Naphtali: The Name That Endured
Naphtali was born into a household where the desire for children had become a source of rivalry between two sisters. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, but it was Rachel who gave him the name by which he would be remembered.
He was Jacob's sixth son and the second born to Bilhah. Although Scripture records little about Naphtali's personal life, the circumstances surrounding his birth, the blessings spoken over him, and the later history of his descendants provide a picture of his place among the twelve sons of Israel.
A Name Born From Rivalry
Leah had borne several sons, while Rachel remained childless. Unable to conceive, Rachel gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob so that she might have children through her.
Bilhah first gave birth to Dan. When a second son was born, Rachel named him Naphtali, a name associated with wrestling or struggle.
Rachel explained her choice of name in Genesis 30:8:
“With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.” — KJV
The name reflected Rachel's feelings toward Leah rather than anything known about the child himself. Naphtali entered the family bearing a name that spoke of a rivalry already underway before his birth.
Years later, Naphtali was among the members of Jacob's household who journeyed to Egypt during the famine. By then, he had four sons of his own: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem (Genesis 46:24). Their names would appear again in the records of the tribe descended from him.
Jacob's Blessing
Near the end of his life, Jacob gathered his sons to speak over each of them. His words concerning Naphtali were brief, but the imagery he used was unusual.
In Genesis 49:21, Jacob declared:
“Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.” — KJV
A hind is a female deer, known for its speed and agility. The image of a deer set free has often been understood as suggesting freedom of movement, swiftness, or grace.
The second part of the blessing, concerning goodly words, is less straightforward. Interpretations differ over its meaning, and some translations render the verse differently from the King James Version.
Jacob's words do not identify a particular event in Naphtali's life. As with several of the blessings in Genesis 49, their significance has also been considered in relation to the tribes that descended from Jacob's sons.
The Tribe of Naphtali
After the Israelites departed from Egypt, Naphtali's descendants were counted among the tribes that journeyed through the wilderness.
When Moses blessed the tribes before his death, he spoke favorably of Naphtali:
“O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.” — Deuteronomy 33:23, KJV
The blessing was directed toward the tribe rather than Naphtali as an individual. It also referred to the territory associated with his descendants.
Following Israel's entrance into Canaan, the tribe received an inheritance in the northern part of the land. Joshua 19:32–39 describes its boundaries and cities, including territory in the region of the Sea of Galilee.
They later played a notable role during the period of the judges.
When Israel faced oppression under Jabin, king of Canaan, Deborah instructed Barak to gather ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. Barak assembled his forces at Mount Tabor before confronting the army commanded by Sisera.
The Israelites won the battle, and the victory became the subject of the song recorded in Judges 5.
In that song, Naphtali and Zebulun received particular recognition:
“Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.” — Judges 5:18, KJV
Although Naphtali lived generations earlier, his descendants established their own place in Israel's history through their role in the victory over Sisera.
The Land of Naphtali in the New Testament
The territory associated with Naphtali continued to appear in biblical history long after the period of the judges.
Centuries later, the prophet Isaiah spoke of the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali in a passage concerning darkness and the coming of a great light (Isaiah 9:1–2).
The Gospel of Matthew later connected that prophecy with the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Galilee.
Matthew 4:13 records that Jesus left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum, a town near the Sea of Galilee, in the region associated with Zebulun and Naphtali.
Matthew then quoted Isaiah's prophecy, describing the people who sat in darkness seeing a great light.
By the New Testament period, the tribal boundaries of ancient Israel belonged to an earlier era. Nevertheless, the names Zebulun and Naphtali remained part of the geographical and prophetic language used to describe the region.
Rachel had chosen the name Naphtali to express her struggle with Leah. Generations later, that name belonged to one of Israel's twelve tribes and to a territory that would be remembered in connection with the ministry of Jesus Christ.
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