Concerning Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with favor, full of the blessing of the LORD; he shall take possession of the sea and the south.”
Parallel translations
- WEB About Naphtali he said, “Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of Yahweh’s blessing, Possess the west and the south.”
- KJV And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
- NKJV And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.”
- NASB Of Naphtali he said, “Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Take possession of the sea and the south.”
- NLT Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: “O Naphtali, you are rich in favor and full of the Lord’s blessings; may you possess the west and the south.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Naphtali is satisfied with God's favor and full of His blessing, taking possession of the west and south. The tribe enjoys God's abundant goodness in a rich land.
Overview
Naphtali is described as "satisfied with favor" and "full of Yahweh's blessing," inheriting fertile territory around the Sea of Galilee. This region would later be the very area where Jesus centered much of His ministry (Matt. 4:13-16), fulfilling Isaiah's promise of light to the land of Naphtali. Thus a tribe blessed with God's favor became a place of the dawning of gospel light.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 49:21Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
- Matt 4:16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
- Ps 36:8They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.
- Jer 31:14I will fill the souls of the priests abundantly, and will fill My people with My goodness,” declares the LORD.
- Matt 4:13Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
- Ps 90:14Satisfy us in the morning with Your loving devotion, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
- Josh 19:32–39The sixth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Naphtali:
- Matt 11:28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
- Isa 9:1–2Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:
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Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 33:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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