Who was Jehudijah in the Bible?

Jehudijah, also called 'the Judahite,' was a wife of Mered from the tribe of Judah. She is mentioned in a genealogy as the mother of three sons: Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel (1 Chronicles 4:17-18).

What is the significance of Jehudijah being called 'the Judahite'?

The title 'the Judahite' likely identifies her tribal lineage, distinguishing her from Mered's other wife, an Egyptian named Bithiah. It highlights her as a native Israelite from the tribe of Judah within the genealogy.

Why is Jehudijah mentioned in the Bible's genealogy?

Her inclusion preserves the lineage of Judah, showing God's faithfulness to His covenant people through detailed family records. While no key events are recorded, her mention connects her sons to the tribe of Judah, from which King David and Jesus would descend.

Jehudijah

Old TestamentFemaleWifeMother

Jehudijah (or the Judahite) was the wife of Mered and the mother of Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel, as recorded in the genealogy of Judah.

Jehudijah

Biography

Jehudijah, whose name means "the Jewess" or "the woman of Judah," appears in 1 Chronicles 4:18 as the wife of Mered, a descendant of the tribe of Judah. She is distinguished from Mered's other wife, Bithiah, an Egyptian princess and daughter of Pharaoh, making their household a remarkable intersection of Hebrew and Egyptian heritage. Through Mered, Jehudijah bore three sons: Jered, father of Gedor; Heber, father of Soco; and Jekuthiel, father of Zanoah. Each son is identified as the founder of a recognized town or settlement, indicating that Jehudijah was the matriarch of a lineage with lasting geographic and communal impact within Judah. Her identity as "the Judahite" likely emphasizes her ethnic and covenantal distinction within this mixed-heritage household.

Significance

Jehudijah's identification as "the Jewess" within an intermarried household highlights the Chronicler's nuanced treatment of ethnic and covenant identity in Judah's genealogies. Her sons' founding roles in Gedor, Soco, and Zanoah (1 Chronicles 4:18) demonstrate that maternal lineage bore lasting consequence for the settlement and continuity of Judah's tribal territory. Theologically, her story illustrates how faithful Israelite women anchored covenantal identity even within complex family configurations. She stands as a quiet example of the women whose roles in bearing and raising the next generation proved essential to the preservation and geographic expansion of God's covenant people throughout the land of promise.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 4:18

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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