Jacob had twelve sons, each became the leader of one of the twelve tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. In the Land of Canaan, each of the tribes settled in a different region on either side of the Jordan River.
The Bible tells us that as the patriarch Jacob lay dying, he bestowed blessings on each of his twelve sons (Genesis 49:1-28). These blessings also included prophecies as to the fate of each son’s tribe in Canaan.
These tribes were known as the twelve tribes of Israel, named in honor of Jacob, whose name was also Israel (Genesis 32:28).
The twelve tribes individually bore the names of Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.
These tribes played a crucial role in the history and identity of the Israelite people. The descendants of these sons formed distinct tribal groups, each with its territory, traditions, and responsibilities. In Exodus and Numbers, the tribes are frequently mentioned in the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and the allocation of the Promised Land.
The New Testament often refers to the twelve tribes, emphasizing the continuity between the Old and New Covenants. In the Book of Revelation, for instance, the image of the New Jerusalem features the twelve tribes, highlighting the unity and completeness of God's redemptive plan.
The twelve tribes represent the foundation of God's chosen people, and their legacy contributes to Scripture and history, illustrating God's faithfulness and fulfillment of promises.
Here are 10 Bible verses pivotal in understanding the establishment, promises, and roles of the Twelve Tribes throughout Scripture.
Genesis 12:2-3 - "God's initial promise to Abraham: 'I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'"
Genesis 35:10-12 - "God reaffirms Jacob's name change to Israel and reiterates the promise: 'Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.' So he named him Israel. And God said to him, 'I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.'"
Genesis 49:28 - "Jacob's blessings to his sons, which set the stage for the future of the tribes: 'All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.'"
Exodus 1:1-5 - "The tribes' descent into Egypt, marking the beginning of a significant period in Israelite history: 'These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family...'"
Numbers 1:4-16 - "The census of the tribes: 'One man from each tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you.'"
Deuteronomy 33:1-29 - "Moses blesses the tribes before his death, offering insight into their characteristics and roles within Israel."
Joshua 4:4-9 - When crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land, twelve stones representing the tribes are set up as a memorial: "Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, 'Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan...'"
1 Kings 11:31-32 - The prophecy of the kingdom's division: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give ten tribes to you (Jeroboam)..."
Ezekiel 37:16-17 - The prophecy of the reunification of the tribes: "Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand."
Revelation 7:4-8 - The sealing of 144,000 from the tribes in the New Testament, symbolizing God's protection and the fulfillment of His promises: "Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel."
The fate of the twelve tribes of Israel is intricately woven into the Old Testament. After the death of Solomon, the United Kingdom of Israel, which had been established under Saul, David, and Solomon, faced internal strife and eventual division. The division resulted in two separate kingdoms:
The ten northern tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel, sometimes referred to as the Northern Kingdom or Ephraim. Following Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam faced opposition to his rule, leading to a rebellion. The ten northern tribes broke away, establishing their own kingdom under Jeroboam. This division occurred around 931 BCE. The Northern Kingdom persisted for several centuries until its eventual conquest by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The Assyrians deported many Israelites, leading to the so-called "Lost Tribes of Israel," as they assimilated into other cultures and regions.
The remaining tribes, primarily Judah and Benjamin, constituted the Kingdom of Judah in the southern part of the land. Jerusalem was its capital. This kingdom continued for a longer duration than the Northern Kingdom. However, Judah faced its own challenges, including invasions by foreign powers. Eventually, in 586 BCE, the Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Judah, destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem, and took many Judahites into Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, some Jews returned to Jerusalem and the surrounding areas when Persia allowed them to return and rebuild the Temple. However, the tribal distinctions that were once particular became less prominent during the post-exilic period. The concept of the twelve tribes retains cultural and religious significance, but the geopolitical realities of the region evolved over time.
Below is a discussion of each tribe of Israel including their specific blessings and lessons we can learn from them.
