splendid qualities, his love, wisdom, justice and power, enabling persons to know or experience what the Name stands for. (Matt. 11:27; John 1:14, 18; 17:6-12) And, above all, he did it by upholding Jehovah’s universal sovereignty, showing that his Kingdom government would be based solidly on that Supreme Source of authority. Therefore it could be said of him: “God is your throne forever.”—Heb. 1:8.

The Lord Jesus Christ is thus the “Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith.” By his fulfillment of prophecy and his revelation of God’s future purposes, by what he said and did and was, he provided the solid foundation on which true faith must rest.—Heb. 12:2; 11:1.

JETHER

(Jeʹther) [abundance].

1. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro is called Jether in the Masoretic text at Exodus 4:18.—See JETHRO.

2. A descendant of Judah through Perez. Jether died without sons.—1 Chron. 2:4, 5, 25, 26, 28, 32.

3. The first-named son of Ezrah; descendant of Judah.—1 Chron. 4:17.

4. A descendant of Asher. (1 Chron. 7:30, 38) He is likely the same as Ithran in verse 37; the names are quite similar in Hebrew.

5. The firstborn son of Gideon. Jether apparently accompanied his father in the pursuit and capture of the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna, but when ordered to slay them, the young Jether feared to draw his sword. (Judg. 8:20) After Gideon died, Jether was killed by his half-brother Abimelech.—Judg. 9:5, 18.

6. Father of David’s onetime army chief Amasa. (1 Ki. 2:5, 32) Second Samuel 17:25 in the Masoretic text calls him Ithra and says that he was an Israelite, but 1 Chronicles 2:17 calls him an Ishmaelite, possibly because he lived for a time among the Ishmaelites.

JETHETH

(Jeʹtheth).

A sheik of Edom, descendant of Esau.—Gen. 36:40-43; 1 Chron. 1:51; see TIMNA No. 3.

JETHRO

(Jethʹro) [excellence].

Moses’ father-in-law, a Kenite. (Ex. 3:1; Judg. 1:16) Jethro is also called Reuel (Num. 10:29), which could suggest that Jethro (“excellence”) may have been a title, whereas Reuel was a personal name. However, it was not uncommon for an Arabian chief to have two or even more names, as attested to by many inscriptions. Jethro is spelled “Jether” in the Masoretic text at Exodus 4:18.

Jethro was “the priest of Midian.” Being head of a large family of at least seven daughters and one named son (Ex. 2:15, 16; Num. 10:29), and having the responsibility not only to provide for his family materially but also to lead them in worship, he is appropriately called “the priest [or chieftain] of Midian.” This of itself does not necessarily indicate worship of Jehovah God, but Jethro’s ancestors may have had true worship inculcated in them, and some of this perhaps continued in the family. His conduct suggests at least a deep respect for the God of Moses and Israel.—Ex. 18:10-12.

Jethro’s association with his future son-in-law began shortly after Moses fled from Egypt in 1553 B.C.E. Jethro’s daughters, out taking care of their father’s flocks, were assisted by Moses in watering them, and this they reported to their father, who, in turn, extended hospitality to Moses. Moses then took up living in Jethro’s household and eventually married his daughter Zipporah. After some forty years of caring for Jethro’s flocks in the vicinity of Mount Horeb (Sinai), Moses was summoned by Jehovah back to Egypt, and he returned with his father-in-law’s good wishes.—Ex. 2:15-22; 3:1; 4:18; Acts 7:29, 30.

Later Jethro received report of Jehovah’s great victory over the Egyptians, and at once came to Moses at Horeb, bringing along Zipporah and Moses’ two sons; it was indeed a very warm reunion. Jethro responded to Moses’ review of Jehovah’s mighty saving acts by blessing God and confessing: “Now I do know that Jehovah is greater than all the other gods.” He then offered up sacrifices to God. (Ex. 18:1-12) The next day, Jethro observed Moses listening to the problems of the Israelites “from the morning till the evening.” Perceiving how exhausting this was for both Moses and the people, Jethro suggested a system of delegating authority. ‘Train other capable and worthy men as chiefs over tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands to decide cases, so that you will hear only what they cannot handle.’ Moses agreed and Jethro returned to his own land.—Ex. 18:13-27.

Jethro’s son Hobab was requested by Moses to be a scout. Apparently with some persuasion, he responded and some of his people entered the Promised Land with Israel. (Num. 10:29-33) Judges 4:11 calls Hobab the father-in-law of Moses rather than his brother-in-law, and this has caused difficulty in understanding. However, the Hebrew expression normally rendered “father-in-law” can in a broader sense denote any male relative by marriage and so could also be understood as “brother-in-law.” To say that Hobab was Moses’ father-in-law instead of Jethro would disagree with other texts. If Hobab were another name for Jethro, as some suggest, it would also mean that two men, father and son, bore the name Hobab. On the other hand, Hobab, as a leading member of the next generation of Kenites, might be used in this text as a representative of his father.—See HOBAB.

