the sixth son of Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid. The word
Naphtali signifies _wrestling_, or _struggling_. When Rachel gave him
this name, she said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my
sister, and I have prevailed,” Gen. xxx, 8. Naphtali had but four sons,
and yet at the coming out of Egypt his tribe made up fifty-three
thousand four hundred men, able to bear arms. Moses, in the blessing he
gave to the same tribe, says, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and
full with the blessing of the Lord, possess thou the west and the
south,” Deut. xxxiii, 23. The Vulgate reads it, the sea and the south,”
and the Hebrew will admit of either interpretation, that is, the sea of
Gennesareth, which was to the south by the inheritance of this tribe.
His soil was very fruitful in corn and oil. His limits were extended
into upper and lower Galilee, having Jordan to the east, the tribes of
Asher and Zebulun to the west, Libanus to the north, and the tribe of
Issachar to the south. Under Barak, their general, they and the
Zebulunites fought with distinguished bravery against the army of Jabin
the younger; and at the desire of Gideon they pursued the Midianites,
Judges iv, 10; v, 18; vii, 23. A thousand of their captains, with
thirty-seven thousand of their troops, assisted at David’s coronation,
and brought great quantities of provision with them, 1 Chron. xii, 34,
40. We find no person of distinguished note among them, save Barak, and
Hiram the artificer. Instigated by Asa, Benhadad the elder, king of
Syria, terribly ravaged the land of Naphtali; and what it suffered in
after invasions by the Syrians we are partly told, 1 Kings xv, 20. The
Naphtalites were, many, if not most of them, carried captive by
Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, 2 Kings xv, 29. Josiah purged their
country from idols. Our Saviour and his disciples, during his public
ministry, resided much and preached frequently in the land of Naphtali,
Isaiah ix, 1; Matt. iv, 13, 15.
Naphtali signifies _wrestling_, or _struggling_. When Rachel gave him
this name, she said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my
sister, and I have prevailed,” Gen. xxx, 8. Naphtali had but four sons,
and yet at the coming out of Egypt his tribe made up fifty-three
thousand four hundred men, able to bear arms. Moses, in the blessing he
gave to the same tribe, says, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and
full with the blessing of the Lord, possess thou the west and the
south,” Deut. xxxiii, 23. The Vulgate reads it, the sea and the south,”
and the Hebrew will admit of either interpretation, that is, the sea of
Gennesareth, which was to the south by the inheritance of this tribe.
His soil was very fruitful in corn and oil. His limits were extended
into upper and lower Galilee, having Jordan to the east, the tribes of
Asher and Zebulun to the west, Libanus to the north, and the tribe of
Issachar to the south. Under Barak, their general, they and the
Zebulunites fought with distinguished bravery against the army of Jabin
the younger; and at the desire of Gideon they pursued the Midianites,
Judges iv, 10; v, 18; vii, 23. A thousand of their captains, with
thirty-seven thousand of their troops, assisted at David’s coronation,
and brought great quantities of provision with them, 1 Chron. xii, 34,
40. We find no person of distinguished note among them, save Barak, and
Hiram the artificer. Instigated by Asa, Benhadad the elder, king of
Syria, terribly ravaged the land of Naphtali; and what it suffered in
after invasions by the Syrians we are partly told, 1 Kings xv, 20. The
Naphtalites were, many, if not most of them, carried captive by
Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, 2 Kings xv, 29. Josiah purged their
country from idols. Our Saviour and his disciples, during his public
ministry, resided much and preached frequently in the land of Naphtali,
Isaiah ix, 1; Matt. iv, 13, 15.