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HEBREW: The name “Hebrew” is first used for Abram, recognizing him thereby from his Amorite neighbors. (Ge 14:13) After that, in practically every instance of its use, the term “Hebrew(s)” proceeds to be used as a contrasting or distinguishing classification, the one speaking is of a non-Israelite nation (Gen. 39:13, 14, 17; 41:12; Ex. 1:16; 1 Sam. 4:6, 9), or is an Israelite speaking to a foreigner (Gen. 40:15; Ex. 1:19; 2:7; Jon 1:9), or foreigners are mentioned (Gen. 43:32; Ex. 1:15; 2:11-13; 1Sa 13:3-7).^[1] In later times, the Greek and Roman writers commonly called the Israelites either “Hebrews” or “Jews,” but not “Israelites.”

JEW (of or belonging to Judah): A person who belonged to the tribe of Judah. The name is not used in the Bible previous to the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel. In the days of Hezekiah, Isaiah used an adjectival form of the word, translated “the language of the Jews.” (Isa 36:11, 13, UASV) Oftentimes, the southern kingdom was called Judah, and the people were called sons of Judah or the tribe of the sons of Judah. The first Bible writer to use the name Jews as it related to the people was the author of the books of Kings. (See 2Ki 16:6; 25:25.)^[2] After returning from the Babylonian exile, the name was used for any Israelites returning (Ezr 4:12; 6:7; Neh. 1:2; 5:17) and, lastly, it applied to all Hebrews throughout the world, in order to set them apart from the Gentile nations. (Esther 3:6; 9:20)

ISRAELITE (of or belonging to Israel): A descendant of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. (2 Sam. 17:25; John 1:47; Rom. 11:1) Depending on the context, in the plural it can refer to the following: (1) Members of all the 12 tribes before the split in the kingdom (1 Sam. 2:14; 13:20; 29:1); (2) those of the 10-tribe northern kingdom (1 Ki 12:19; 2Ki 3:24); (3) non-Levitical Jews coming back from Babylonian exile (1 Chron. 9:1, 2); (4) Jews of the first century C.E.—Ac 13:16; Rom. 9:3, 4; 2Co 11:22.^[3]

^[1] Merrill Frederick Unger et al., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).
^[2] Merrill Frederick Unger et al., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).
^[3] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Israelite,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988).