splendid qualities, his love, wisdom, justice and power, enabling persons to know or experience what the Name stands for. (Matt. 11:27; John 1:14, 18; 17:6-12) And, above all, he did it by upholding Jehovah’s universal sovereignty, showing that his Kingdom government would be based solidly on that Supreme Source of authority. Therefore it could be said of him: “God is your throne forever.”—Heb. 1:8.

The Lord Jesus Christ is thus the “Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith.” By his fulfillment of prophecy and his revelation of God’s future purposes, by what he said and did and was, he provided the solid foundation on which true faith must rest.—Heb. 12:2; 11:1.

JETHER

(Jeʹther) [abundance].

1. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro is called Jether in the Masoretic text at Exodus 4:18.—See JETHRO.

2. A descendant of Judah through Perez. Jether died without sons.—1 Chron. 2:4, 5, 25, 26, 28, 32.

3. The first-named son of Ezrah; descendant of Judah.—1 Chron. 4:17.

4. A descendant of Asher. (1 Chron. 7:30, 38) He is likely the same as Ithran in verse 37; the names are quite similar in Hebrew.

5. The firstborn son of Gideon. Jether apparently accompanied his father in the pursuit and capture of the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna, but when ordered to slay them, the young Jether feared to draw his sword. (Judg. 8:20) After Gideon died, Jether was killed by his half-brother Abimelech.—Judg. 9:5, 18.

6. Father of David’s onetime army chief Amasa. (1 Ki. 2:5, 32) Second Samuel 17:25 in the Masoretic text calls him Ithra and says that he was an Israelite, but 1 Chronicles 2:17 calls him an Ishmaelite, possibly because he lived for a time among the Ishmaelites.

JETHETH

(Jeʹtheth).

A sheik of Edom, descendant of Esau.—Gen. 36:40-43; 1 Chron. 1:51; see TIMNA No. 3.

JETHRO

(Jethʹro) [excellence].

Moses’ father-in-law, a Kenite. (Ex. 3:1; Judg. 1:16) Jethro is also called Reuel (Num. 10:29), which could suggest that Jethro (“excellence”) may have been a title, whereas Reuel was a personal name. However, it was not uncommon for an Arabian chief to have two or even more names, as attested to by many inscriptions. Jethro is spelled “Jether” in the Masoretic text at Exodus 4:18.

Jethro was “the priest of Midian.” Being head of a large family of at least seven daughters and one named son (Ex. 2:15, 16; Num. 10:29), and having the responsibility not only to provide for his family materially but also to lead them in worship, he is appropriately called “the priest [or chieftain] of Midian.” This of itself does not necessarily indicate worship of Jehovah God, but Jethro’s ancestors may have had true worship inculcated in them, and some of this perhaps continued in the family. His conduct suggests at least a deep respect for the God of Moses and Israel.—Ex. 18:10-12.

Jethro’s association with his future son-in-law began shortly after Moses fled from Egypt in 1553 B.C.E. Jethro’s daughters, out taking care of their father’s flocks, were assisted by Moses in watering them, and this they reported to their father, who, in turn, extended hospitality to Moses. Moses then took up living in Jethro’s household and eventually married his daughter Zipporah. After some forty years of caring for Jethro’s flocks in the vicinity of Mount Horeb (Sinai), Moses was summoned by Jehovah back to Egypt, and he returned with his father-in-law’s good wishes.—Ex. 2:15-22; 3:1; 4:18; Acts 7:29, 30.

Later Jethro received report of Jehovah’s great victory over the Egyptians, and at once came to Moses at Horeb, bringing along Zipporah and Moses’ two sons; it was indeed a very warm reunion. Jethro responded to Moses’ review of Jehovah’s mighty saving acts by blessing God and confessing: “Now I do know that Jehovah is greater than all the other gods.” He then offered up sacrifices to God. (Ex. 18:1-12) The next day, Jethro observed Moses listening to the problems of the Israelites “from the morning till the evening.” Perceiving how exhausting this was for both Moses and the people, Jethro suggested a system of delegating authority. ‘Train other capable and worthy men as chiefs over tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands to decide cases, so that you will hear only what they cannot handle.’ Moses agreed and Jethro returned to his own land.—Ex. 18:13-27.

Jethro’s son Hobab was requested by Moses to be a scout. Apparently with some persuasion, he responded and some of his people entered the Promised Land with Israel. (Num. 10:29-33) Judges 4:11 calls Hobab the father-in-law of Moses rather than his brother-in-law, and this has caused difficulty in understanding. However, the Hebrew expression normally rendered “father-in-law” can in a broader sense denote any male relative by marriage and so could also be understood as “brother-in-law.” To say that Hobab was Moses’ father-in-law instead of Jethro would disagree with other texts. If Hobab were another name for Jethro, as some suggest, it would also mean that two men, father and son, bore the name Hobab. On the other hand, Hobab, as a leading member of the next generation of Kenites, might be used in this text as a representative of his father.—See HOBAB.

JETUR

(Jeʹtur).

A son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13-15; 1 Chron. 1:31) and forefather of a people against whom the Israelites warred. (1 Chron. 5:18, 19) It is possible that Jetur’s descendants were the Ituraeans.—Luke 3:1; see ITURAEA.

JEUEL

(Je·uʹel) [God has healed, or, preserved].

1. A Levite who helped in cleansing the temple during Hezekiah’s reign; a descendant of Elizaphan.—2 Chron. 29:13, 15, 16.

2. A postexilic resident of Jerusalem; head of the Judean paternal house of Zerah.—1 Chron. 9:3-6, 9; Gen. 46:12.

JEUSH

(Jeʹush) [perhaps, God comes to help].

1. A son of Esau by his Hivite wife Oholibamah. Jeush was born in Canaan, but later the family moved to Edom.—Gen. 36:2, 5-8, 14, 18; 1 Chron. 1:35.

2. A descendant of Benjamin; a warrior and founder of a tribal family.—1 Chron. 7:6, 10.

3. A Gershonite Levite; son of Shimei. As both Jeush and his brother Beriah had very few sons, their descendants in David’s time merged to form one paternal house.—1 Chron. 23:7, 10, 11.

4. The first-named son of King Rehoboam by his wife Mahalath. Because Rehoboam loved a different wife more, Jeush was passed up in the royal succession.—2 Chron. 11:18-23.

5. A Benjamite; one of King Saul’s descendants.—1 Chron. 8:33, 39.

JEUZ

(Jeʹuz) [counselor].

A family head in the tribe of Benjamin; son of Shaharaim by his wife Hodesh.—1 Chron. 8:1, 8-10.

JEW(ESS)

[lauded; (object of) laudation].

A person belonging to the tribe of Judah. The name is not used in the Bible account prior to the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah, and the people, sons of Judah or sons of the tribe of Judah. The first one to use the name “Jews” was the writer of the books of Kings, doubtless Jeremiah, whose prophetic service began in 647 B.C.E. (See 2 Kings 16:6; 25:25.) After the exile the name was applied to any Israelites returning (Ezra 4:12; 6:7; Neh. 1:2; 5:17) and, finally, to all Hebrews throughout the world, to distinguish them from the Gentile nations. (Esther 3:6; 9:20) Gentile men who