Naphtali

Biblical Account

Naphtali was the sixth son of Jacob. He was the second son born to Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, and had the same mother as his older brother Dan. Rachel, who had been unable to bear children, gave her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob. When Bilhah bore a son, Rachel said, "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed," and she named him Naphtali (Genesis 30:7–8). The Hebrew name is commonly interpreted as "my struggle" or "my wrestling," and it reflects Rachel's situation as she contended with her sister Leah (see Rachel and Leah).

Genesis does not describe Naphtali's life in detail. His name appears in the list of Jacob's sons (Genesis 35:25) and in the list of the family members who went down to Egypt. When the family went to Egypt, his sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem went with him (Genesis 46:24). Before his death, Jacob blessed his sons, saying, "Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words" (Genesis 49:21).

Thereafter, Naphtali appears mainly as the name of a tribe.

• In the first census recorded in Numbers, the men able to go to war numbered 53,400 (Numbers 1:43); in the second census, at the end of the wilderness period, they numbered 45,400 (Numbers 26:50).
• Among the twelve spies sent to explore the land of Canaan, Nahbi the son of Vophsi was chosen from the tribe of Naphtali (Numbers 13:14).
• Moses blessed the tribe of Naphtali, declaring that it would be "satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 33:23).
• After the settlement in Canaan, the tribe received territory west and north of the Sea of Galilee (Joshua 19:32–39). Kedesh in Galilee, within that territory, was designated a city of refuge (Joshua 20:7).
• In Judges, Barak came from Kedesh-naphtali. He fought alongside Deborah, and the Song of Deborah praises Zebulun and Naphtali for risking their lives (Judges 4:6; 5:18). Gideon also summoned this tribe (Judges 6:35).
• During the period of the northern kingdom of Israel, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, conquered the region and carried its inhabitants into captivity (2 Kings 15:29).

Significance in Scripture

The land of Naphtali was a frontier region and one of the first territories of the northern kingdom to fall to Assyria. Isaiah prophesied that the despised "land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali," that is, "Galilee of the nations," would one day see a great light (Isaiah 9:1–7). The Gospel of Matthew records that Jesus left Nazareth, settled in Capernaum in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, and began His ministry there, presenting this as the fulfillment of that prophecy (Matthew 4:13–16; Matthew 4:15–16). The Book of Revelation records that 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali were among those who were sealed (Revelation 7:6).

Interpretations and Debates

• Jacob's blessing (Genesis 49:21): The meaning of the Hebrew text is uncertain. Some interpretations, such as that reflected in the Korean Revised Version, read it as "he gives goodly words (sounds)," while some scholars read it as "he bears lovely fawns." The phrase "a hind let loose" is commonly understood as an image of swiftness or freedom.
• Jewish tradition: This verse is said to have given rise to a tradition that Naphtali was a swift runner. The pseudepigraphal work known as the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs includes a "Testament of Naphtali." These traditions are not found in the biblical text itself.
• Book of Tobit: Tobit, the main character of the Book of Tobit, which the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church accept as canonical, is identified as a member of the tribe of Naphtali. Protestants do not include this book in the canon.

In the Korean Church

Sermons devoted specifically to Naphtali are rare in the Korean church. His name is introduced mainly in Sunday school when children learn about the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel. The passages in Isaiah 9 and Matthew 4 declaring that "the people which sat in darkness saw great light" are frequently read in Christmas sermons and in sermons on Jesus' Galilean ministry. In these contexts, "Zebulun and Naphtali" are cited as an example of a marginalized frontier region on which the light of the gospel shone first.