Who are the Israelites?

Do you mean, “Who are the Israelites today?” or “Who were the Israelites in the Bible?” Here is a brief answer to both.

In the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). Jacob had twelve sons, and their descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49). God formed them into a covenant nation, delivered them from Egypt, gave them His law, and established them in the land of Canaan.

Today, the term “Israelites” can be used in different ways. Ethnically and historically, the Jewish people are descended from ancient Israel, especially from the tribes associated with the kingdom of Judah. The modern State of Israel is a political nation made up mostly of Jewish people, along with other ethnic and religious groups.

The New Testament also uses spiritual language about God’s people. Those who belong to Christ are described as Abraham’s seed by faith (Galatians 3:28–29), showing that salvation is not limited by ethnicity.

So, biblically, “Israelites” originally refers to the descendants of Jacob, while today the term may refer historically to the Jewish people or, in a spiritual sense, to God’s covenant people through faith in Christ.