Naphtali, the sixth son of Jacob and second son of Bilhah, was the founder of the Israelite tribe that bore his name.
Naphtali was the sixth son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and the second son of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant (Gen.30.8; 35.25). His birth was celebrated by Rachel, who had been struggling with infertility. She named him Naphtali, saying, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed" (Gen.30.8).
As one of the twelve tribes of Israel, Naphtali played a significant role in the history of God's chosen people. During the Exodus, the tribe of Naphtali was led by Ahira son of Enan (Num.1.15) and was counted among the Israelite tribes in the wilderness (Num.1.42-43; 26.48-50).
In the arrangement of the Israelite camp, Naphtali was positioned on the north side, along with the tribes of Dan and Asher (Num.2.29). The tribe also had representatives among the twelve spies sent to explore Canaan (Num.13.14) and had a designated leader, Pedahel son of Ammihud, during the allocation of the Promised Land (Num.34.28).
The territory allotted to the tribe of Naphtali was in the northern part of Canaan, bordering Asher, Zebulun, and Issachar (Jos.19.32-39). The region was known for its fertile lands and abundant resources, as reflected in Jacob's blessing: "Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns" (Gen.49.21) and Moses' blessing: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake" (Deu.33.23).
Throughout Israel's history, the tribe of Naphtali played various roles. They participated in the battles against Sisera (Jdg.4.6, 10; 5.18) and the Midianites (Jdg.6.35; 7.23). The tribe also provided skilled warriors to support David (1Ch.12.34, 40) and was known for its wise and articulate people (Jdg.5.18; Psalm Jdg.68.27).
In the New Testament, Naphtali is mentioned in connection with Jesus' ministry in the region of Galilee (Mat.4.13, 15), fulfilling the prophecy of Isa.9.1. The tribe is also listed among the twelve tribes of Israel sealed by God in the book of Revelation (Rev.7.6).
Naphtali Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)
NAPH'TALI (my wrestling), Gen 30:8, or NEPH'THALIM, Matt 4:15, a son of Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid. Tribe of. At Mount Sinai the tribe numbered 53,400 fighting-men. Num 1:43; on the entrance into Canaan, 45,400. Num 26:50. Jacob, from his death-bed, represented Naphtali as a "hind let loose; he giveth goodly words." Gen 49:21. Barak, Jud 4:10, was the chief hero which the tribe produced. At the division of the kingdom Naphtali became a part of the northern monarchy. Later, its territory was overrun and its people taken captive by Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. 2 Kgs 15:29. Isaiah prophesied of the Messianic light to break over her, 2 Kgs 9:1-2, which was fulfilled. Matt 4:15-16.
NAPH'TALI (my wrestling), the territory given to the tribe descended from the fifth son of Jacob. Gen 30:8; Gen 35:25; Ex 1:4; 1 Chr 2:2. On leaving Egypt the tribe numbered 53,400 fighting-men. Num 1:42-43; on reaching the plains of Moab it had decreased to 45,400. Num 26:48-50. Jacob blessed this tribe and compared it to a hind or gazelle. Gen 49:21. Moses describes its territory. Deut 33:23. The land of Naphtali was the most northerly of the portion allotted to Israel, and its boundaries are found in Josh 19:32-39; The territory reached to the Leontes, and east to the Jordan, the waters of Merom, and the Sea of Galilee, by which it was separated from Manasseh east of the Jordan. It afforded a great variety of soil and climate. Josephus describes the fertility and productiveness of this region along the Jordan and Sea of Galilee in glowing language. The table-lands west of the Jordan valley were 2000 feet above the sea, and in the mountains of Naphtali were found ridges and peaks, not barren and bleak, but covered with oak, terebinth, aromatic shrubs, and flowers of variegated hues. It…
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Naphtali Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible
NAPH'TALI (my wrestling), the territory given to the tribe descended from the fifth son of Jacob. Gen 30:8; Gen 35:25; Ex 1:4; 1 Chr 2:2. On leaving Egypt the tribe numbered 53,400 fighting-men. Num 1:42-43; on reaching the plains of Moab it had decreased to 45,400. Num 26:48-50. Jacob blessed
this tribe and compared it to a hind or gazelle. Gen 49:21. Moses describes its territory. Deut 33:23. The land of Naphtali was the most northerly of the portion allotted to Israel, and its boundaries are found in Josh 19:32-39; The territory reached to the Leontes, and east to the Jordan, the waters of Merom, and the Sea of Galilee, by which it was separated from Manasseh east of the Jordan. It afforded a great variety of soil and climate. Josephus describes the fertility and productiveness of this region along the Jordan and Sea of Galilee in glowing language. The table-lands west of the Jordan valley were 2000 feet above the sea, and in the mountains of Naphtali were found ridges and peaks, not barren and bleak, but covered with oak, terebinth, aromatic shrubs, and flowers of variegated hues. It still teems with animal life, beasts and birds being abundant. See Palestine. History. - Stanley says Naphtali was one of the four northern tribes which kept aloof from the great historical movements of Israel. It gained renown in the war against Jabin and Sisera, Judg 4, Judg 6, but later the people appear to have become allied with their Gentile neighbors, and some of their cities were transferred to Hiram of Tyre. 1 Kgs 9:11-13. Their land lay in the track of the invaders from the north, and their cities were captured, as Ijon, Abel, Kadesh, and Hazor. 1 Kgs 15:20; 2 Chr 16:4. Tiglath-pileser, b.c. 720, overran Northern Palestine, and Naphtali was the first territory depopulated…
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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
50 verses in 15 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5321