Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Hebrews ... Israelites ... the seed of Abraham. A climax, - "Hebrews" referring to the language and nationality; "Israelites," to the theocracy and descent from Israel, the 'prince who prevailed with God' (Romans 9:4); "the seed of Abraham," to the claim to a share in the promised (Galatians 3:29) Messiah (Romans 9:7; Romans 11:1). Compare Philippians 3:5, "an Hebrew of the Hebrews;" not an Hellenist or Greek-speaking Jew, but a Hebrew in tongue, sprung from Hebrews (cf. Acts 22:3).