ISRAELITE

(Isʹra·el·ite).

A descendant of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. (2 Sam. 17:25; John 1:47; Rom. 11:1; see ISRAEL No. 1.) As determined by the context, in the plural the term refers to the following: (1) Members of all the twelve tribes before the split in the kingdom (1 Sam. 2:14; 13:20; 29:1); (2) those of the ten-tribe northern kingdom (1 Ki. 12:19; 2 Ki. 3:24); (3) non-Levitical Jews returning from Babylonian exile (1 Chron. 9:1, 2); (4) Jews of the first century C.E.—Acts 13:16; Rom. 9:3, 4; 2 Cor. 11:22.