• Israel
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ISRAEL

      (Isʹra·el) [God contends, or, contender (perseverer) with God].

      1. The name God gave to Jacob when he was about ninety-seven years old. It was during the night that Jacob crossed the Jabbok torrent valley on his way to meet his brother Esau that he began struggling with what turned out to be an angel. Because of Jacob’s perseverance in the struggle, his name was changed to Israel as a token of God’s blessing. In commemoration of these events, Jacob named the place Peniel or Penuel. (Gen. 32:22-28; see JACOB No. 1.) Later, at Bethel the change in name was confirmed by God, and from then on to the end of his life Jacob was frequently called Israel. (Gen. 35:10, 15; 50:2; 1 Chron. 1:34) Many of the more than 2,500 occurrences of the name Israel, however, are in reference to Jacob’s descendants as a nation.—Ex. 5:1, 2.

      2. All the descendants of Jacob, collectively, at any one time. (Ex. 9:4; Josh. 3:7; Ezra 2:2b; Matt. 8:10) As the offspring and descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons, they were quite often called the “sons of Israel”; less often, the “house of Israel,” the “people of Israel,” the “men of Israel,” the “state of Israel,” or the “Israelites.” (Gen. 32:32; Matt. 10:6; Acts 4:10; 5:35; Eph. 2:12; Rom. 9:4; see ISRAELITE.) In 1728 B.C.E. famine caused the household of Jacob to travel to Egypt, where, as alien residents, their descendants remained for 215 years. All the Israelites reckoned as “of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt,” not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons, were seventy. But during their sojourn there they became a very large society of slaves, totaling perhaps some two or three million or more.—Gen. 46:26, 27; Ex. 1:7; see EXODUS.

      On his deathbed Jacob blessed his twelve sons in this order: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin; and through them the patriarchal tribal arrangement was continued. (Gen. 49:2-28) However, during Israel’s period of slavery the Egyptians set up their own overseer system, independent of the patriarchal establishment, designating certain ones from among the Israelites as officers. These kept count of the bricks produced and assisted the Egyptian overlords, who drove the Israelites to work. (Ex. 5:6-19) Moses, on the other hand, when making known Jehovah’s instructions to the congregation, did so through the “older men of Israel” who were the hereditary heads of the paternal houses. They were also the ones who accompanied him when appearing before Pharaoh.—Ex. 3:16, 18; 4:29, 30; 12:21.

      In due time, at the end of the predetermined 430-year period of affliction, in 1513 B.C.E., Jehovah crushed the dominating world power of Egypt and, with a great display of his Sovereign Almightiness, brought his people Israel out of slavery. With them came a “vast mixed company” of non-Israelites who were happy to cast their lot in with that of God’s chosen people.—Ex. 12:37, 38, 40, 41; Gal. 3:17.

      BIRTH OF THE NATION

      Under the covenant made with Abraham, the resultant congregation of Israel was viewed as a single individual, and, therefore, a close relative could reclaim or repurchase them from their slavery. Jehovah was that close relative by this legal covenant, indeed, their Father, and as the rightful Repurchaser he used punitive force to kill Pharaoh’s firstborn for refusing to release God’s “first-born” son Israel. (Ex. 4:22, 23; 6:2-7) Thus legally delivered from Egypt, Israel became the exclusive property of Jehovah. “You people only have I known out of all the families of the ground,” he said. (Amos 3:2; Ex. 19:5, 6; Deut. 7:6) God now saw fit, however, to deal with them, not strictly as a patriarchal society, but as the state of Israel, which he created, giving it a theocratic government founded on the Law covenant as a constitution.

      Within three months after Israel left Egypt it became an independent nation under the Law covenant inaugurated at Mount Sinai. (Heb. 9:19, 20) The Ten Words or Ten Commandments written “by God’s finger” formed the framework of that national code, to which some six hundred other laws, statutes, regulations and judicial decisions were added. This made it the most comprehensive set of laws possessed by any ancient nation, spelling out as it did in great detail man’s relation between himself, his God and his fellowmen.—Ex. 31:18; 34:27, 28.

      As a pure theocracy, all judicial, legislative and executive authority rested with Jehovah. (Isa. 33:22; Jas. 4:12) In turn, this great Theocrat delegated certain administrative power to His appointed representatives. The law code itself even provided for an eventual dynasty of kings that would represent Jehovah in civil matters. These kings, however, were not absolute monarchs, since the priesthood was separate and independent of the kingship, and in reality the kings sat on “Jehovah’s throne” as his representatives, subject to his directives and discipline.—Deut. 17:14-20; 1 Chron. 29:23; 2 Chron. 26:16-21.

      Under the constitutional code, worship of Jehovah was placed above everything else and dominated every part of the nation’s life and activity. Idolatry was rank treason punishable by death. (Deut. 4:15-19; 6:13-15; 13:1-5) The sacred tabernacle, and later the temple, with its prescribed sacrifices was the physical center of worship. The God-appointed priesthood had the Urim and Thummim by which answers were received from Jehovah on important and difficult questions of life or death. (Ex. 28:30) Regular assemblies of the men, women and children were provided (compulsory for the men) and helped to maintain the nation’s spiritual health and unity.—Lev. 23:2; Deut. 31:10-13.

      Provisions were made for a system of judges over “tens,” “fifties,” “hundreds” and “thousands.” In this way the cases of the people could be handled quickly and appeals could be made on up to Moses, who could, when necessary, present the matter before Jehovah for final decision. (Ex. 18:19-26; Deut. 16:18) The military organization with its conscription of manpower and distribution of command also conformed to a similar numerical system.—Num. 1:3, 4, 16; 31:3-6, 14, 48.

      The various civil, judicial and military offices were filled by the hereditary heads of the tribes, the older men who were experienced, wise and discreet. (Deut. 1:13-15) These older men stood before Jehovah as representatives of the entire congregation of Israel, and through them Jehovah and Moses spoke to the people in general. (Ex. 3:15, 16) They were men who patiently heard judicial cases, enforced the various features of the Law covenant (Deut. 21:18-21; 22:15-21; 25:7-10), abided by the divine decisions already rendered (Deut. 19:11, 12; 21:1-9), furnished military leadership (Num. 1:16), confirmed treaties already negotiated (Josh. 9:15) and, as a committee under the headship of the high priest, discharged other responsibilities.—Josh. 22:13-16.

      This new theocratic state of Israel with its centralized authority still retained the patriarchal arrangement