Naphtali

Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.

A son of Jacob and Bilhah (Gen 30:8. Forefather of one of the 12 tribes of Israel (e.g., Num 2:29). For information on the tribe of Naphtali, see this article: Naphtali, Tribe of. For information on the 12 tribes, see this article: Israel, Tribes of.

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The Lexham Bible Dictionary

Naphtali, Son of Jacob

Naphtali, Son of Jacob (נַפְתָּלִי‎, naphtaliy; Νεφθαλίμ, Nephthalim). A son of Jacob and Bilhah (Gen 30:8. Forefather of one of the 12 tribes of Israel (e.g., Num 2:29). For information on the tribe of Naphtali, see this article: Naphtali, Tribe of. For information on the 12 tribes, see this article:

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary

Naphtali (Person)

NAPHTALI (PERSON) [Heb naptālı̂ (נַפְתָּלִי)]. The sixth son of Jacob and the second son of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, and the eponymous ancestor of the tribe Naphtali. Naphtali is born to Bilhah and Jacob after Rachel suggests to her husband that he should have children by her servant. She is driven

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible

Naphtali (Person)

Naphtali (Person). One of Jacob’s 12 sons (Gn 35:25; 1 Chr 2:2). He was the 2nd of 2 sons borne to Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. Overjoyed with giving Jacob another son, Rachel named the boy Naphtali, meaning “my wrestling,” for her conflict with Leah—“with mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised

Naphtali

Naphtali nafʹtə-lī [Heb nap̱tālî—‘wrestling’; Gk Nephthali, Nephthalim]; AV Apoc. NEPHTHALI; NT NEPHTHALIM. The fifth son of Jacob—the second born to him by Rachel’s handmaid Bilhah—and the tribe named for him. He was a full brother of Dan (Gen. 30:6–8). At his birth Rachel is said to have exclaimed,

Nephthali

Nephthali nefʹthə-lī (AV Apoc.); NEPHTHALIM nefʹthə-lim (AV NT). See Naphtali.

Tyndale Bible Dictionary

Naphtali (Person)

NAPHTALI (Person) One of Jacob’s 12 sons (Gn 35:25; 1 Chr 2:2). He was the second of two sons borne to Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. Overjoyed with giving Jacob another son, Rachel named the boy Naphtali, meaning “my wrestling,” for her conflict with Leah—“with mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with

The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated)

Naphtali

Naphtali (naf´tuh-li; Heb., possibly “my wrestling”).1 The second son of Jacob and Bilhah (Gen. 30:7–8). The story of his birth is told against a backdrop of competition between Leah and Rachel, Jacob’s two wives. Although Rachel was clearly Jacob’s favorite wife, she remained infertile for a time during

The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia

Naphtali

NAPHTALI. The sixth son of Jacob and second of the two sons by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid (Gen 30:4–8; 35:25). Dan was his older full brother. Naphtali was given his name, which may be interpreted as “my wrestling,” because Rachel had wrestled about her sister Leah bearing children while she herself remained

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition

Naphtali

NAPHTALI (Heb. nap̱tālî, ‘wrestler’). The sixth son of Jacob, and the second son of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant: the younger brother of Dan, with whom he is usually associated (Gn. 30:5–8). In the Blessing of Jacob he is described as ‘a hind let loose’ which may allude to either his agility or his

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible

Naphtali

Naphtali (Heb. nap̱tālɩ̂)The sixth son of Jacob, the second born by Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaiden. His birth narrative is recorded in Gen. 30:1–8. Jacob’s first four sons were born to him by Leah, and the barren Rachel was jealous. Rachel offered her servant Bilhah to Jacob as a wife; any children conceived

Eerdmans Bible Dictionary

Naphtali

Naphtali [năfˊtə lē] (Heb. nap̱tālî “wrestler”).† The sixth son of Jacob, and his second son by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid (Gen. 30:7–8); father of Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem (46:24). Jacob’s blessing (“a hind let loose …”; EB “a spreading terebinth”) alludes to the beauty and fruitfulness

Catholic Bible Dictionary

Naphtali

NAPHTALI The sixth son of Jacob and the second born to his concubine Bilhah (Gen 30:8); he was the ancestor of the tribe of Naphtali (Gen 49:21; Deut 33:23). Jacob’s wife Rachel was barren, and she urged Jacob to have children by Bilhah (Rachel’s sister, Leah, had by then given birth to four sons). The

Smith’s Bible Dictionary

Naphtali

Naph´tali (wrestling), the fifth son of Jacob; the second child borne to him by Bilhah, Rachel’s slave. His birth and the bestowal of his name are recorded in Gen. 30:8. When the census was taken at Mount Sinai the tribe of Naphtali numbered no less than 53,400 fighting men, Num. 1:43; 2:30; but when

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