One of the best parts of working with teenagers is their questions. They don’t just nod along—they really think. I really believe they this generation is one of the most intelligent generations ever. They have the knowledge of the world at their finger tips. If we can just harness this and teach them how to use it they will be wise beyond their age. They really have great potential because they wrestle with the Bible and aren’t afraid to ask what many adults are too shy to say out loud. Not long ago, one of our teens asked a great question:
“What’s the difference between Israelites, Hebrews, and Jews in the Bible? Aren’t they all the same people?”

Isn’t that a great question? Like so many things in Scripture, the answer is: yes… and no. Let’s talk about it.

1. HEBREWS – It’s kinda a family name (Genesis Era)

The first time we see the word Hebrew in the Bible is in Genesis 14:13. Abram (later called Abraham) is referred to as “Abram the Hebrew.” Why? Because he descended from Eber, a great-great-grandson of Shem (one of Noah’s sons).
So, “Hebrew” originally referred to a family lineage. It was more of a tribal or ethnic label, and it became a term outsiders often used to describe this unique, nomadic group of people.

When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, they were called Hebrews (Exodus 1:15). That’s what Pharaoh and the Egyptians called them. It marked them as a distinct people, but it didn’t necessarily describe their nation yet as it was more of a family name.

2. ISRAELITES – The National Name (Exodus and Beyond)

Once God brought the Hebrew family out of Egypt and made a covenant with them at Sinai, they became a nation. God gave them laws, a land, and an identity. That’s when the term Israelites comes into focus.

Why “Israel”? Because Abraham’s grandson Jacob was renamed Israel after wrestling with God (Genesis 32:28). His twelve sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.

So, “Israelite” refers specifically to the descendants of Jacob—the nation that God rescued from Egypt, gave the Promised Land to, and called His chosen people. That’s who we read about in the books of Exodus through Kings and Chronicles. When they obeyed God, they were blessed. When they turned to idols, they were warned, exiled, and disciplined.

3. JEWS – The Surviving Name (Exile and Return)

So where does the word Jew come from? That term shows up later in the Bible—especially around the time of exile and after (2 Kings 25:25, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther).

When the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Assyria, only the southern kingdom of Judah remained. The people from Judah were called Judeans, which over time became Jews. So originally, a Jew was someone from the tribe or territory of Judah.

By the time of Jesus, though, Jew had become the common word for any descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—especially those who practiced the faith of their fathers. So Paul could proudly call himself both a Jew and an Israelite (Romans 11:1, Philippians 3:5).

So What’s the Difference?

  • Hebrews – A general ethnic label from Abraham’s time, tied to a family history
  • Israelites – A national identity from Jacob’s descendants.
  • Jews – A post-exilic name mainly from the tribe of Judah, later used for all of God’s people.

Why This Matters

It might seem like a detail, but these names remind us of something powerful: God has always had a plan and a people. 

Different names. Same people. One story of redemption. 

From Abraham to the cross to today’s church, we’re part of that unfolding story.

That’s why questions like this one are so valuable. They don’t just clear up confusion, they lead us to deeper faith, sharper understanding, and a bigger view of God’s faithfulness.

So teens, keep asking. Keep digging. The Bible is a treasure, and your curiosity honors God.

In Christ alone,

Alexander Mills