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Wrapping Up the Twelve Tribes
We are about to wrap up the 12 tribes with the last six in 1 Chronicles 7-8. These tribes are located on the west side of the Jordan River, and north of Judah and Simeon. They include Issachar, Naphtali, the other half tribe of Manasseh, Ephraim, Asher, and Benjamin.
In this final list of tribes, two are notably missing. Dan disappeared, as we discussed in Judges Season 7, Episode 11. Zubulun shared the same mother with Issachar and they were adjacent territories, so it’s likely Zubulun was just linked with Issachar.
As you may remember, the Northern tribes and the three Transjordan Tribes formed the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the time of Kings. They often opposed the Southern Kingdom, which was also called Judah.
Of course, our Chronicler is writing post-exile, past the time of the divided kingdom, with a desire for the tribes to once again unite. This is a chance at a new beginning, and an opportunity to reform the nation as God had planned.
1 Chronicles 7 – From Muscle to Mind: The Mighty and Wise Tribe of Issachar
Issachar was the ninth son of Jacob and he was Leah’s fifth son. See the full patriarchal line in our show notes: 12 Sons and 12 Tribes of Israel.
While Issachar’s territory wasn’t large, it was coveted as some of the most fertile land in Israel. You can find the location of Issachar just a little southwest of the Sea of Galilee on our map of the Tribal Allotments of Israel.
As we hear Issachar’s genealogy in 1 Chronicles 7:1-5, it’s clear the tribe was once large. The Chronicler is throwing them some love by mentioning their military force, because they were once a mighty contributor.
In fact, the judge Deborah praised them for their military support in Judges 5. By 1 Chronicles 12, we’ll learn they eventually became more known for wisdom and strategic insight than might in battle.
A Beloved Son and the Birthplace of Israel’s First King
Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and the second son born to his beloved wife Rachel. She died giving birth to him. His lineage is outlined in 1 Chronicles 7:6-12.
Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn, was Jacob’s favorite. Benjamin, Rachel’s only other son, was a close second in their father’s favor. In fact, his name means son of my right hand reflecting his father’s favor.
Benjamin is mentioned twice in 1 Chronicles. Once here where all three of his sons are listed. Then again at the end of 1 Chronicles the author will focus specifically on the genealogy of Bela, the line that led to King Saul who was the first king of Israel.
Much like David’s line, Saul’s lineage is singled out, because he’s the anointed one of God. He is important, even if the crown was eventually taken from him.
Benjamin’s Hall of Fame
In addition to Saul, the tribe of Benjamin produced other important leaders such as Jonathan, Saul’s son, who was a faithful friend to David. The second judge of Israel was also a Benjamite named Ehud. He was a clever and violent man who tricked the guards and single-handedly sunk a knife into Eglon, the King of Moab, in Season 7, Episode 3.
There are other famous Benjamites we haven’t discussed in our journey yet. Queen Esther, her uncle Mordecai, and the Apostle Paul were all from the tribe of Benjamin.
Naphtali’s Brief Bio
Naphtali was Jacob’s sixth son. This was his second son by Bilhah, Rachel’s servant. (See the chart here.) His genealogy in 1 Chronicles 7:13 is one of the shortest.
There was one notable descendant, Barak. Under Deborah’s leadership, he delivered Israel from Canaanite oppression.
The “Right Side” of the River
Remember when Moses split the tribe of Manasseh and each took a side of the river Jordan? This is the other half of the tribe that lived on what the Israelites considered the “right side” of the Jordan River. The tribe of Manasseh came from Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph.
Joseph was envied by his eleven brothers who sold him into slavery, but he saved his family from famine by becoming Pharaoh’s right-hand man. As a result, Joseph received a double blessing of the Promised Land, and both his sons–Manasseh and Ephraim–became tribes.
Land, Legacy, and Women Who Spoke Up
The Chronicler has a heart for including everyone, often mentioning random details about women or foreigners. For example, in 1 Chronicles 7:14-19, he mentions Zelophehad’s daughters. In Numbers 27, these women advocated for revolutionary reform in the legal rights for women to inherit property.
Their father had no sons when he died. Under the existing law, his name and property would be lost in the Promised Land. The sisters approached Moses with the dilemma.
After consulting with God, Moses established a new law. If a man had no sons, the land would go to his daughters. Later, the law was amended to stipulate the daughters must marry within their tribe so the land didn’t leave the tribe.
