Jehovah is the Originator of the arrangement and judges by means of his Son.—Rom. 14:10.

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Judgment rendered by one(s) in authority. (2 Sam. 8:15; 1 Ki. 3:16-28; 10:9; 2 Ki. 25:6; 2 Chron. 19:8-10) Jehovah God, as Judge, Statute-giver and King (Isa. 33:22) gave to the nation of Israel an extensive code of laws. His decisions on matters of law furnished guidelines for deciding matters involving individuals and the nation’s internal and external affairs.—See COURT, JUDICIAL; LAW; LEGAL CASE.

Many of these judicial decisions were given to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. (Neh. 9:13) But at times certain situations called for a special judicial decision. For example, when Manassite Zelophehad was survived by daughters only, a question arose as to whether they should receive an inheritance. Jehovah then rendered a decision that covered the case and afterward served as a statute for handling like situations. (Num. 27:1-11; 36:1-12; see also Leviticus 24:10-16.) Similarly, a judicial decision made by David about the distribution of spoils of war set a legal precedent.—1 Sam. 30:23-25.

By designating certain common but extremely harmful acts as capital offenses, the divinely given judicial decisions stood out as unique among the laws of contemporary nations. Surrounding peoples engaged in bestiality, sodomy, incest and other degraded practices that were injurious to mental, physical and spiritual well-being. (Lev. 18:6-30; 20:10-23) Therefore, Jehovah’s judicial decisions, if obeyed, would have elevated the nation of Israel. With Jehovah’s blessing, Israel’s strict adherence to his commands would have resulted in observable benefits, causing other nations to say: “This great nation is undoubtedly a wise and understanding people.” (Deut. 4:4-6) Since these were really a blessing to Israel (Lev. 25:18, 19; Deut. 4:1; 7:12-15; 30:16), it is not surprising that the psalmist prayed that he might be taught Jehovah’s judicial decisions. (Ps. 119:108) He so much appreciated them that he praised Jehovah for his judicial decisions seven times a day (Ps. 119:164), even getting up at midnight to thank God for them.—Ps. 119:62.

However, although good, righteous and holy, the judicial decisions of the Law merely served as a tutor leading to Christ and were replaced by the new covenant. (Rom. 7:12; Gal. 3:24; Heb. 8:7-13) So it is to be expected that obedience to the commands or judicial decisions associated with the new covenant would result in far grander blessings than those natural Israel experienced under the Law.—John 13:34, 35; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Pet. 1:14, 15, 22, 23; 2:9, 10; 1 John 5:3.

JUDITH

(Juʹdith) [Jew, praiseworthy].

A wife of Esau; daughter of Beeri the Hittite and a constant source of bitterness to Isaac and Rebekah. (Gen. 26:34, 35) She is perhaps the same as Oholibamah at Genesis 36:2.

JULIA

(Juʹli·a).

A member of the congregation at Rome to whom Paul sent greetings. (Rom. 16:15) Julia may have been the wife or sister of Philologus.

JULIUS

(Juʹli·us).

A Roman army officer or centurion of the band of Augustus in whose custody Paul traveled to Rome. (Acts 27:1; see AUGUSTUS, BAND OF; CENTURION [Army Officer].) From the beginning of the voyage, Julius apparently appreciated that Paul was not an ordinary prisoner and showed him kindness, for example, letting him go ashore to visit friends at Sidon. However, when Paul later suggested that for the time being their continuing on would be perilous, Julius listened to the contrary opinion of the pilot and the shipowner. Later Julius’ soldiers prevented the escape of the sailors, in keeping with Paul’s words: “Unless these men remain in the boat, you cannot be saved.” When shipwreck occurred, Julius, by not letting the soldiers kill the prisoners, saved Paul’s life.—Acts 27:1-44.

JUNIAS

(Juʹni·as).

A recipient of special greetings in Paul’s letter to the Romans (16:7). Andronicus and Junias were his “relatives.” While the Greek word used here can mean “fellow-countryman,” the primary meaning is “blood relative of the same generation.” The two were Paul’s “fellow captives,” possibly having been in prison with him somewhere. Paul calls them both “men of note among the apostles,” perhaps recalling their fine reputation with the apostles. They were ‘in union with Christ longer than Paul himself was,’ indicating early discipleship.

JUNIPER

1. [Heb., b^erohshʹ].

The Hebrew name for this tree has been translated in different ways, as “fir,” “cypress,” and so forth; however, some authorities recommend the juniper tree on good basis. (See Koehler and Baumgartner’s Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, page 148; The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 2, page 293.) Since the tree was imported from Lebanon by King Solomon (1 Ki. 5:8-10; 9:11; 2 Chron. 2:8), it may be identified with the Juniperus excelsa, a tall, robust evergreen growing up to sixty-five feet (19.8 meters) in height, with spreading branches, small scalelike leaves, and dark, small, globular fruit. It is highly fragrant. The timber from this juniper tree is greatly valued for its durability.

The Juniperus excelsa is a native of Lebanon and is regularly associated with that land, being included with other trees as the “glory of Lebanon.” (2 Ki. 19:23; Isa. 14:8; 37:24; 60:13) The psalmist spoke of the juniper trees as the “house” or nesting place of storks. (Ps. 104:17) Juniper wood was used extensively in the temple built by Solomon. (2 Chron. 3:5) The leaves of the main doors were made of juniper wood (1 Ki. 6:34), and the floor was overlaid with it. (1 Ki. 6:15) It is elsewhere spoken of as being used for rafters (Song of Sol. 1:17), planking for ships (Ezek. 27:5), spear shafts (Nah. 2:3) and musical instruments. (2 Sam. 6:5) As a “luxuriant tree” it is used in the restoration prophecies to describe the beauty and fruitful fertility to be brought to the land of God’s people.—Isa. 41:19; 55:13; 60:13.

2. [Heb., ʽaroh·ʽerʹ or ʽar·ʽarʹ]. The Arabic word ʽarʽar aids in identifying this tree as probably the Juniperus phoenicia, a shrublike tree to be found in the Sinai region and also in the area of the Desert of Edom. The root word in the Hebrew from which the tree’s name is drawn has the idea of “nakedness” or being “stripped” (compare Psalm 102:17), and this dwarf juniper is correspondingly described as of rather gloomy appearance, growing in rocky parts of the desert and on crags. It is fittingly used in the book of Jeremiah when comparing the man whose heart turns away from Jehovah with a “solitary tree [ʽar·ʽarʹ] in the desert plain,” and also in warning the Moabites to take flight and become “like a juniper tree [ʽaroh·ʽerʹ] in the wilderness.”—Jer. 17:5, 6; 48:1, 6.