Meaning of the Name Judah
The name Judah is commonly linked to the Hebrew root meaning "to praise" or "to give thanks." The wordplay in Genesis supports this explanation. For that reason it is often understood as "praise" or "thanks to the LORD," and the basic etymology is fairly strong.
Origin
The name Judah is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Judah in the Bible?
The best-known Judah is Judah, son of Jacob and Leah. One of the tribes of Israel bears his name, and he becomes important for kingship, lineage, and messianic expectation. In the New Testament the name also appears for others such as Judas Iscariot and Jude, traditionally linked with the epistle.
The story of Judah in the Bible
Judah enters Genesis as the fourth son of Jacob and Leah; at his birth Leah praises the LORD, and the name is bound up with that word of praise. In the Joseph story Judah plays a decisive part: when the brothers plot to kill Joseph, it is Judah who proposes selling him instead. Years later he steps forward again, standing surety for Benjamin and offering himself as a slave in his place in a heartfelt plea that becomes a turning point of the narrative. Blessing his sons before his death, Jacob speaks striking words over Judah: his brothers will praise him, and the ruler's scepter will not depart from him. That blessing sets the tribe of Judah at the heart of Israel's royal line; David comes from it, and the New Testament genealogies trace Jesus to Judah's family. Others in the New Testament bear the name, most notably Judas Iscariot and the author of the letter of Jude, yet Judah remains above all the name of a tribe and of a great hope.
Is Judah mentioned in the Quran?
The name Judah is not mentioned by name in the Quran; in the story of Joseph, Jacob's sons appear collectively without individual names. In the Bible, Judah is known from the Torah as the son of Jacob whose name was given to Israel's royal tribe.
Verses where Judah appears
- Genesis 29:35 —
She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, “This time will I praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
- Genesis 37:26 —
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
- Genesis 49:10 —
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.