We are in chapter 41 of Genesis with our word for today used 33 times in the Old Testament. עִבְרִי Hebrew, Eberite or descendant of Eber, region on the other side, situated across a stream, or the sea. So it’s origin was probably referring to people who were foreigners to those who named them. This makes sense because Abraham is called by this word who God called away from his home to live as a stranger in a foreign land. This foreign land became the land God promised to give to Abraham and his descendants. But at the beginning Abraham was the foreigner to the people living there. So they called him the one from the other side. The beginnings of the ethnic group is seen back in Genesis where God lists the generations from Noah and his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth (Genesis 10:21). So the Hebrews came from the line of Shem one of the three sons of Noah. And one of the descendants of Shem, his great grandson is named Eber (Genesis 11:15). So Eber became the way people described the people group or ethnicity. This is how Joseph is described in our chapter today. Genesis 41:12 A young עִבְרִי Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. We see differences between Hebrew and Egyptian cultures. Genesis 43:32 The Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the הָֽעִבְרִיִּים֙ Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
The biggest difference between this group of people and all the other groups is how God himself identifies himself with them. Exodus 3:18 The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, “The Lord, the God of the הָֽעִבְרִיִּים֙ Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.” God made a special relationship with the Hebrews later to be called Israelites and then Jews depending on what time period of history one is referring to. Once the nation is created the Hebrews are referred to as Israelites. Then once the ten tribes of Israel are destroyed and no longer exist the term Jews is used. We see in John’s gospel during the time Jesus was on the earth using the term Jews to refer to mainly the leaders of the Jewish people but also to the people as well. The Holy Spirit also points to this relationship in Romans. Romans 3:1-2 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. The argument of this thinking is that the Holy Spirit has just laid out the case that it everyone has sinned against God and deserves punishment regardless if you were one of God’s chosen people, the Jews, Israelites or Hebrews or not. This is true from a salvation stand point there is no difference. But God still recognizes the fact that God did give the Old Testament to his people the Jews not to keep for themselves because they were better than everyone else but rather to be able to know God and share his love with others. And the biggest difference was that Christ God in the flesh came from the nation of the Hebrews, Israelites, Jews. Matthew 1:1,21 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Christ] the son of David, the son of Abraham…She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus dies and rises again to establish his church with this mission. Matthew 28:18-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Did you catch it? The good news is not just for Hebrew, Israelite, or Jewish people but for all nations.
