Hebrews

The Hebrews were an ethnic group descended from Abraham, also known as Israelites or Jews. The term "Hebrew" first appears in the Bible in reference to Abraham (Genesis 14:13) and is later used to refer to his descendants, the Israelites, throughout the Old Testament. The Hebrews were distinct from the Egyptians (Genesis 43:32;Exodus 1:15,16,19) and other nations, and they were often oppressed or enslaved (Exodus 1:11-14; 5.3). God identified Himself as the God of the Hebrews (Exodus 3:18; 5.3; 7.16; 9.1,13; 10.3) and gave them laws and commandments to follow (Exodus 21:2;Deuteronomy 15:12). The Hebrews were also known for their language, Hebrew (Luke 23:38;Acts 6:1), and their religious practices. In the New Testament, the term "Hebrew" is used to refer to Jewish Christians who spoke Hebrew or Aramaic (Acts 6:1) and to emphasize the Jewish heritage of some early Christians (2 Corinthians 11:22;Philippians 3:5).