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Easton's Bible Dictionary
my wrestling, The fifth son of Jacob. His mother was
Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid ( Genesis 30:8 ). When Jacob went down into Egypt, Naphtali
had four sons ( Genesis 46:24 ). Little is known of him as an individual.
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
that struggles or fights
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(wrestling), The fifth son of Jacob; the second child
name to him by Bilhah, Rachels slave. His birth and the bestowal of his name are
recorded in ( Genesis 30:8 ) When the census was taken at Mount Sinai the tribe
of Naphtali numbered no less than 53,400 fighting men, ( Numbers 1:43 ; 2:50 )
but when the borders of the promised land were reached, its numbers were reduced
to, 45,400. ( Numbers 26:48 - 50 ) During the march through the wilderness Naphtali
occupied a position on the north of the sacred tent with Dan and Asher. ( Numbers
2:25 - 31 ) In the apportionment of the land, the lot of Naphtali was enclosed
on three sides by those of other tribes. On the west lay Asher, on the south Zebulun,
and on the east the transjordanic Manasseh. (In the division of the kingdom Naphtali
belonged to the kingdom of Israel, and later was a part of Galilee, bordering
on the northwestern pert of the Sea of Galilee, and including Capernaum and Bethsaida.
--Ed.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
naf'-ta-li (naphtali; Nephthaleim):
I. THE PATRIARCH
1. Name:
The 5th son of Jacob, and the 2nd born to him by Rachel's handmaid, Bilhah. He
was full brother of Dan (Genesis 30:7). At his birth Rachel is said to have exclaimed,
naphtule 'Elohim niphtalti, "wrestlings of God"--i.e. "mighty wrestlings"--"have
I wrestled."
2. Circumstances of His Birth:
Her sister's fruitfulness was a sore trial to the barren Rachel. By her artifice
she had obtained children, the offspring of her maid ranking as her own; and thus
her reproach of childlessness was removed. The name Naphtali given to this son
was a monument of her victory. She had won the favor and blessing of God as made
manifest in the way yearned for by the oriental heart, the birth of sons.
3. Historical and Traditional Details:
Personal details regarding the patriarch North are entirely wanting in Scripture;
and the traditions have not much to say about him. According to Targum Pseudo-Jonathan,
he was a swift runner. It also tells us that he was one of the 5 brethren whom
Joseph chose to represent the family of Jacob in the presence of Pharaoh. He is
said to have been 132 years old at his death (Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs,
viii, 1, 1). When Jacob and his family moved to Egypt, Naphtali had 4 sons (Genesis
46:24). In Egypt, he died and was buried. |
II. TRIBE OF NAPHTALI
1. Its Relative Position:
When the first census was taken in the wilderness, the tribe numbered 53,400 fighting
men (Numbers 1:43 ; 2:30). At the second census, the numbers had shrunk to 45,400
(Numbers 26:48); but see NUMBERS. The position of Naphtali in the desert was on
the North of the tabernacle with the standard of the camp of Dan, along with the
tribe of Asher (Numbers 2:25). The standard, according to Jewish tradition, was
a serpent, or basilisk, with the legend, "Return of Yahweh to the many thousands
of Israel" (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on Numbers 2:25). When the host was on the
march, this camp came in the rear (Numbers 2:31). The prince of the tribe at Sinai
was Ahira ben Enan (Numbers 2:29). Among the spies the tribe was represented by
Nahbi ben Vophsi (Numbers 13:14). Prince Pedahel ben Ammihud was chosen from Naphtali
to assist in the division of the land (Numbers 34:28). Toward the end of David's
reign the ruler of the tribe was Jeremoth ben Azriel (1 Chronicles 27:19). Hiram
the Tyrian artificer is described as "the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali"
(1 Kings 7:14). But in 2 Chronicles 2:14 he is called "the son of a woman of the
daughters of Dan." Judges 5:15 does not definitely associate Barak with the tribe
of Issachar; his residence was at Kedesh (Judges 4:6); it is therefore possible
that he belonged to the tribe of Naphtali.