Used by permission of eBibleTeacher
To his firstborn son, Reuben, Jacob said: “Reuben, you are my firstborn…excelling in honor [and] power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed [and] defiled it” (Genesis 49:3-4).
As the firstborn male, Reuben was entitled to a double inheritance, the royal kingdom, and the priesthood. However, Reuben lost all of this when he committed adultery with Bilhah, Jacob’s concubine (Genesis 35:22).
As a consequence of Reuben’s sin, Jacob adopted Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim as his own, effectively transferring Reuben’s firstborn right to a double inheritance to his younger brother Joseph (Genesis 48:5).
Jacob further skipped over Reuben by giving the kingdom to his son Judah and the priesthood to his son Levi.
Although Reuben wasn’t disinherited outright, he and his tribe lost their prominence because of his sin.
The story of Reuben’s tribe stands as a testament to the ruinous consequences that result when we don’t control our desires. Jacob described Reuben as “turbulent as water.”
Water is unpredictable and can either sustain life or destroy it. Likewise, a person’s level of self-control can bring that person’s life success or destruction.
Jacob combined the blessing of his second son, Simeon, with that of his third son Levi: “Simeon and Levi are brothers — their swords are weapons of violence…for they have killed men in their anger…Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel” (Genesis 49:5-7).
Jacob cursed Simeon and Levi for their anger, due, in part, to their vicious destruction of the Shechemites, who had attacked their sister Dinah (Genesis 34:24-30). Simeon and Levi’s anger was characterized by acts of fierce cruelty, not by deeds of righteous indignation.
As punishment for their cruelty, Jacob cursed the tribes of Simeon and Levi to be scattered throughout Israel.
This prophecy came true for the tribe of Simeon in that the tribe was so small that it had to share its territory with the larger and more powerful tribe of Judah (Numbers 26:14; Joshua 19:1-9).
The lesson from the tribe of Simeon is that vicious anger prevents us from separating the sinner from the sin, which can cause us to engage in sinful acts ourselves.
Unlike the fate of Simeon’s tribe, the fate of Levi’s tribe is a lesson in punishment as well as grace.
Specifically, Levi’s tribe was, indeed, punished by not receiving any land of its own and having to live scattered in lands owned by its brother tribes (Joshua 13:14; Numbers 35:2).
However, the tribe of Levi was also shown grace in that God ordained the Levites to be priests, and only God’s grace could transform the vicious Levi into the founder of a priestly tribe! Levi's descendants served as priests and Levites, responsible for the Tabernacle and later the Temple. During the incident of the golden calf, the Levites stood against idolatry, earning the Lord's favor and consecration as priests (Exodus 32:26-29). While not allotted a specific territorial inheritance, the Levites received cities scattered among the other tribes. This arrangement reinforced their role as mediators between God and the people, emphasizing the holiness of the priesthood within Israel's community.
As Christians, this teaches us that even those afflicted with a brutal nature can receive grace if they devote their lives to humility and service.
Descending from Jacob's fourth son, Judah, this tribe became a prominent leader among the Israelites. Notable actions include Judah's proposal to sell Joseph into slavery, which set in motion the events leading to Joseph's rise in Egypt. Judah also played a pivotal role in the story of Tamar, demonstrating a sense of responsibility (Genesis 38).
Any discussion on the tribe of Judah must emphasize its most notable descendant — Jesus Christ. Jacob’s blessing for Judah was prophetic indeed: “Judah, your brothers will praise you…your father’s sons will bow down to you...Like a lion he crouches and lies down…The scepter will not depart from Judah [until] the obedience of the nations shall be his” (Genesis 49:8-10).
We learn from this blessing that Judah would be a powerful nation, worthy of praise. Jacob’s blessing also compares the tribe of Judah to a lion, the king of all beasts who fears no other animal despite having enemies who wish to kill it.
