Bible Question: What happened to the 12 tribes of Isreal? Where did each tribe end up at? Are they still around today? |
Bible Answer: In Genesis 49:1-28, we get a glimpse of what happened to each tribe as Jacob gives blessings to his sons, and in turn, gives prophecies concerning each and every one of them! These verses contain the "Blessing of Jacob" and are not only intended for his sons, but for the tribes that descended from them (v. 28). In verse 4, Reuben's descendants were characterized by indecision (Judg. 5:15-16). Verse 7 (concerning Levi and Simeon) was fulfilled when Simeon's descendants were absorbed into the territory of Judah (Josh. 19:1,9) and when Levi's descendants were dispersed throughout the land, living in 48 towns and the surrounding pasturelands (Gen. 48:6; Num. 35:2,7; Josh. 14:4; 21:41). Judah was assigned leadership in place of his brothers (Reuben, Simeon and Levi) and was a symbol of sovereignty, strength, and courage. Judah (or Israel) is often pictured as a lion in later times (Ezek. 19:1-7; Mic. 5:8; Num. 24:9). Judah's greatest descendant, Jesus Christ, is Himself called "the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah" (Rev. 5:5). Verse 11 shows us that Judah's descendants would someday enjoy a settled and prosperous life. Zebulun was close enough to the Mediterranean to "draw out the abundance of the seas" (Deut. 33:19). Issachar would be strong, but docile and lazy; his descendants endured slavery and 'forced labor'. In Verse 17, the treachery of a group of Danites in later times is described in Judg. 18:27. Samson, from the tribe of Dan, would single-handedly hold the Philistines at bay (Judg. 14-16). In verse 19, the descendants of Gad (who would eventually be located east of the Jordan- Josh. 13:24-27) were vulnerable to raids by the Moabites to the south. In verse 20, Asher would be ensured of prosperity by enjoying fertile farmlands near the Mediterranean (Josh. 19:24-30). Verse 21 is perhaps a reference to an independent spirit fostered in the descendants of Naphtali by their somewhat isolated location in the hill country north of the Sea of Galilee (Josh. 19:32-38). Ephraim's descendants tended to expand their territory (Josh. 17:14-18). The warlike Ephraimites (Judg. 8:1; 12:1) would often prove victorious in battle (Josh 17:18). Ephraim's descendants have prosperity (Hosea 12:8), and Ephraim would gain supremacy over the northern tribes (Josh. 16:9; Isaiah 7:1-2; Hosea 13:1). In verse 27, Benjamin is a 'ravenous wolf'. See the exploits of Ehud (Judg. 3:12-30) and Saul and Jonathan (1 Sam. 11-15). See Judg. 19-21 for examples of the savagery that characterized one group of Benjamin's descendants. The twelve tribes of Israel were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. Ephraim and Manasseh both are separate tribes that make up the tribe of Joseph, and they would make up two territories so that the number of tribal allotments would remain the same since Levi would not receive a share of the land (Josh. 14:4). Are they still around today? Good question! Sources: Zondervan's NASB Study Bible, The Ryrie Expanded Edition NASB Study Bible Nolan! |
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