Was Gideon Jewish

Answer 1

Gideon (גִּדְעוֹן), also named Jerubbaal (יְרֻבַּעַל), was a Jewish military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in the chapters 6 to 8 of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible.

Answer 2

The word "Jew" is merely a foreshortening or "nickname" of the name "Judah." A Jew, then, is, technically, a blood descendant of the tribe or nation of Judah, one of Israel's twelve tribes. Few people in this world, however, recognize or care about this distinction and lump all twelve tribes of Israel [if any of their scattered descendants know their identities today] into one lump category that's commonly referred to as "the Jews.".

The collective nation of all the tribes of Israel spent most of its historical biblical existence, with the exception of David's and Solomon's reign, DIVIDED into two separate kingdoms or houses: the House or Kingdom of JUDAH, or the JEWS, and the House or Kingdom of ISRAEL. It was to the kingdom of the JEWS, or JUDAH, that God caused the tribe of BENJAMIN and scattered remnants of Simeon, Levi and other tribes to ally themselves when the TWO HOUSES split:

"...Rehoboam [the king of Judah]... assembled ALL THE HOUSE OF JUDAH [all the Jews], WITH THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN [not Jews, but Benjaminites... but because they were allied with Judah were absorbed into the general category of "Jew."]... TO FIGHT AGAINST THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came... saying, 'Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah [who was the son of David, who were all descended from Judah... and therefore ALL JEWS], and unto ALL THE HOUSE OF BENJAMIN, and TO THE REMNANT OF THE PEOPLE [a scattered remnant of the other Israelite tribes who stayed with the House of Judah when the two houses split]... Thus saith the LORD, 'Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel... for this thing is FROM ME...'" (I Kings 12:21-24)

But the vast majority of the House or Kingdom of Israel, to which most of the tribes of the children of Israel gave their allegiance, was headed up by the two tribes of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, upon whom Jacob [whose surname was ISRAEL] declared his name in Gen.48:16.

So, according to the Scriptures Gideon was NOT a Jew, or descended from Judah, but from JOSEPH... through his eldest son Manasseh:

We're told in Judges that Gideon was an "ABIEZERITE" [Jud.6:11] who was a descendant of Manasseh:

"There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. There was also a lot for THE REST OF THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH by their families; for the children of ABIEZER..." (Josh.17:1-2).

Gideon was a descendant of Abiezer, or of the tribe of JOSEPH [who, by the way, was also NOT A JEW].

Joseph was one of Judah's eleven brothers. They probably called one another "Joe" and "Jew." Zebulun was probably called "Zeb." Gad and Dan were probably called "Gad" and "Dan" because you can't shorten those names much more than they are. You can go through all twelve tribes and derive a nickname for them. "Reuben" was probably "Rube;"... "Simeon," "Sim;"... "Issachar," "Izzy?"; "Asher," "Ash?"... etc.

Here's a shocker: MOSES WAS NOT A JEW... but a LEVITE! [Ex.2:1-2] You suppose they called him "Moe?"

But "Judah" was the first "Jew," and all of his descendants are, technically, the Jews.

So, no... Gideon was, technically, not a "Jew"... he was a "Josephite." I guess you could call him "Gid."

Answer 3

yes