2. Its Location in Palestine:
In the allocation of the land, the lot of Naphtali was the last but one to be
drawn (Joshua 19:32 - 39). The boundaries are stated with great fullness. While
it is yet impossible to trace them with certainty, the identification of sites
in recent years, for which we are mainly indebted to the late Col. Conder, makes
possible an approximation. The territory was bounded on the East by the Sea of
Galilee and the upper reaches of the Jordan. Josephus makes it extend to Damascus
(Ant., V, i, 22); but there is nothing to support this. The southern boundary
probably ran from the point where Wady el-Bireh enters the Jordan, westward along
the northern side of the valley to Mt. Tabor. The western border may have gone
up by way of Chattin (Ziddim) and Yaquq (Hukkok) to Kerr 'Anan (Hannathon), bending
there to the West, including the land of er-Rameh (Ramah) until it reached the
territory of Asher. Running northward again until nearly opposite Tyre, it bent
eastward, and once more northward to the LiTany (Leontes), taking in the larger
part of what is called by the Arabs Belad Beshdrah and Belad es-Shukif. Nineteen
cities in Naphtali are named in Joshua 19:32. Among them was the famous city of
refuge, KEDESH-NAPHTALI (which see), on the heights to the West of the Waters
of Merom, where extensive ruins are still to be seen (Joshua 20:7). It, along
with Hammoth-dor and Kartan, was assigned to the Gershonite Levites (Joshua 21:23
; 1 Chronicles 6:76).
The land lying around the springs of the Jordan was included in the lot of Naphtali.
It is clear that from this part, as well as from the cities named in Judges 1:33,
Naphtali did not drive out the Canaanites. These the Danites found in possession
at the time of their raid. There is no indication that Naphtali resented in any
way this incursion of their kindred tribe into their territory (Judges 18).
3. Physical Features:
The district thus indicated includes much excellent land, both pastoral and arable.
There are the broad, rich terraces that rise away to the North and Northwest of
the Sea of Galilee, with the fertile plain of Gennesaret on the seashore. The
mountains immediately North of the sea are rocky and barren; but when this tract
is passed, we enter the lofty and spacious lands of upper Galilee, which from
time immemorial have been the joy of the peasant farmer. Great breadths there
are which in season yield golden harvests. The richly diversified scenery, mountain,
hill and valley, is marked by a finer growth of trees than is common in Palestine.
The terebinth and pine, the olive, mulberry, apricot, fig, pomegranate, orange,
lemon and vine are cultivated to good purpose. Water is comparatively plentiful,
supplied by many copious springs. It was one of the districts from which Solomon
drew provisions, the officer in charge being the king's son-in-law, Ahimaaz (1
Kings 4:15).
4. Distinction of the Tribe:
The free life of these spacious uplands, which yielded so liberally to the touch
of the hand of industry, developed a robust manhood and a wholesome spirit of
independence among its inhabitants. According to Josephus, who knew them well
(BJ, III, iii, 2), the country never lacked multitudes of men of courage ready
to give a good account of themselves on all occasions of war. Its history, as
far as we know it, afforded ample opportunity for the development of warlike qualities.
In the struggle with Sisera, Naphtali was found on the high places of the field
(Judges 5:18). To David's forces at Hebron, Naphtali contributed a thousand captains
"and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand" (1 Chronicles
12:34). Their position exposed them to the first brunt of attack by enemies from
the North; and in the wars of the kings they bore an important part (1 Kings 15:20
; 2 Kings 12:18 ; 13:22); and they were the first on the West of the Jordan to
be carried away captive (2 Kings 15:29). See GALILEE.
5. Sites and Inhabitants:
The largest town in Mt. Naphtali today (in 1915) is Safed, on the heights due
North of the Sea of Galilee, often spoken of as the "city set on a hill." It is
built in the form of a horseshoe, open to the North, round the Castle Hill, on
which are the ruins of the old fortress of the Templars. This is a position of
great strength, which could hardly fail to be occupied in ancient times, although,
so far, it cannot be identified with any ancient city. It contains between 20,000
and 30,000 inhabitants. Over against it to the Northwest, beyond the deep gorge
of Wady Leimun, rises Jebel Jermuk, the highest mountain in Palestine proper (circa
4,000 feet) which may be the scene of the TRANSFIGURATION (which see). The inhabitants
of Safed were massacred by Sultan Bibars in 1266. The city suffered severely from
earthquake in 1759; and it shared with Tibefias, also a city of Naphtali., the
disaster wrought by the earthquake of 1837. It is one of the holy cities of the
Jews.
6. Labors of Jesus in This District:
In the land of Naphtali Jesus spent a great part of his public life, the land
of Gennesaret, Bethsaida, Capernaum and Chorazin all lying within its boundaries
(compare Matthew 4:15). |
W. Ewing
Tags:
5th son of jacob, bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, naphtali
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