Samuel	22:5 · 27:10
2 Samuel	2:1 · 2:4 · 24:7
1 Kings	12:17 · 12:20 · 13:1
2 Kings	14:21 · 17:18 · 18:13 · 23:5 · 23:8 · 23:24
1 Chronicles	2:1 · 2:3 · 2:4 · 4:1 · 6:50*
2 Chronicles	11:17 · 12:12 · 13:18 · 25:12 · 26:1 · 27:4 · 28:10
Ezra	4:4 · 10:23
Nehemiah	4:4* · 11:9 · 11:17 · 12:8 · 12:36
Psalms	28:7 · 63:1* · 69:36* · 78:68 · 114:2
Isaiah	7:6 · 19:17 · 40:9 · 44:26
Jeremiah	2:28 · 3:18 · 7:30 · 23:6 · 25:1 · 25:2 · 33:16
Lamentations	1:15 · 2:2 · 2:5 · 5:11
Ezekiel	4:6
Hosea	1:7 · 2:2* · 4:15
Joel	4:30
Zechariah	1:12

Profile

Male • Returned divorcee • A Levite who married a foreign woman

Man living at the time of Exile and Return

Judah was one of the Levites who had married foreign women during the time of Ezra and agreed to put them away.

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.23;
• only referred to as Judah יְהוּדָה.

Judah is mentioned in Ezra 10:23 as one of the Levites who had married foreign women during the post-exilic period. The context of the passage is Ezra's reforms and the issue of intermarriage between the Israelites and the pagan peoples of the land (Ezra 9-10).

Upon learning of the widespread intermarriage, Ezra led the people in confession and repentance (Ezra 9:1-10:4). The Israelites made a covenant to put away their foreign wives and children (Ezra 10:5). Judah is listed among the Levites who had married foreign women and agreed to send them away (Ezra 10:23).

This event highlights the importance of maintaining religious and cultural purity among the Israelites, especially in the post-exilic period when they were re-establishing their identity and covenant relationship with God.

All entries for Judah: יְהוּדָה