judah
judah — noun
1. in the Bible, one of Jacob's sons, remembered as the forefather of the tribe tha
in the Bible, one of Jacob's sons, remembered as the forefather of the tribe that bears his name in Israel.
In Sunday school, Tariq learned that Judah was one of Jacob's sons.
that-clause naming biblical identity
Nora read the story of Judah aloud during the youth group lesson.
Gabriel's Bible chart shows Judah above several later kings.
family-tree context in Bible study
At the museum, Amira pointed to Judah on a chart of Israel's tribes.
- Judah, son of Jacob
- the tribe of Judah
- the line of Judah
Grammar Patterns
Judah + verb
Judah, son of Jacob
the tribe of Judah
Usage Note
Used mainly in biblical, religious, or historical discussion. In nearby context, words like 'son of Jacob' or 'tribe of Judah' usually show whether the reference is to the man himself or to the people descended from him.
Common Mistakes
2. an ancient state in the south of historic Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capit
an ancient state in the south of historic Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital.
Our history teacher said Judah had Jerusalem as its capital city.
Judah + had Jerusalem as its capital
The map in Christopher's book shaded Judah south of the Dead Sea.
After class, Elena compared Judah with Israel on an ancient map.
historical comparison: Judah with Israel
A documentary showed traders traveling through Judah on the road to Jerusalem.
- the kingdom of Judah
- southern kingdom of Judah
- the fall of Judah
Grammar Patterns
Judah + verb
the kingdom of Judah
in Judah
Usage Note
Mostly found in biblical or ancient-history writing. Distinguish this sense from sense 1: here Judah names the southern kingdom, not the individual son of Jacob.
Common Mistakes
Etymology
From Hebrew Yehudah, the name behind English Judah. In biblical and historical writing, the same name is used both for Jacob's son and for the tribe and kingdom associated with him.
First known use
12th century
12th century, in the meaning defined above