In comparison, Scripture calls Jesus “the King of kings” (Revelation 17:14), who also fears no one and yet has enemies who wish to obliterate His name from the Earth. The prophecy that the scepter “will not depart from Judah” testifies to Jesus’ supremacy and eternal rule. The lesson here is that, despite the world’s contempt for Christ, we, as Christians, are to remain faithful to Him. As Jacob’s prophecy and the gospels make clear, Jesus’ rule shall be eternal and at His name, every knee will bow (Philippians 2:10-11).
In blessing his fifth son, Dan, Jacob foretold that: “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake by the roadside…that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward” (Genesis 49:16-17).
That Dan is called a “snake” by his father sheds light on the future dark dealings of this tribe. In particular, the tribe of Dan was allotted fertile land in Canaan but failed to conquer the area.
Although God promised that the tribe would ultimately possess the land, the tribe took matters into its own hands and invaded a peaceful nation to take that land instead (Judges 18:1-31).
Moreover, the tribe began worshipping idols. Notably, the tribe of Dan is omitted from the tribes of Israel mentioned in the Tribulation (Revelation 7:4-8).
As Christians, the story of Dan reminds us of how easily we can compromise our faith when we follow our own will and not God’s.
During trying times, it’s important to remember that God’s plans are always in our best interests (Jeremiah 29:11).
Jacob’s sixth son, Naphtali, received this short but hopeful blessing: Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns (Genesis 49:21).
Moses went on to add that Naphtali was “abounding with the favor of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 33:23).
Despite these blessings, the tribe of Naphtali disobeyed God by living among the Canaanites (Judges 1:33), and by doubting God when God chose them to fight against the Canaanites (Judges 4:6-9).
However, the tribe did later support the newly crowned King David, and also played a pivotal role in building King Solomon’s Temple (1 Chronicles 12:34; 1 Kings 7:13-47).
This tribe teaches us that human nature is often contradictory, filled with moments of courage and cowardice, obedience and disregard. Most importantly, this tribe proves that God ultimately blesses the least.
We see this, here, because this tribe lived in Galilee which, despite its lowly status at the time, would be the first area to hear Jesus preach of the Kingdom of God.
In blessing his seventh son, Gad, Jacob touted Gad’s military prowess: Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels (Genesis 49:19).
The tribe of Gad received the best of the newly conquered Promised Land as a reward for its faithful obedience to God during the conquest and for the role it played in helping its brother tribes secure their territories (Deuteronomy 33:20-21; Numbers 32:18).
The lesson learned from the tribe of Gad is that we will reap the rewards of steadfastly obeying God. This tribe also teaches us to look beyond the fulfillment of our own needs and help others reach their goals.
Jacob’s blessing of his eighth son, Asher, foretold material prosperity: Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king (Genesis 49:20). The tribe of Asher occupied a coastal territory known for its fertility and abundance. Their land, situated between Mount Carmel and the Mediterranean Sea, was renowned for producing olive oil. Asher's geographical location positioned them strategically for trade and commerce, contributing to the economic prosperity of the tribe. Their blessing, as pronounced by Jacob, highlighted the material abundance they would enjoy, describing Asher as one who "dips his foot in oil" and is to be "favored by his brothers” (Deuteronomy 33:24).
The Bible tells us that there were times when the tribe of Asher did what God wanted it to do, such as helping Gideon defeat Israel’s enemies (Judges 6:35), and other times when the tribe did what it wanted to do instead, such as refusing to help their fellow Israelites fight against the Canaanites (Judges 5:17).
Like the tribe of Asher, many Christians, today, are richly blessed and yet often toggle between doing what they know they should do versus doing what they want to do.
However, based on this tribe’s many blessings, we can find comfort in presuming that the tribe of Asher’s sincere attempts to live godly lives outweighed their human flaws.
Jacob said to his ninth son, Issachar: “Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor” (Genesis 49:14-15).
Scholars disagree as to the meaning of Jacob’s blessing of Issachar. However, we know that being called a “donkey” in biblical times was a good thing, as kings rode on donkeys (Matthew 21:1-11; 1 Kings 1:33).
