The term "Hebrew" is a significant ethnonym in the biblical narrative, primarily used to describe the descendants of Eber, an ancestor of several Semitic peoples, including the Israelites. The designation "Hebrew" is first applied to Abram (later Abraham) in Genesis 14:13: "Then a fugitive came and reported to Abram the Hebrew." This early reference establishes a connection between Abram and the broader Semitic lineage, emphasizing his identity within the context of the ancient Near East.

The etymology of "Hebrew" is often linked to Eber, a descendant of Shem, Noah's son, as outlined in the genealogies of Genesis 10:21-25 and 11:14-17. Eber's lineage is significant because it traces the ancestry of the Israelites, setting them apart as a distinct group within the Semitic family. The term "Hebrew" thus serves as an ethnic and cultural identifier for the descendants of Eber, particularly through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In the biblical narrative, the term "Hebrew" is used to distinguish the Israelites from other peoples. For instance, in Genesis 39:14, Joseph is referred to as a "Hebrew" by Potiphar's wife: "She called her household servants. 'Look,' she said to them, 'this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us!'" This usage underscores the distinct identity of the Hebrews in a foreign land, highlighting their unique cultural and religious heritage.

The identity of the Hebrews is further emphasized during the period of the Exodus. In Exodus 1:15-16, the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, are instructed by Pharaoh to kill Hebrew male infants: "The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 'When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.'" This passage illustrates the Hebrews' distinct identity and the threat they posed to the Egyptians due to their growing numbers.

Throughout the Old Testament, the term "Hebrew" is used interchangeably with "Israelite," though "Hebrew" often carries connotations of foreignness or servitude, as seen in the narratives of Joseph and the Exodus. In 1 Samuel 4:6, the Philistines refer to the Israelites as Hebrews: "On hearing the noise of the shouting, the Philistines asked, 'What is all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?'" This usage reflects the external perception of the Israelites by surrounding nations.

The New Testament also references the term "Hebrew" in relation to language and cultural identity. In Acts 21:40 and 22:2, Paul addresses the crowd in Jerusalem in the "Hebrew language," underscoring the continued significance of Hebrew identity and language among the Jewish people of the first century.

In summary, the term "Hebrew" serves as a crucial identifier for the descendants of Eber, particularly the Israelites, throughout the biblical narrative. It highlights their unique ethnic, cultural, and religious identity within the broader context of the ancient Near East and continues to hold significance in the New Testament era.Genesis 39:14
That she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, See, he has brought in an Hebrew to us to mock us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
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Genesis 40:15
For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
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Genesis 43:32
And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
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Exodus 2:6
And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
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Deuteronomy 15:12
And if your brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold to you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
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1 Samuel 4:9
Be strong and quit yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you be not servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
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1 Samuel 29:3
Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell to me to this day?
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Jonah 1:9
And he said to them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which has made the sea and the dry land.
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Acts 6:1
And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
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2 Corinthians 11:22
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
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Philippians 3:5
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
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Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied ...
... also Shemoth R.8, where it is noted that God will crown Him with His own crown.
Verse 4 is Messianically applied in Sukk.52 a. Ps. xxi.5 (6 in the Hebrew). ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix ix list of old.htm

Chapter xxiii
... later in Nehemiah's time, when it applied to the ... His Canaanite contemporaries might
use these same forms as ... 8. The Hebrew original has the expression "if it be ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxiii.htm

The Nations of the South-East
... and represent a mixture of Arabic with Canaanitish or Hebrew. ... of Sinai, and had given
him his first lessons in ... The name of "Arab" was applied to certain tribes ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

Chapter xvi
... The Hebrew text says he found her "by the spring," not "a ... This is best understood
as the article applied to the ... v.8). No man should rashly abandon his place in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xvi.htm

The General Epistle of Jude
... in ver.19 was an insulting term applied to ordinary ... the author was acquainted with
the Hebrew Old Testament ... brother, as we know that his descendants lived in ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter xxiv the general epistle.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... intentionally that both times the Future [Hebrew: iamr] is ... and quickening them, if
they become His children."Finally ... refer to Israel only, be applied [Pg 223 ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm

Carey's College
... home"He studies Latin, Greek and Hebrew, Dutch and ... of Paul, Carey somewhat suddenly,
according to his own account ... anything on the subject till I applied to Mr ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter i careys college.htm

Letter Xlvi. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella.
... see the prophet, Amos, [1014] upon his crag blowing his shepherd's horn. ... Haddam hrs
is the Hebrew for "the blood ... the first-formed." The word is applied to Adam ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlvi paula and eustochium.htm

The Martyrdom of James, who was Called the Brother of the Lord.
... the reproduction in Greek letters of the Hebrew plural, and ... 528] This term was applied
to all ... authorship, and consequent close connection with his first epistle ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxiii the martyrdom of james.htm

Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve.
... disciples must have the more readily applied this prediction ... death of Joseph is implied
in his not being ... [3045] The Pundah ({hebrew}), or Aphundah ({hebrew}). ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxvii second visit to.htm

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