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Bible Dictionaries
Judah
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
or The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia, B. C. 1755, Genesis 29:35 . His name appears honorably in the history of Joseph, Genesis 37:26,27 44:16-34; but disgracefully in that of Tamar his daughter-in-law, Genesis 38:1-30 . The dying benediction of Jacob foretells the superior power and prosperity of the family of Judah, and their continuance as chief of the Jewish race until the time of Christ, Genesis 49:8-12 . Though not the firstborn, Judah soon came to be considered as the chief of Jacob's children, and his tribe was the most powerful and numerous. The southeastern part of Palestine fell to their lot. See JUDEA . On the border of their territory was Jerusalem, the seat of the Jewish worship; and from Judah sprung David and his royal race, from which descended the Savior of the world.
After the return from the captivity, this tribe in some sort united in itself the whole Hebrew nation, who from that time were known only as Judaei, Jews, descendants of Judah. Judah-when named in contradistinction to Israel, Ephraim, the kingdom of the ten tribes, or Samaria-denotes the kingdom of Judah, and of David's descendants. See HEBREWS and KINGS. One of the principal distinctions of this tribe is, that it preserved the true religion, and the public exercise of the priesthood, with the legal ceremonies in the temple at Jerusalem; while the ten tribes gave themselves up to idolatry and the worship of the golden calves.
These files are public domain and are a derivative of the topics are from American Tract Society Bible Dictionary published in 1859.
Rand, W. W. Entry for 'Judah'. American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ats/j/judah.html. 1859.
