Was Abraham considered Jewish or Gentile?

Historical Context of Abraham

Abraham is first introduced in Scripture as Abram, who originated from Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:27–31). This ancient city was located in Mesopotamia, a region often viewed as a cradle of civilization. The Bible portrays him as called by God to leave his homeland and journey to Canaan. According to Genesis 12:1, “Then the LORD said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.’” This calling sets Abraham apart as the patriarch from whom a unique covenant people would emerge.

Terminology of “Hebrew” and Covenantal Identity

In Genesis 14:13, we first see the term “Abram the Hebrew,” which marks him with a distinctive identity among the Canaanites. The term “Hebrew” in the Old Testament is associated with the lineage that stems from Eber (an ancestor listed in Genesis 10:21–25). This usage points to Abraham as part of a special genealogical line chosen to become the covenant people of God.

While Abraham is called a “Hebrew,” Scripture never directly assigns him the later term “Jew.” The origin of “Jew” (from Hebrew “Yehudi”) is typically traced to the tribe of Judah, which emerged from one of Abraham’s great-grandsons (Judah, one of Jacob’s twelve sons). Thus, the designation “Jew” or “Jewish” more accurately appears much later in biblical history, particularly to describe the people associated with the southern kingdom of Judah or the broader community that returned after the Babylonian exile.

Distinction Between “Jew” and “Gentile”

The question of whether Abraham was “Jewish” or “Gentile” rests on how Scripture and history use these terms. In the Old Testament, “Gentile” usually translates from the Hebrew “goyim,” meaning “nations”—those outside the covenant community descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Later in Scripture, the term “Jew” more formally represents the covenant people belonging to the tribe of Judah or the broader collective of Israelite tribes after the northern kingdom fell. By that stage in history, it had become common for all Israelites, especially those in or from Judah, to be referred to as “Jews.”

Abraham preceded these developments. He was not a “Gentile” in the sense of being outside God’s covenant promises, but neither was he “Jewish” in the narrower sense associated with the tribe of Judah that came after him. Instead, he was the father of Isaac and Jacob (later named Israel), and this lineage gave rise to the nation of Israel and, eventually, the community that became known as the Jews.

Abraham: Father of Many Nations

According to Genesis 17:4–5, God declared to Abraham, “Behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” This promise establishes Abraham not only as the forefather of Israel but also as an ancestral figure for numerous other nations. Hence, calling Abraham merely “Jewish” would not capture the breadth of his role in biblical history. In a covenantal sense, he is the root from which the entire covenant community would grow, and from him, the tribes of Israel (including Judah) gained their identity.

New Testament Insights

The New Testament often refers to Abraham as the model of faith. In Romans 4:1–3, the apostle Paul emphasizes how Abraham was justified by faith before the covenant sign of circumcision was established (Genesis 17). This teaching elevates Abraham to a status that transcends ethnic categories: “If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”

Paul later explains in Romans 4:11–12 that Abraham is “the father of all who believe but are not circumcised” and also “the father of the circumcised,” highlighting his unique position as foundational to all believers who share his faith, whether ethnically Jewish or not. Thus, in the broader theological scope, Abraham functions beyond a single ethnic designation: he is central for Jews, Christians, and others who trace a spiritual heritage to him.

Archaeological and Manuscript Corroboration

Archaeological discoveries in Mesopotamia have unearthed tablets and ancient city records confirming the bustling civilization of Ur, underscoring the credibility that someone like Abraham could have lived and traveled as described in Genesis. While these records do not name Abraham directly, they illuminate the cultural and historical context, supporting the biblical narrative’s plausibility.

In biblical manuscript studies, early Hebrew texts (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls) contain the same genealogical and covenantal outlines we find in modern translations, demonstrating textual consistency over millennia. There is no indication in these sources that Abraham was ever designated “Jewish” in an anachronistic sense. Instead, the manuscripts sustain the depiction of him as the progenitor of the line that would become Israel.

Conclusion

Abraham is neither “Jewish” nor “Gentile” in the later, more technical uses of these terms. He is instead “Abram (Abraham) the Hebrew,” whom God chose to be the father of the covenant community and the father of many nations. He predates the formation of the tribal confederation and the specific identity “Jew,” which traces to one of his great-grandsons, Judah. The scriptural witness—from Genesis to the New Testament—presents Abraham as the foundational figure who, by faith, inaugurated God’s plan to establish a people set apart for divine purposes.

So, in answer to the question, “Was Abraham considered Jewish or Gentile?”:

• He was called a “Hebrew” in his own lifetime (Genesis 14:13).

• He is the father (in a physical and spiritual sense) of all who would come to faith in the God of Scripture (Romans 4:11–12).

• The technical designations “Jew” or “Gentile” did not apply to him in the chronological period in which he lived.

Ultimately, Abraham stands unique as the patriarch through whom God established eternal covenant promises, making him the central ancestral figure in the biblical narrative rather than fitting neatly into later ethnic labels.