Jews and Gentiles represent two distinct groups with different religious and cultural backgrounds. In fact, these are two contrasting terms, as gentiles refer to people who are not Jewish.
The key difference between Jews and Gentiles is that Jews are members of the Jewish ethnic and religious group with a shared heritage and religious traditions, while Gentiles are people who are not Jews.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. Who are Jews
3. Who are Gentiles
4. Jews vs Gentiles in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Jews vs Gentiles
6. FAQ – Jews and Gentiles
Who are Jews?
Jews are an ethnoreligious group originating from the ancient Israelites of the Near East. Their traditional religion is Judaism, which ties together their ethnicity, religion, and community. Although not all ethnic Jews practice Judaism, those who convert to the religion are welcomed as part of the community.
The Israelites emerged from the Canaanite population and founded the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Judaism developed from the Israelite religion of Yahwism by the late 6th century BCE. It is considered by Jews to be based on a covenant with God established with their ancestors. Over time, events like the Babylonian captivity, the movement of Jews around the Mediterranean, and conflicts like the Jewish-Roman wars led to the widespread dispersion of Jewish communities. This is known as the Jewish diaspora.
Over the centuries, Jewish diaspora communities formed three main ethnic groups based on their regions of settlement: Ashkenazi Jews in Western Europe, Sephardic Jews in the Iberian Peninsula, and Mizrahi Jews in the Middle East and North Africa.

Figure 01: Map of the Jewish Diaspora
There are also smaller Jewish groups beyond the three main ones. Before World War II, there were about 16.7 million Jews worldwide, making up around 0.7% of the global population. During the war, about 6 million Jews in Europe were killed in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany. Since then, the Jewish population has gradually increased and was estimated to be around 15.2 million in 2021, which is less than 0.2% of the world’s population. Today, over 85% of Jews live in Israel or the United States.
Who are Gentiles?
The term gentiles actually doesn’t describe who someone is; instead, it describes who someone is not – a Jew. Therefore, a gentile can be defined as a person belonging to a nation other than Jewish. In simple words, we use it to refer to those who are not Jewish. The English word gentile comes from the Latin word gentilis, which means “belonging to the same people or nation.”
The difference between Jews and Gentiles is important in the New Testament, especially for the early Christian community. The Apostle Paul often talks about including Gentiles in the Christian faith and breaking down traditional barriers (Ephesians 2:11-22).
Difference Between Jews and Gentiles
Definition
- Jews are member of the people and cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism and who trace their origins through the ancient Hebrew people of Israel to Abraham.
- Gentiles is a term that describes people who are not Jewish.
Religion
- Jews follow Judaism, which is their traditional religion, though not all Jews practice it.
- Gentiles do not follow Judaism; they may follow various other religions or none at all.
History
- Jews are descendants of the ancient Israelites. They are part of a long history and cultural heritage that includes the experience of the Jewish diaspora.
- Gentiles are not connected to the Jewish historical or cultural experiences.
The following table summarizes the difference between Jews and Gentiles.
Summary – Jews vs Gentiles
Understanding the difference between Jews and Gentiles is important when reading in the New Testament. A Jew is someone whose traditional religion is Judaism and who trace their origins through the ancient Hebrew people of Israel to Abraham. Gentiles is a term that basically refers to a person belonging to a nation other than Jewish.
FAQ: Jews and Gentiles
1. Who are called Gentiles in the Bible?
- In the Bible, “Gentiles” refers to people who are not Jewish. They are often depicted as the nations or peoples outside of the Jewish community.
2. What do the Gentiles believe?
- Gentiles are people who are not Jewish. Therefore, gentiles believe in many different things. They might follow religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism, or they might not follow any religion at all.
3. What is the difference between Jews and Israel?
- Jews are people who follow Judaism or are of Jewish descent. Israel is a country where many Jews live and where the Jewish state is located. This is the basic difference between Jews and Israel.
4. Do Jews believe in Jesus?
- Jews do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah or as a divine figure. In Judaism, Jesus is not considered a prophet or a central figure in their religious teachings. Instead, Jews are waiting for a future Messiah who has not yet come, according to their beliefs.
Reference:
1. “Jews.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
2. “Who Were Gentiles in the Bible? Meaning and Examples.” Christianity.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Map of the Jewish Diaspora in the World” By Allice Hunter – World Jewish Population in the World. Berman Jewish DataBank (2018). Retrieved on 22 June 2019. (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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