Further, this blessing tells us that Issachar received fertile land and, upon realizing the importance of that, dedicated itself to working the soil.
Perhaps the takeaway from the prophecy of Issachar is that those who submit to their work reap the benefits of their labor.
To his tenth son, Zebulun, Jacob briefly prophesied: “Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon” (Genesis 49:13).
While we know little about Zebulun the man, we do know that his tribe, as prophesied, lived by the sea (Deuteronomy 33:19), and was known for its brave, loyal warriors (1 Chronicles 12:33).
Perhaps the lesson to draw from this tribe’s reputation is that there are blessings to be had in living close to nature and practicing valor and loyalty.
Jacob blessed his eleventh — and favorite — son, Joseph, saying: “Joseph is a fruitful vine…with bitterness archers attacked him…but his bow remained steady…because of your father’s God [who] blesses you with blessings of the skies above” (Genesis 49:22-26).
For Joseph’s steadfast faithfulness, Jacob rewarded Joseph with a double portion of land by adopting Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh as his own (Genesis 48:5).
Although this adoption technically split the tribe of Joseph in two, for purposes of this article, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh are collectively referred to as the tribe of Joseph.
In the story of Joseph, we learn that Joseph’s faith and humility won him favor with his father and ensured a prosperous future for his sons Ephraim and Manasseh.
Moreover, Joseph’s willingness to forgive his brothers despite their severe mistreatment of him saved all of Israel during a famine (Genesis 42).
This teaches us that our choices today often resonate throughout generations of our family and community.
Jacob’s twelfth son, Benjamin, received the final blessing: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder” (Genesis 49:27).
As Jacob predicted, this tribe adopted its founder Benjamin’s inclination toward war despite being the smallest of the tribes (1 Chronicles 8:40; 2 Chronicles 17:17).
One of the most significant events involving the tribe of Benjamin is the incident of the concubine at Gibeah, narrated in Judges 19-21. The blatant crime committed in the territory of Benjamin led to a collective response from the other tribes, resulting in a war against Benjamin. The tribe faced near-annihilation, with only a remnant remaining. This event had long-lasting repercussions, shaping the perception of Benjamin within the context of Israel's history.
Despite the challenges and the reduction in their numbers, Benjamin eventually began to rebuild. The tribe produced notable figures, including the first king of Israel, Saul, and the apostle Paul in the New Testament.
Benjamin's resilience and ability to overcome adversity highlight the complexities of hostility toward God early in our lives, if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God can spread His message of salvation far and wide through us
"And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." - Revelation 7:4
"The 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites does not represent, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim, an “anointed class” of people from the general population that will go to heaven immediately upon death to rule with Jesus. According to such theology, there will be another group of people known as “other sheep” or the “great crowd,” who will lay in the ground in a form of soul-sleep at death, living forever in paradise on earth after the millennium. Such thinking, though, reflects a misunderstanding of this passage. Limiting the number of the anointed to 144,000 needlessly creates fear and apprehension.
On the contrary, these 144,000 sealed individuals are Jewish evangelists who will be God’s witnesses during the tribulation. A reliance on the witness of Jewish evangelists is in keeping with Isaiah 49:6, in which Isaiah prophesied the Jews would become “a light for the nations” so that people “to the ends of the earth” might be saved. That promise remains largely unfulfilled during the church age because most Jews have rejected Jesus’s claim to be the Messiah and have failed to become the light of the world (cf. Rom 9-11). However, God will resume his work with the Jewish people during the tribulation.
7:5-8 The 144,000 Jewish evangelists who proclaim the gospel during the tribulation will be divided evenly among the twelve tribes of Israel: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin." (excerpt provided by Tony Evans Commentary, Revelation IV. The Seven Seals Revelation)
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Matthew Brosseau
Dolores Smyth is a nationally published faith and parenting writer. She draws inspiration for her writing from everyday life. Connect with her over Twitter @byDoloresSmyth.
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