NEFTALÍ (Tribe)
“my fight.”
The tribe from Naphtali; It was divided into four large families arising from the four sons of Naphtali (Gen. 46:24; Num. 26:48, 49).
At the beginning of the desert marches, the prince of Naphtali was Ahira son of Enan (Num. 1:15; 2:29; 7:78, 83; 10:27); he was succeeded by Pedael, son of Amiud (Num. 34:28); The spy sent to Canaan by the tribe of Naphtali was Nahbi son of Vapsi (Num. 13:14).
During the first census in the wilderness, the tribe numbered 53,400 men capable of bearing weapons (Num. 2:29, 30). In the second he had 45,400 men (Num. 26:50). The tribe of Naphtali camped north of the Tabernacle, next to Dan and Asher (Num. 2:29).
Naphtali was one of the six tribes that stood on Mount Ebal to curse the transgressors of the Law (Deut. 27:13; cf. Josh. 8:33). A northern region of the land of Canaan was attributed to him.
Limits of Naphtali: to the east, the Upper Jordan and the Lake of Galilee; to the south, Issachar and Zebulun; to the west, Zebulun and Asher (Josh. 19:34). It was a narrow band of territory that measured around 80 km from north to south and its width from east to west varied between 16 and 24 km.
It was a rugged territory for the most part (Josh. 20:7) but very fertile. Its border passed near the Tabor (Josh. 19:34). Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Iron, Bethanath, and Bethshemesh were among the fortified cities of Naphtali (Josh. 19:36-38).
The Levites of Gershon’s family received three cities in Naphtali: Kedesh, Hamothdor, and Chartan. The first also served as a city of refuge (Josh. 20:7; 21:6, 32; 1 Chron. 6:62, 76). Until the very beginning of the period of the Judges, the members of the tribe of Naphtali did not manage to expel the Canaanites from Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath, but they imposed tribute on them.
Naphtalí participated intensely in the fight that Deborah and Barak undertook. Together with Zebulun, they faced death on the heights of the land (Judges 4:6, 10; 5:18).
At Gideon’s call, Naphtali’s men took up arms (Judges 6:35; 7:23). 1,000 chiefs and 37,000 warriors from this tribe joined David in Hebron to help him in the fight against Ish-bosheth (1 Chr. 12:34; cf. v. 40).
After this war, their prince was Jerimoth son of Azriel (1 Chron. 27:19; cf. Ps. 68:28).
Hiram, not the king of Tyre, but the craftsman who executed the bronze work for Solomon’s Temple, was the son of a widow of Naphtali (1 Kings 7:14). Ben-hadad, king of Syria, devastated his territory (1 Kings 15:20; 2 Chron. 16:4).
Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, deported a large number of members of the tribe (732 BC, cf. 2 Kings 15:29). Isaiah alludes to these events and consoles the dejected people by predicting to them, in the name of Jehovah, that the devastated country will have a special privilege: those who walk in darkness will see great light (Is. 8:23-9:6).
This prophecy was fulfilled when Christ made this territory the center of his activities (Mt. 4: 12-16). Chorazin, Capernaum, and Tiberias were within the region that had belonged to Naphtali.