Naphtali was born to Rachel’s handmaid, Bilhah.
- Genesis 30:8
- And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
Naphtali had four sons:
- Jahzeel
- Guni
- Jezer
- Shillem
When the census was taken in Numbers 26:48-49, the descendants of Naphtali was great.
- Of the sons of Naphtali after their families:
- of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites:
- of Guni, the family of the Gunites:
- Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites:
- of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
- These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.
Jacob gave a prophecy of Naphtali’s descendants in Genesis 49:21.
- Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
He Giveth goodly words is an interesting prophecy.
Goodly
Words
Naphtali was the northern most tribe of Israel occupying a long, narrow piece of land about 80 kil. (50 miles) north to south and 16 to 24 Kil (10 to 15 miles) from east to west. The land of Naphtali was mountainous and very fertile.
Isaiah 9:1-7
- Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
- The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
- Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
- For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
- For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
- For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
- Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Jesus fulfilled this prophecy about Nathali seeing a great light when Jesus spent most of his ministry in the land that Nathali was given after the Exodus.
Matthew 4:12-6
- When Jesus learned that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.
- Departing from Nazareth, he settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
- in order that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
- “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the passageway to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
- The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who dwell in a land darkened by the shadow of death light has dawned.”
Naphtali was a tribe of brave warriors people.
- Members of the tribe fought bravely under Deborah.
- Judges 4:4-6
- Now Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, a prophetess, was then a judge in Israel.
- She used to sit underneath the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites would come up to her for judgment there.
- She summoned Barak, the son of Ahinoam, from Kadesh of Naphtali, and she said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun with yourself and march toward Mount Tabor.
- Judges 4:10
- Barak had summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. Ten thousand men were under his command, and Deborah went up with him.
- Judges 5:18
- The people of Zebulun risked their lives, as did Naphtali on the heights of the field.
- Judges 4:4-6
- They responded to Gideon’s Call
- Judges 6:35
- He sent messengers all throughout Manasseh, summoning them to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they too gathered around him.
- Judges 7:23
- The men of Israel from out of Naphtali, from out of Asher, and from out of Manasseh gathered together and pursued the Midianites.
- Judges 6:35
- When Saul’s son Ishbosheth challenged David for the throne 37,000 fighting men who were led by 1,000 captains joined David.
- Chronicles 12:34
- From Naphtali there were one thousand captains along with thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear.
- Chronicles 12:34
When the tribes divided into 2 kingdoms, it was part of the 10 Northern Tribes.
articlesforchristians 
Comments on: "Discovering Naphtali: Leadership and Legacy in the Bible" (1)
[…] Naphtali: Leadership and Legacy in the […]