Naphtali in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("my wrestling".) Jacob's fifth son, second by Bilhah, Rachel's maid. Genesis 30:8, Rachel said, "with wrestlings of God (i.e. earnest prayer, as her husband does in Genesis 32:24-28; he had reproved her impatience, telling her God, not he, is the giver of children: Genesis 30:1-2; so she wrestled with God) have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed," i.e. succeeded in getting from God a child as my sister. Thus allied to Dan (Genesis 35:25). He had four sons at the descent to Egypt (Genesis 46:24). At the census of Sinai Naphtali's tribe numbered 53,400 able for war (Numbers 1:43). At the borders of Canaan the tribe of Naphtali had fallen to 45,400 (Numbers 26:48-50). On march Naphtali was north of the tabernacle, next Dan his kinsman, and Asher (Numbers 2:25-31), together forming "the camp of Dan," hindmost or rearward of all the camps (Numbers 10:25). Naphtali had its portion between the coastland strip of Asher and the upper Jordan. Dan shortly after sent a number from his less desirable position next the Philistines to seek a settlement near his kinsman Napthtali in the far north...