JETUR

(Jeʹtur).

A son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13-15; 1 Chron. 1:31) and forefather of a people against whom the Israelites warred. (1 Chron. 5:18, 19) It is possible that Jetur’s descendants were the Ituraeans.—Luke 3:1; see ITURAEA.

JEUEL

(Je·uʹel) [God has healed, or, preserved].

1. A Levite who helped in cleansing the temple during Hezekiah’s reign; a descendant of Elizaphan.—2 Chron. 29:13, 15, 16.

2. A postexilic resident of Jerusalem; head of the Judean paternal house of Zerah.—1 Chron. 9:3-6, 9; Gen. 46:12.

JEUSH

(Jeʹush) [perhaps, God comes to help].

1. A son of Esau by his Hivite wife Oholibamah. Jeush was born in Canaan, but later the family moved to Edom.—Gen. 36:2, 5-8, 14, 18; 1 Chron. 1:35.

2. A descendant of Benjamin; a warrior and founder of a tribal family.—1 Chron. 7:6, 10.

3. A Gershonite Levite; son of Shimei. As both Jeush and his brother Beriah had very few sons, their descendants in David’s time merged to form one paternal house.—1 Chron. 23:7, 10, 11.

4. The first-named son of King Rehoboam by his wife Mahalath. Because Rehoboam loved a different wife more, Jeush was passed up in the royal succession.—2 Chron. 11:18-23.

5. A Benjamite; one of King Saul’s descendants.—1 Chron. 8:33, 39.

JEUZ

(Jeʹuz) [counselor].

A family head in the tribe of Benjamin; son of Shaharaim by his wife Hodesh.—1 Chron. 8:1, 8-10.

JEW(ESS)

[lauded; (object of) laudation].

A person belonging to the tribe of Judah. The name is not used in the Bible account prior to the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah, and the people, sons of Judah or sons of the tribe of Judah. The first one to use the name “Jews” was the writer of the books of Kings, doubtless Jeremiah, whose prophetic service began in 647 B.C.E. (See 2 Kings 16:6; 25:25.) After the exile the name was applied to any Israelites returning (Ezra 4:12; 6:7; Neh. 1:2; 5:17) and, finally, to all Hebrews throughout the world, to distinguish them from the Gentile nations. (Esther 3:6; 9:20) Gentile men who accepted the Jewish faith and became circumcised proselytes also declared themselves Jews. (Esther 8:17) However, in the Hebrew Scriptures the expression “alien resident” may refer to one who had adopted the religion of the Jews (Jer. 22:3), and even in the Christian Greek Scriptures such are distinguished at times by the term “proselytes.” (Acts 2:10; 6:5; 13:43) The term “Jewess” is used at Acts 24:24.

When Jesus was a young child, the astrologers came, inquiring: “Where is the one born king of the Jews?” (Matt. 2:1, 2) On Jesus’ torture stake Pilate put the title “Jesus the Nazarene the King of the Jews.”—John 19:19.

FIGURATIVE USE

The apostle Paul, in arguing that the Jews were mistaken in their pride of fleshly descent as a “Jew,” and in relying on the works of the Law to find favor with God, said: “For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code. The praise of that one comes, not from men, but from God.” (Rom. 2:28, 29) Here Paul, by a play on the meaning of the name “Jew,” shows that the real basis for praise from God is being a servant of God from the heart, by spirit. This argument parallels his reasoning in Romans chapter 4, that the true seed of Abraham are those with the faith of Abraham. He further points out that in the Christian congregation nationality is of no consequence, for “there is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile].” (Gal. 3:28) The resurrected Jesus Christ spoke to the congregation at Smyrna, comforting them with regard to the persecution they were receiving, to a great extent at the hands of the Jews, saying: “I know . . . the blasphemy by those who say they themselves are Jews, and yet they are not but are a synagogue of Satan.”—Rev. 2:9.

JEWELRY

See JEWELS AND PRECIOUS STONES; ORNAMENTS.

JEWELS AND PRECIOUS STONES

A jewel may be a precious stone, a gem (a cut and polished precious or semiprecious stone) or a decorative ornament made of precious metal (principally gold or silver) set with such stones. Jewels have been worn by both men and women from early Biblical days for purposes of adornment. Today the diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire are strictly considered to be precious stones, whereas other rare and beautiful stones are viewed as semiprecious. However, the Hebrew term rendered “precious stone” has a broader application, as shown at Ezekiel 28:12, 13. These precious stones are distinguished from other minerals chiefly because they are rare, beautiful and durable.

