The sixth son of Jacob, by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, Genesis 30:8 . We know but few particulars of the lie of Naphtali. His sons were four, Genesis 46:24 . The patriarch Jacob, when he gave his blessing, said, as it is in the English Bible, "Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words," Genesis 49:21 . For an illustration of this passage, see HIND .
The tribe of Naphtali, called Nephtalim in Matthew 4:15 , were located in a rich and fertile portion of northern Palestine; having Asher on the west, the upper Jordan and part of the sea of Tiberias on the east; and running north into the Lebanon range, some lower offshoots of which prolonged to the south formed the "mountains of Naphtali," Joshua 19:32-39 20:7 . They attended in force at the coronation of David, 1 Chronicles 12:34; and are mentioned with honor in the wars of the Judges, Judges 1:33 5:18 6:35 7:23; as much reduced by the Syrians, 1 Kings 15:20; and as among the first captives to Assyria, 2 Kings 15:29 Isaiah 9:1 . Our Savior spent much time in the southern part of this region, Matthew 4:13-15 .