Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

See also Judah.

Translation commentary on Isaiah 65:9

Instead of destroying his servants, God will bless them. He will let them occupy Judah to live there (compare 57.13). Although they had returned to Judah, the land was still devastated, so aspects of the promise of a return (made, for example, in 40.1-11) had largely gone unfulfilled. God reminds them of his original promises of a land in which they can live in safety. He assures them that the promises will in fact be fulfilled even if at present they stand between promise and fulfillment. Here he confirms that Judah will obtain a special blessing among the tribes of Israel.

I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah inheritors of my mountains: These two lines are an example of all-inclusive parallelism. God promises the people of Judah, who are descendants of Jacob, that they will multiply and occupy the land of Judah. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob means God will cause the Israelites to multiply. They will not disappear. The Hebrew word for descendants is literally “seed” (see the comments on 41.8, where it is rendered “offspring”). For Jacob see the comments on 2.3.

The verb phrase I will bring forth is implied in from Judah inheritors of my mountains. God will also cause the increased number of Israelites to permanently settle in the land of Judah. The tribal name Judah refers to the whole Jewish community that returned from Babylonian exile. My mountains refers to the whole land of Judah even though it was not exclusively mountainous. Mountains did dominate the central part of the land, where Jerusalem and the Temple were located. The phrase my mountains could mean that God claims the land as his own (see 14.25), but it could also mean that it is the place where God is present with his people in the Temple on Mount Zion. Good News Translation renders the second line of this verse as “and their descendants will possess my land of mountains.”

My chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there: These two lines are another example of all-inclusive parallelism. God promises his servants, whom he has chosen, that they will finally possess the land of Judah and always live there. My chosen refers to the covenant relationship between Yahweh and his people (see the comments on 41.8). Inherit renders the same Hebrew word translated inheritors in the previous line. It may be rendered “possess” or “obtain” in this context, since the land is a gift from God, not an inheritance from someone who has died. For my servants, see the previous verse.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• I will cause the descendants of Israel to multiply,
I will cause Judah to possess my mountains.
My chosen ones will possess the land,
my servants will live there.

• I will multiply the people of Israel,
and Judah will inherit my mountains.
My chosen people will inherit the land,
and my servants will dwell there.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .