1 Chronicles 7:13 kjv
The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
1 Chronicles 7:13 nkjv
The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
1 Chronicles 7:13 niv
The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem?the descendants of Bilhah.
1 Chronicles 7:13 esv
The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shallum, the descendants of Bilhah.
1 Chronicles 7:13 nlt
The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. They were all descendants of Jacob's concubine Bilhah.
1 Chronicles 7 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 30:7-8 | "Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son... Jacob said, 'With wrestlings of God have I wrestled...' So she called his name Naphtali." | Origin of Naphtali's birth and name via Bilhah. |
| Gen 35:25 | "The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali." | Lists Bilhah as mother of Naphtali. |
| Gen 46:24 | "The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum." | Confirms the names of Naphtali's sons going to Egypt. |
| Num 26:48-50 | "The sons of Naphtali... of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites..." | Details Naphtali's clans in the wilderness census. |
| Deut 33:23 | "And of Naphtali he said, 'O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the LORD...'" | Moses' prophetic blessing upon the tribe of Naphtali. |
| Josh 19:32-39 | "The sixth lot came out for the people of Naphtali, for the people of Naphtali according to their clans..." | Description of Naphtali's land inheritance. |
| Judg 4:6 | "He said to her, 'The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, “Go, gather men to Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun.”'" | Barak, from Naphtali, leading Israelite forces. |
| Judg 5:18 | "Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field." | Tribute to Naphtali's courage in battle. |
| 1 Chr 1:1 | "Adam, Seth, Enosh;" | Chronicles' overarching purpose to establish lineage from Adam. |
| 1 Chr 5:1-2 | "The sons of Reuben... he lost his birthright..." | Emphasizes the importance and consequences of lineage. |
| 1 Chr 9:1 | "So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel." | General statement on the purpose of genealogies for all Israel. |
| Ezra 2:59-62 | "And some of the people... could not prove their father's houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel." | Demonstrates the practical importance of genealogies post-exile for inclusion. |
| Neh 7:61-64 | "And some of those who went up from Tel-melah... could not prove their father's houses..." | Reiterates the necessity of established lineage. |
| Isa 9:1-2 | "In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light..." | Prophecy concerning the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali experiencing Messianic light. |
| Matt 4:13-16 | "And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali... the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light...'" | Fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy by Jesus' ministry in Galilee, including Naphtali's area. |
| Rom 9:4-5 | "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ..." | Highlights the importance of physical lineage in God's covenant plan leading to Christ. |
| Gal 3:7 | "Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham." | Shifts emphasis from physical lineage to spiritual sonship in the New Covenant. |
| Gal 3:28 | "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." | Underscores spiritual unity over tribal distinctions in Christ. |
| Heb 7:1-3 | "For this Melchizedek... without father or mother or genealogy..." | Contrasts Melchizedek's timeless priesthood with the levitical priesthood requiring strict genealogy. |
| Rev 7:6 | "From the tribe of Naphtali 12,000 were sealed..." | Naphtali's continued place among God's people in the eschatological vision. |
1 Chronicles 7 verses
1 Chronicles 7 13 Meaning
1 Chronicles 7:13 lists the four sons of Naphtali—Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum—and specifies their mother, Bilhah. This verse serves as a genealogical record, establishing the identity and lineage of the Naphtalite clan within the larger twelve tribes of Israel. It emphasizes the continuity of God's people and the importance of each family line for national identity and the fulfillment of divine promises, particularly for the post-exilic community who needed assurance of their heritage.
1 Chronicles 7 13 Context
1 Chronicles 7:13 is situated within an extensive genealogical section spanning Chapters 1-9 of 1 Chronicles. This section chronicles the descendants of Adam through the twelve tribes of Israel, meticulously detailing their family lines. Specifically, Chapter 7 continues the genealogies of various tribes (Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Asher). The Chronicler (traditionally Ezra) compiles these records for the returning exiles in post-Babylonian Judah.