The first Biblical reference to any precious stone is at Genesis 2:11, 12, where Havilah is identified as a land containing good gold, “bdellium gum and the onyx stone.”

Wealth was partially measured by one’s possession of precious stones, such kings as Solomon and Hezekiah apparently having them in great quantity. (1 Ki. 10:11; 2 Chron. 9:10; 32:27) Precious stones were given as gifts (1 Ki. 10:2, 10; 2 Chron. 9:1, 9), might constitute part of war booty (2 Sam. 12:29, 30; 1 Chron. 20:2) and were articles of trade, as among the ancient Tyrians. (Ezek. 27:16, 22) In an inspired dirge concerning the “king of Tyre” Ezekiel stated: “Every precious stone was your covering, ruby, topaz and jasper; chrysolite, onyx and jade; sapphire, turquoise and emerald; and of gold was the workmanship of your settings and your sockets in you.” (Ezek. 28:12, 13) Symbolic Babylon the Great is represented as being richly adorned with precious stones.—Rev. 17:3-5; 18:11-17.

FASHIONING OF JEWELRY

Since ancient times, jewelers of Biblical lands have fashioned decorative ornaments, frequently studded with precious stones. Excavations at Ur of the Chaldeans, where Abraham once lived, have yielded many jewels and ornamental objects, such as strings of beads of gold, silver, agate, cornelian, chalcedony and lapis lazuli, found in the burial site of Sumerian queen Shub-ad. The many jewels and ornaments found in the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen included jeweled breastplates and bracelets. On the king’s mummy there were thirteen bracelets made of gold, glass beads and semiprecious stones. Among the items discovered in the tomb was a throne covered with gold and silver and studded with jewels.

While the ancients rounded and polished precious stones, generally they do not seem to have angled or faceted them, as do craftsmen of modern times. The emery stone (corundum) or emery powder was employed by the Hebrews and Egyptians to polish precious stones. Often these were sculptured and engraved. The Hebrews apparently knew how to engrave precious stones long before their bondage in Egypt, where engraving was also an art. Judah’s seal ring had evidently been engraved. (Gen. 38:18) For further discussions of ancient jewelry and ornaments, see ORNAMENTS; ANKLET; BEADS; BRACELET; BROOCH; EARRING; NECKLACE; NOSE RING; RING.

USES ASSOCIATED WITH WORSHIP

The Israelites, in the wilderness, were privileged to contribute various valuable things for the tabernacle and the high priest’s ephod and breastpiece, no doubt using for such contributions articles given to them by the Egyptians when urging them to depart. (Ex. 12:35, 36) These included “onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.” (Ex. 25:1-7; 35:5, 9, 27) His ephod had two onyx stones on the shoulder pieces, with the names of six of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on each stone. The “breastpiece of judgment” was embellished with four rows of precious stones, the account stating: “A row of ruby, topaz and emerald was the first row. And the second row was turquoise, sapphire and jasper. And the third row was leshʹem stone, agate and amethyst. And the fourth row was chrysolite and onyx and jade. They were set with settings of gold in their fillings.” The name of one of Israel’s twelve tribes was inscribed on each of these stones.—Ex. 39:6-14; 28:9-21; see BREASTPIECE.

Though Jehovah would not permit David to build the temple in Jerusalem (1 Chron. 22:6-10), the aged king joyfully prepared valuable materials for its construction, including “onyx stones, and stones to be set with hard mortar, and mosaic pebbles, and every precious stone, and alabaster stones in great quantity.” He made substantial contributions of materials, and the people in general also contributed. (1 Chron. 29:2-9) When Solomon built the temple he “overlaid the house with precious stone for beauty,” or studded it with precious stones.—2 Chron. 3:6.

FIGURATIVE USE

In connection with the Christian ministry, the apostle Paul, after identifying Jesus Christ as the foundation on which Christians should build, mentioned building materials of various kinds. He indicated that the choice materials would include figurative “precious stones” capable of withstanding the force of “fire.”—1 Cor. 3:10-15.

Precious stones are sometimes used Scripturally to symbolize qualities of heavenly or spiritual things or persons. The heavens were opened for Ezekiel and in two visions he beheld four winged living creatures accompanied by four wheels, the appearance of each wheel being likened to “the glow of chrysolite,” that is, having a hue of yellow, or possibly green. (Ezek. 1:1-6, 15, 16; 10:9) Later, Daniel saw an angel, “a certain man clothed in linen,” whose “body was like chrysolite.”—Dan. 10:1, 4-6.