Naphtali was the sixth son of Jacob and the second son born to Jacob’s second wife, Bilhah. Naphtali’s story is found in Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible.
Jacob, who was later named Israel, had twelve sons who became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. Naphtali was the founder of one of these twelve tribes.
Jacob’s Family Background
To understand Naphtali’s story, it’s important to understand Jacob’s family background. Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel, and two concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. Jacob loved Rachel most of all, but she was unable to have children for many years after Jacob married her (Genesis 29:31).
During this time, Leah bore Jacob four sons – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah (Genesis 29:31-35). Since Rachel had no children, she gave her servant Bilhah to Jacob as a surrogate mother. Bilhah bore Jacob two sons – Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:1-8).
Later, Leah gave Jacob two more sons, Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-13). Then Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob two more sons, Issachar and Zebulun (Genesis 30:14-20). Finally, God enabled Rachel to have children, and she gave birth to Joseph and later Benjamin (Genesis 30:22-24, 35:16-18).
So in total, Jacob had 12 sons – four by Leah, two by Bilhah, two by Zilpah, and two by Rachel. Naphtali was one of the two sons of Bilhah.
The Birth of Naphtali
After Rachel struggled with infertility for many years, she became jealous that her sister Leah was able to give Jacob children. So Rachel said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” (Genesis 30:1).
Jacob became angry with Rachel and responded, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Genesis 30:2).
So Rachel decided to give her servant Bilhah to Jacob as a surrogate mother so that she could have children through her. Rachel said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her” (Genesis 30:3).
When Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son, Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan (Genesis 30:6).
Then Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali (Genesis 30:8). The name Naphtali means “my struggle” or “wrestling.”
So through her servant Bilhah, Rachel was able to have two sons that she considered her own. Naphtali was the second of these two sons born to Bilhah on behalf of Rachel.
Naphtali Receives Jacob’s Blessing
Many years later, when Jacob was old and nearing death, he gave blessings to each of his twelve sons. This is recorded in Genesis chapter 49.
When it was Naphtali’s turn to receive the blessing, Jacob said:
“Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.” (Genesis 49:21)
This poetic blessing seems to mean that the tribe of Naphtali would be free, fruitful, and flourishing. Jacob compared Naphtali to a female deer that bears beautiful young.
So Jacob’s blessing indicated that Naphtali’s descendants would multiply and be free, active, and lively.
The Tribe and Territory of Naphtali
As Jacob blessed his sons, the twelve sons of Israel went on to form the twelve tribes that conquered the Promised Land after the Exodus from Egypt. Naphtali formed the Tribe of Naphtali, one of the twelve tribes.
After entering Canaan, Joshua assigned each tribe a territory based on the size of the tribe. The Tribe of Naphtali was allotted land in northern Israel near the Sea of Galilee (Joshua 19:32-39).
Some key cities located in the territory of Naphtali were Hazor, Kinnereth (later called Capernaum), and Hammath. The region was fertile and prosperous.
One interesting note – later in Israel’s history, the judge Barak was from the tribe of Naphtali and fought against the Canaanites from Mount Tabor (Judges 4:6), located within Naphtali’s territory.
Partial List of Biblical Figures from Naphtali
Here is a partial list of some of the named descendants of Naphtali in the Bible:
- Jahzeel – One of the sons of Naphtali (Genesis 46:24)
- Barak – The judge who fought against Canaan (Judges 4:6)
- Hiram – Craftsman who helped build the Temple (1 Kings 7:14)
- Ben-Hur – Official under King Solomon (1 Kings 4:15)
Prophecies Concerning Naphtali
The tribe of Naphtali received several prophecies in Scripture about their future:
- Moses’ Blessing – Moses pronounced this blessing on Naphtali before entering Canaan: “O Naphtali, sated with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, possess the lake and the south.” (Deuteronomy 33:23)
- Defeat by Tiglath-Pileser – The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser invaded Naphtali’s land and took many captives around 734 BC (2 Kings 15:29).
- Exile by Shalmaneser – Later, Naphtali was among the first tribes exiled from Israel by Assyrian king Shalmaneser around 722 BC (2 Kings 17:1-6).
So Moses blessed their land, but later prophets warned of coming judgment because of their sin. This judgment came when Assyria invaded and exiled them.
Naphtali in the New Testament
In the New Testament, Jesus’ earthly ministry centered around the Sea of Galilee – right in the region once occupied by the Tribe of Naphtali. Several of Christ’s disciples came from this area.
Matthew 4:13-16 notes that Jesus made his home in Capernaum in the land of Naphtali. Matthew quotes a prophecy from Isaiah about this region:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:15-16)
This prophecy predicted that the Messiah would minister in Naphtali’s region, bringing light to Gentiles living in darkness. Jesus fulfilled this by living and preaching around the Sea of Galilee.
So although the tribe of Naphtali itself faded from history after the Assyrian exile, Naphtali’s land later became a center of Jesus’ ministry centuries later.
Lessons from Naphtali’s Life
Though not one of the more famous or prominent tribes, Naphtali’s story in Scripture provides some lessons and insights:
- God cares for the marginalized – Bilhah was a lowly servant, but God enabled her to bear children for Rachel.
- Fruitfulness comes from God – Despite her barrenness, Rachel was able to have sons through Bilhah because of God’s work.
- God keeps His promises – Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that Naphtali’s land would see the Messiah’s light.
- Appearances can be deceiving – Naphtali was born from a servant, yet became a tribe like his brothers.
In many ways, Naphtali’s beginning as the lowly son of a servant foreshadowed Christ’s later willingness to dwell in a “lowly” place like Capernaum in order to reach and save the lost. The themes of barrenness to fruitfulness and darkness to light punctuate Naphtali’s history and Christ’s later ministry in the same lands.
So as one of the twelve sons of Israel, Naphtali played a small but noteworthy part in the biblical narrative spanning from Genesis to the Gospels. His life illustrates God’s faithfulness across generations to work through all people – both prominent and obscure.