The Chronicler mentions Zelophehad’s daughters to remind the returning exiles women will be protected now as they were then.
Ephraim: Cities Built, a Kingdom Divided
Ephraim was Joseph’s other, younger son. He received his grandpa Jacob’s blessing despite Joseph’s protests in Genesis 48:17-19. So the tribe of Ephraim became greater than the tribe of Manasseh.
The tribe of Ephraim became so great that the entire Northern Kingdom, consisting of ten tribes, was often called Ephraim because of their leadership over the tribes of the north.
The first king of the Northern Kingdom, Jeroboam, was from the tribe of Ephraim, which ended up not being something to brag about. He was responsible for tearing the United Kingdom of Israel apart, which would have deeply grieved his father Joseph who took such joy in being reunited with his brothers.
Nevertheless, in 1 Chronicles 7:20-29, the author gives several shout-outs to this tribe. He specifically mentions Sheerah, another notable woman who established three towns. Joshua is the Joshua who succeeded Moses and conquered Canaan.
Interestingly, he does not mention Abdon, a minor judge in the book of Judges. Nor does he mention Deborah, the judge who lived in Ephraim but who may have been from another tribe.
Asher’s Fade
In 1 Chronicles 7:30-40, we get the genealogy of Asher, the eighth son of Jacob and the second son of Zilpah, Leah’s servant. If you need our chart to keep track of who the mothers are, find it here.
This tribe significantly decreased in size from Numbers where their military ranks had grown to 53,400. This completes the list of all the minor tribes.
A Closer Look at Benjamin’s Tribal Story–1 Chronicles 8
Next, the Chronicler returns to the tribe he strategically saved for last–the tribe of Benjamin–and the genealogy of the line that produced Israel’s first King, Saul. In 1 Chronicles 8:1-7, the focus begins with Ehud, a judge from the book of Judges, highlighting his significance as an important leader.
The Chronicler mentions three families from this Benjamite line were “deported.” This term has sparked debate among commentators. Some suggest the word translated as “deported” might be better understood as “migrated.”
This would make sense because migration often happened during famine. Consider how Jacob’s family migrated to Egypt where Joseph providentially provided for them, or how Naomi’s family migrated from Bethlehem in the Book of Ruth. Alternatively, the Benjamite families could have moved because they became too large for the area and needed more land.
Whatever the reason, the important point is that Manahath, their new location, was still within the territory of Judah–not a foreign land. In 1 Chronicles 8:8-11, we learn Shaharaim migrated to Moab, which functioned like a satellite state during the reigns of David and Solomon.
Here the Chronicler takes a small detour with the mention of divorce. We don’t know why Shaharain divorced Hushim and Baara, but our author honors these women and includes them in the genealogy. Hushim, the first wife, is featured because her son, Elpaal, becomes the focus of the next genealogical section.
The author also slips in a subtle, darker detail about the tribe of Dan in 1 Chronicles 8:12-13. The three cities inhabited by Elpaal’s sons–Ono, Lod, and Aijalon–were originally allotted to Dan. But because Dan failed to drive out the Canaanites from their territory, the tribe of Benjamin took control instead.
Location, Location, Location
The physical location of the tribe of Benjamin adds to the importance of this tribe. Jerusalem was originally in Benjamin’s territory but very close to the border of Judah.
However, in Joshua 18, the Benjamites failed to drive out the Jebusites who lived there. So when David conquered Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 5 Judah took over Jerusalem, and it eventually became the capital of the Southern Kingdom.
It appears, even though Jerusalm was then in Judah, many Benjamites stayed in Jerusalem or returned to it. This makes sense because Benjamin aligned with Judah rather than the Northern Kingdom of Israel, so Jerusalem was their capital in the Southern Kingdom.
In 1 Chronicles 8:14-28, the author makes this detail drop about Benjamin because he’s on a mission to prove continuity between pre-exilic and post-exilic Israel. It’s as if he’s saying the same thing over and over in a different way to build his case that all exiles of Israel–from every tribe–should come back and start again in Jerusalem. See Benjamin…you have a history here and belong here.
From Deception to Devotion
Jeiel was the founder of Gibeon, which is important because Gibeon is important. In 1 Chronicles 8:29-33, the author highlights Saul’s connection to the founder of Gibeon.
Saul also might have foreign Gibeonite ancestors. And here is our inclusive Chronicler hinting at those who were grafted into Israel.
