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12 Tribes of Israel

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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.

Below is a discussion of each tribe’s blessings and the lessons we can learn from them.

What Can We Learn from the Tribe of Reuben?

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.

Thus, 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.”


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.

What Can We Learn from the Tribe of Issachar?
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.

What Can We Learn from the Tribe of Zebulun?
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.

What Can We Learn from the Tribe of Joseph?
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.

What Can We Learn from the Tribe of Benjamin?
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).

Yet the second half of Jacob’s blessing predicts a division of riches after the battle. This is important when we consider that a notable member of the tribe of Benjamin is the Apostle Paul.

As seen through the life of Paul, this tribe teaches us that, despite 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.

 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!

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.

What Can We Learn from the Tribe of Judah?
Any discussion on the tribe of Judah must begin with its most notable descendant — Jesus Christ. Jacob’s blessing for his fourth son, 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).

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