Judah (jû'dah), praise. 1. The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, was born in Mesopotamia. Genesis 29:35. The name was given as an expression of the mother's gratitude. We know more of him than of the other patriarchs except Joseph, whose life he saved, advising the sale. Genesis 37:26-28. His marriage, an incident in his son's life, and his intrigue with Tamar are recorded in Genesis 38:1-30. Judah became the surety for the safety of Benjamin on the second journey to Egypt. Genesis 43:3-10. His conduct is worthy of all praise, and his plea for Benjamin's liberty is one of the most touching speeches in the Bible. Genesis 44:14-34. He went down into Egypt with three sons. Genesis 46:12. The tribe of Judah was always large and prominent, vying with Ephraim for the supremacy. The prophetic blessing which his father pronounced on Judah, Genesis 49:8-12, is very remarkable. It describes the warlike character and gradually increasing strength of the tribe, comp. Numbers 2:3; Joshua 14:11; Joshua 15:1; Judges 1:1-2; 1 Chronicles 14:17; Psalms 18:40; Isaiah 29:1 (where its capital is called Ariel, "lion of God"); Revelation 5:5; the duration of its power—viz., until the coming of Christ, when Judæa became a province of Rome, comp. Luke 2:1-7; John 18:31; Acts 5:37; and the destruction of their city, a.d. 70, when the Christian dispensation had become established, compare Matthew 24:14; Acts 2:8; Romans 10:18, in the glory and triumph of the Messiah.

Bibliography Information
Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Judah'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/j/judah.html. 1893.

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People's Dictionary of the Bible

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Judah