Gibeon was a large, fortified city in Benjamite territory. In Joshua 9, when Joshua is conquering Canaan, the Gibeonites trick him into making a peace treaty by pretending to be from a distant land.
Because of this oath, the Israelites couldn’t destroy the Gibeonites, so the Gibeonites lived as servants amongst them. After the conquest of Canaan, Gibeon became the religious center of Israel, and the Tabernacle was there until the Temple was built in Jerusalem.
In Nehemiah 3, the Benjamites of Gibeon are given the credit for helping rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the exile.
The Chronicler’s Divine Tapestry of Nations
The Chronicler also drops a gentile ancestor into the genealogy, Maakah. She is Jeiel’s wife and most likely Aramean. Other gentile’s the Chronicler has mentioned are:
- Another Maakah, David’s wife and mother of Absalom, in 1 Chronicles 3:2.
- Manasseh’s wife in 1 Chronicles 7:14
- Jarha, the Egyptian slave, married Sheshen’s daughter in 1 Chronicles 2:34
- Judah’s first wife, Shua was a Canaanite woman.
- His other wife Tamar is also thought to be Canaanite and she is the mother of Perez and in the line of David and Jesus.
- Boaz’s wife was a Moabite and she too is in the line of David and Jesus.
Our author’s point in weaving this into the genealogy is that God has a plan to include people of nations beyond Israel. He promised Abraham he would be a blessing to the nations. The Chronicler embraces that promise and shows the grafting of the nations in these genealogies. That is why he calls out the foreigners in the genealogies, even if they are women who normally are not listed.
This Chronicler is a visionary. He sees the future through the eyes of God.
David’s Sacred Promise Preserves the Tribe of Benjamin
In 1 Chronicles 8:33-40, the Chronicler boldly points out the line of Saul continued to grow during the time of David. This is a detail-drop to remind the Israelites of an important relationship between Benjamin and Judah.
Jonathan–a Benjamite–was the crown prince. David–a Judite–replaced Jonathan’s dad as king.
David loved Jonathan as a brother and kept his pledge in 1 Samuel 20:13-17. And throughout David’s years on the run, he refused to lift a hand against God’s anointed one, Saul.
The author wants the returning exiles to remember Judah was faithful to Benjamin. Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and all of his descendants lived because of David’s loyalty to Jonathan.
The Chronicler’s Call to Choose Faith
Now the genealogy of all those who lived in Israel before the exile is complete. The Chronicler has creatively woven together a history and a case for why all belong in the restoration of Israel.
It’s as if he’s telling them, even though you were born in exile, this is who you are. You belong here. The Chronicler has sought to fill them with hope.
And then he challenges them in 1 Chronicles 9:1 by pointing out all were taken captive. It’s as if he’s saying to them, your tribes belonged until they didn’t because they were unfaithful. And you belong now, but only if you can be faithful. What do you choose, Israel?
The Chronicler’s Vision of a Kingdom Without Borders
Did our Chronicler ever doubt or wonder if there really would be a united tribe of Israel again? We know the end of the story. There wasn’t in Biblical times. There hasn’t been since Biblical times. But maybe in the future…read Revelation 7:2-9.
Maybe it wasn’t just the Apostle John who saw this world vision. Could our Chronicler have seen it too?
Is there a chance he saw a vision of the final kingdom where there will be representatives from every tribe of Israel and from every nation, people, and language of the world? Maybe that’s what drove him in his narrative to include every tribe and foreigners too.
🎧 Ready to dive deeper? Listen to episodes of the Bible Book Club Podcast here
Themes of this podcast:
No One is forgotten in God’s story. The Chronicler meticulously names each tribe—even those diminished, scattered, or obscure—as well as Gentile ancestors, women, and even foreigners. The message is clear: you belong. We are all God’s people.
Unity Is Possible—But It Requires Faithfulness. Though the tribes were once divided politically and spiritually, the Chronicler’s vision looks beyond the split kingdoms to a future where all tribes are united again. He calls for a new kind of unity, one rooted not in geography or politics but in our covenantal faithfulness.
God’s Kingdom Is Bigger Than Israel—Inclusion Is the Plan. The Chronicler lifts the overlooked and marginalized, revealing God’s plan to include all nations. This echoes the promise to Abraham and anticipates Revelation 7—a final, complete kingdom made of every tribe and tongue.
Show Notes:
12 Sons and 12 Tribes of Israel
