Search the encyclopedia
594 articles found for “Judah”
Isaiah 55:6–7
[Bible Verses]Isaiah 55:6–7 calls the people of Judah in the Babylonian exile to seek the LORD, forsake their wicked ways and thoughts, and return to him, promising that God will have mercy and abundantly pardon. The passage is frequently quoted in sermons that call for repentance and speak of forgiveness.
Hebron
[Bible]Hebron is an ancient city in the hill country of Judah. Abraham lived there, and it is the site of the cave of Machpelah, where the patriarchs were buried. It is also where David first became king.
Jerusalem
[Bible]Jerusalem is a city in the hill country of Judah. David made it his capital and Solomon built the temple there, making it the center of Israel's faith. Jesus was crucified and rose again there, and at the close of the Bible it becomes the symbol of the "New Jerusalem."
Isaiah 1:16–17
[Bible Verses]In this passage the prophet Isaiah commands the people of Judah to forsake their evil deeds, learn to do good, and defend the vulnerable, such as orphans and widows. Because it criticizes worship devoid of justice, it is frequently cited in discussions of repentance and social responsibility.
Joel 2:23–27
[Bible Verses]A passage in the Book of Joel in which God promises Judah, repentant after a locust plague, that he will return the rain and abundant harvests and "restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten." It is often cited in sermons on restoration, and interpreters differ over the meaning of "the former rain and the latter rain."
Jeremiah 6:16
[Bible Verses]A verse in which God tells the people of Judah to stand at the crossroads, ask for "the old paths, where is the good way," and walk in it, promising that they will find rest; the people, however, refuse. It is frequently cited in appeals to "return to the old paths."
Joel 2:12-14
[Bible Verses]A passage in which the prophet Joel calls the people of Judah to return to God with fasting and weeping, and to rend their hearts rather than their garments. It is a key text emphasizing inward repentance over outward appearance and is frequently read on Ash Wednesday and in sermons on repentance.
Ziklag
[Bible]Ziklag was a town in the Negev region of southern Judah. Achish king of Gath gave it to David, who used it as his base while taking refuge in Philistine territory from Saul. It is known as the town raided by the Amalekites.
Valley of Elah
[Bible]The Valley of Elah is a valley in western Judah where Saul's Israelite army faced the Philistine army in 1 Samuel 17. It is known as the place where David struck down Goliath.
Debir
[Bible]Debir was a Canaanite city in the hill country of Judah. Its earlier names were Kirjath-sepher and Kirjath-sannah, and it is known as the city captured by Othniel, a member of Caleb's family.
Jehoiada
[People]Jehoiada was a priest in the southern kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Athaliah and Joash. When Athaliah killed the royal family, he hid the young Joash, who had survived, in the temple and raised him there. He later made Joash king and renewed the covenant with the people.
Jahaziel
[People]Jahaziel was a Levite in the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. When a coalition of Moabites and Ammonites invaded, he was moved by the Spirit and prophesied that "the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20).
Jehosheba
[People]Jehosheba was the daughter of King Jehoram of Judah and the sister of King Ahaziah. When Athaliah killed the royal family, she hid the young Joash and saved his life. In 2 Chronicles she is called "Jehoshabeath."
Maon
[Bible]Maon was a town in the southern hill country of Judah, and the name also applies to the surrounding wilderness (the Wilderness of Maon). In the Bible it appears as a place where David stayed while fleeing from Saul and as the home of Nabal and Abigail.
Jeconiah
[People]Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin and Coniah, was one of the last kings of Judah. After reigning for three months, he was taken captive to Babylon and was released from prison thirty-seven years later. His name also appears in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.
Lachish
[Bible]Lachish was a city in the lowland of Judah, southwest of Jerusalem. It appears in the accounts of Joshua's conquest of Canaan, the Assyrian king Sennacherib's invasion of Judah, and the final Babylonian assault.
Ephrath
[Bible]Ephrath (Ephratah) is an ancient name for Bethlehem of Judah or its surrounding region. Scripture mentions it as the burial place of Rachel and the hometown of David's family, and the Book of Micah names it as the place from which a ruler would come forth.
Socoh
[Bible]Socoh is the name of a town in the territory of Judah mentioned in the Old Testament. It is best known as the place where the Philistine army encamped just before the battle between David and Goliath. More than one place bore this name.
Shaphan
[People]Shaphan was a scribe in the reign of King Josiah of Judah. He read before the king the Book of the Law found during the repair of the Temple and thus played a part in the events that set Josiah's religious reform in motion.
Brook Besor
[Bible]The Brook Besor is a wadi in southern Judah mentioned in 1 Samuel 30. When David pursued the Amalekites, two hundred of his men were too exhausted to cross it and stayed behind there.