Expanded Version. Proofs that the Jews of Today are Judah of the Bible
The Bible proves that the present-days Jewish People are Judah. To many this may seem obvious BUT there are those who deny it. Here are conclusive proofs. These are answers worth being aware of. This is part of Biblical Learning and is of interest in its own right. It is evidence of the Truth and incredible accuracy of Biblical prophecy!
We have proven that the Biblical term "Judah" means the Jews of today through Twenty-Three Points:
[For more details on the points below see our other writings, especially
"Chosen People. The Descendants of Joseph and the Ten Tribes among English-Speaking Nations and the Jews of Judah," by Yair Davidiy, Israel 2015.
http://hebrewnations.com/publications/books/chosen-people.html
http://britam.org/Chosen.html
For a shorter version without Biblical Quotations in full, see: 25 Jewish Identifiers.
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1. The Other Tribes will acknowledge Judah: Genesis 49: 8, Zechariah 8: 23.
Genesis 49:
8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you [Hebrew: yoducha, i.e. acknowledge you];
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father's sons shall bow down to you.
Zechariah 8:
23 Thus says the LORD of Hosts, In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
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2. Judah will always be Recognizable! Genesis 49: 10.
Genesis 49:
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Preferably translated as:
Genesis 49:
10 The scepter [Hebrew: "shevet" meaning both "staff" as well as "Tribe" i.e. His descendants shall be recognized as the Tribe of Judah]
shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a Lawmaker from between his feet [i.e. from his descendants] for ever [Hebrew: "ad"]
Shiloh will come,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
See:
Judah as Rulers.
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3. Judah was to Keep and Develop the Law: Psalms 60:9, 108:90; Genesis 49:10 (see no.2 above); Zechariah 8:23 (see no.2 above).
Psalms 60:
9 Judah is My Lawmaker [repeated in 108:90].
Hosea 11:
12 Ephraim compasses me about with lies, and the House of Israel with deceit: but JUDAH yet rules with God, and is faithful with the Holy Ones.
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4. Judah in Exile was to be persecuted: Zechariah 1:15, Zechariah 8:13, Isaiah ch.53, Isaiah 42:10, Psalm 44:22.
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Zechariah 1:
15 But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.
"they furthered the disaster" should be rendered as "they helped deleteriously" i.e. they did more negatively than they should have against Judah.
Zechariah 8:
13 It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.
[ i.e. The House of Judah and those of the other Tribes attached to Judah will have been considered a curse among the Gentiles.]
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Isaiah 53 describes the 'suffering servant'. This description fits the Jews in Exile, e.g.
[Isaiah 53:3] HE IS DESPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN; A MAN OF SORROWS, AND ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF: AND WE HID AS IT WERE OUR FACES FROM HIM; HE WAS DESPISED, AND WE ESTEEMED HIM NOT.
This is the Gentiles speaking about Judah and about how they despised and oppressed him.
[Isaiah 53:4] SURELY HE HATH BORNE OUR GRIEFS, AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS: YET WE DID ESTEEM HIM STRICKEN, SMITTEN OF GOD, AND AFFLICTED.
The Jew suffered due to other people. He was the first victim, the eternal scape-goat for the faults and misfortunes of others.
He was considered accursed yet his affliction was due to our imposing upon him the results of our own calamities.
[Isaiah 53:5] BUT HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES: THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM; AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.
The Jew was punished for the sins of others.
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Psalms 44:
22 But for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
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5. The Jews will have kept the four fasts lamenting Destruction of the Temple (Zechariah 8:19).
Zechariah 8:
19 Thus says the LORD of Hosts, The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the House of Judah; so love truth and peace.
[These four fast are the four fastdays the Jews still keep to mourn the destruction of the First and Second Temples:
THE FAST OF THE FOURTH MONTH, -17th Tammuz
THE FAST OF THE FIFTH, - 9th of Av
AND THE FAST OF THE SEVENTH, - 3rd of Tishrei (Gedaliah)
AND THE FAST OF THE TENTH, - 10th Tebeth (Tevet).
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6. The Jews will be known as Israel (Isaiah 48:1).
HEAR YE THIS, O HOUSE OF JACOB, WHICH ARE CALLED BY THE NAME OF ISRAEL, AND ARE COME FORTH OUT OF THE WATERS OF JUDAH [Isaiah 48:1].
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7. Judah will begin to return to the Land of Israel and develop it. This will be before the Ten Tribes come back (Micah 4:8, Hosea 6:11).
Micah 4:
8 As for you, tower of the flock,
Hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come
Even the former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
Hosea 6:
11 Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you,
When I restore the fortunes of My people.