The historical context is critical: the people were returning to a devastated land, many had lost their ancestral records, and there was a desperate need to re-establish their identity as God's covenant people. The genealogies served several purposes: authenticating lineage for land claims, temple service (especially for priests and Levites), and most importantly, reminding the community of God's enduring faithfulness in preserving His chosen people through generations despite exile and scattering. This particular verse about Naphtali connects the dispersed northern tribes, albeit briefly, to this comprehensive record, demonstrating that the Chronicler's vision encompasses all Israel, not just the Judahite returnees. It subtly contrasts with common ancient Near Eastern practices of vague or mythologized genealogies by providing specific and verifiable details derived from older, reliable sources like the Pentateuch.
1 Chronicles 7 13 Word analysis
- The sons of Naphtali: (Hebrew: b'nei Naftali, בְּנֵי נַפְתָּלִֽי). "B'nei" means "sons of," emphasizing direct lineage. "Naphtali" means "my wrestling," recalling Jacob's naming of him after Rachel's struggle with Leah (Gen 30:8). This highlights his personal origin and connection to Jacob's family story. The plural "sons" signifies the progenitor of a tribe, emphasizing the foundation of a significant family line.
- Jahziel: (Hebrew: Yaḥaṣi'el, יַחֲצִיאֵל). Means "God divides" or "God apportions." He is consistently listed as the firstborn son of Naphtali in all genealogical records (Gen 46:24; Num 26:48). The name suggests a divine hand in his lot or inheritance.
- Guni: (Hebrew: Guni, גּוּנִי). Meaning is less certain, possibly "my garden" or "my defender," though also suggested to be related to "covering" or "color." His inclusion establishes a distinct sub-clan within Naphtali.
- Jezer: (Hebrew: Yeṣer, יֵצֶר). Meaning "formation" or "purpose." This name appears elsewhere in the Old Testament as a root meaning "to form" or "to fashion." It is consistent across records for Naphtali's sons.
- Shallum: (Hebrew: Shallum, שַׁלּוּם). A common Hebrew name meaning "recompense" or "peace." It suggests a fulfillment or a state of completeness, and its appearance here reinforces the completeness of Naphtali's direct progeny.
- the sons of Bilhah: (Hebrew: b'nei Bilhah, בְּנֵי בִלְהָה). This phrase confirms the matriarchal line, indicating that these were all directly born to Bilhah. Bilhah was Rachel's maidservant given to Jacob to bear children on Rachel's behalf, alongside Zilpah (Leah's maidservant). This specific detail clarifies their place in the patriarchal lineage, distinguishing them from sons born to Jacob by Leah or Rachel directly. It also affirms their legitimacy as full tribes of Israel despite their unique maternal origin, preventing any ambiguity about their inheritance rights or identity. This highlights the precise and comprehensive nature of the Chronicler's records.
1 Chronicles 7 13 Bonus section
The genealogical meticulousness in 1 Chronicles, as exemplified in 7:13, can be seen as a testimony to God's attention to detail and His sovereign orchestration of history. The consistency of these names across centuries of biblical records—from Genesis through Numbers and into Chronicles—speaks to the divine preservation of truth. While lists in the Bible may sometimes vary (e.g., in scope or purpose), this specific Naphtalite list is remarkably stable, reinforcing its reliability. For the returning exiles, these verses were not merely dry records; they were a living testament to their identity, purpose, and hope in a rebuilt Israel. They provided the spiritual foundation necessary for re-establishing the nation, reinforcing the notion that God remembers His covenant with every family and individual connected to it.
1 Chronicles 7 13 Commentary
1 Chronicles 7:13, while seemingly a simple listing, carries profound theological and practical significance within the context of the Chronicler's work. It reinforces the meticulously preserved divine promise that God would make Jacob a great nation, detailed through the accurate tracking of each tribal lineage. The specific naming of Naphtali's four sons—Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum—verifies their ancestral claim and continuity with earlier records (Gen 46:24, Num 26:48). The explicit mention "the sons of Bilhah" serves as a crucial contextual marker, tying this lineage directly back to the Genesis narratives where Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, bore children to Jacob, fulfilling the command to be fruitful. This legitimizes Naphtali's full Israelite status and right to tribal inheritance in the land, assuring the post-exilic community that all tribes, even those not centrally located in Judah, were part of God's enduring plan. This verse underscores that every branch of "all Israel" matters to God and to the covenant community, demonstrating His faithfulness in preserving the lines through which His redemptive plan, culminating in Christ, would unfold. It implies that just as God was faithful in preserving physical lineage, He is faithful in preserving His spiritual family, the church.