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8. The Ten Tribes will have gotten lost (Isaiah 24:3, 49:13-14, 21 Hosea 1:8, Jeremiah 3:6-7) not Judah (Ezra 2:2 2:59 2:70 3:1 etc., Ezekiel 2:3, 3:5 8:10 8:11 9:8 14:1, etc.) .
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9. At first Judah will be reluctant to recognize Joseph (Isaiah 49:21) but eventually Judah and Joseph will re-unite (Ezekiel ch.37).
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10. In their Places of Exile Judah will have been defenseless (Hosea 1:7, Psalm 44:22).
Hosea 1:
7 But I will have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by the LORD their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses or horsemen.
Psalm 44:
22 But for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
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11. In the End Times Judah will assert himself as the Jews in Israel (in a comparatively small way) have already begun to do (Genesis 49:9).
Genesis 49:
9 Judah is the child of lion [Hebrew: gur aryeh];
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He couches, he lies down as a lion [Hebrew: aryeh],
And as a full-grown lion [Hebrew: lavi], who dares rouse him up?
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12. In the End Times not only the other Tribes but also the non-Israelite Gentiles will Acknowledge Judah (Isaiah 60:14).
Isaiah 60:
14 The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet;
And they will call you the city of the LORD,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Three Additional Points (nos. 13,14, 15) by Stephen Collins:
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13. Possession of Coastal Palestine in the End Times (Zephaniah 2:7).
Zephaniah 2:
7 And the coast will be
For the remnant of the house of Judah,
They will pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the LORD their God will care for them
And restore their fortune.
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14. Judah in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:14).
Zechariah 14:
14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance.
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15. An Old-New Nation (Genesis 49).
Genesis 49:
9 Judah is the child of lion [Hebrew: gur aryeh];
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He couches, he lies down as a lion [Hebrew: aryeh],
And as a full-grown lion [Hebrew: lavi], who dares rouse him up?
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Seven More Points from Bert Otten, nos. 16 to 23:
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Characteristics of Judah as found in Scripture and Still Noticeable among the Jews of today.
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16. Judah Gives Praise to God. [This is the main meaning of the name "Judah".] Jews pray much and glorify the Creator.
The name Judah means praise and acknowledgment, cf.
Genesis 29:
35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, This time I will praise the LORD. Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
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17. Judah and Money (Genesis 37:26), [and Generosity].
Judah proposed taking money for Joseph instead of killing him (Genesis 37:26).
Jews like money but relatively speaking they are often generous with it though there may be exceptions.
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18. Judah, the Messiah, and Messianism. The Messiah will come from Judah and Jews have Messianic type tendencies.
e.g.
Isaiah 11:
1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
7 Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.
10 Then in that day
The nations will resort to the root of Jesse,
Who will stand as asignal for the peoples;
And His resting place will be glorious.
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19. Judah - writers (scribes) (2 Kings 18:18, 2 Kings 22:8, 1 Chron 24:6, 2 Chron 26:11, etc.).
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20. Judah - the Lawgiver: laws, judges, lawyers.
Genesis 49:
10 The scepter [Hebrew: "shevet" meaning both "staff" as well as "Tribe" i.e. His descendants shall be recognized as the Tribe of Judah]
shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a Lawmaker from between his feet [i.e. from his descendants] for ever [Hebrew: "ad"].
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21. Judah and Music (1-Chronicles 13:8).
1-Chronicles 13:
8 David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets.
Amos 6:
Who improvise to the mouth of the bagpipe [Hebrew: naval],
And like David have composed songs for themselves.
The Hebrew for the expression rendered above as "have composed songs" should more literally be translated as,
"They thought up for themselves tools of song".
This could mean either new musical instruments or new ways of singing and music. Either way it shows a musical aptitude.
See:
List of Jewish musicians
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_musicians
Jewish music
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_music
Jews in Music by Dr. Gerhard Falk
http://jbuff.com/c080703.htm
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22. Judah and Government. Jews are often leaders and sometimes governors.
Genesis 49:
10 The scepter [Hebrew: "shevet" meaning both "staff" as well as "Tribe" i.e. His descendants shall be recognized as the Tribe of Judah]
shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a Lawmaker from between his feet [i.e. from his descendants] for ever [Hebrew: "ad"]
Shiloh will come,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
See Judah as Rulers.
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23. Judah - Warriors. Judah had military successes in Biblical times. The Kingdom of David was to some degree built around Judah. The Kingdom of judah often went to war agaisnt the Northern Tribes of Israel and against foreign peoples. Judah was frequently victorious. In the same way as these peoples (Israelites, Edomites, etc) later demonstrtated military prowess so too was the potential stlatent in Judah. The Australian General Sir John Monash who helped defeat Germany in WW1 was Jewish. Jews have martial abilities as seen today in the State of Israel.