Νεφθαλείμ
Nephthaleím
G3508 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name Nephthaleim; refers specifically to the Israelite patriarch Naphtali, son of Jacob and Bilhah, and by extension his tribal descendants or their allotted territory in northern Canaan. In Greek texts, the name functions primarily as a proper noun denoting either the progenitor or his associated tribe and region. The semantic range is limited to these referents in scriptural contexts.
Semantic Range
Naphtali (son of Jacob), tribe descended from Naphtali, territory allotted to the tribe of Naphtali in Canaan; rarely, collective designation of people or land associated with Naphtali
Root / Etymology
Greek rendering of the Hebrew נַפְתָּלִי (Naftali), via transliteration. The Hebrew name is likely connected with the verb נפתל (naftal, 'to struggle, to wrestle'), drawn from the etymological explanation in Genesis 30:8.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Νεφθαλείμ is an exclusively transliterated term found in the Septuagint and New Testament genealogies and geographical lists, faithfully mirroring the Hebrew name for both the individual (Naphtali) and the tribe, as well as the associated territory in the land allocations of ancient Israel. The name appears in Greek Jewish literature as a marker of tribal and regional identity; outside biblical and related Jewish writings, it is rare and does not develop distinct Greek nuance. Standard English Bible traditions use 'Naphtali' or occasionally 'Nephthalim,' though the term in Greek maintains direct reference to the Hebrew name without semantic evolution. The use of Νεφθαλείμ in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 4:13, 15) recalls both ancestral and territorial associations familiar from the Septuagint.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (נַפְתָּלִי); Nephthaleim (i.e. Naphthali), a tribe in Palestine:--Nephthalim.
Root Family
Νεφθαλείμ (Nephthaleim) — proper name, Naphtali, wrestling (etymological sense)
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3508-01 |
Νεφθαλείμ | nephthaleim | N GEN M SG |
Naphtali | of Naphtali | Nephthaleim | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3508-01 |
Matthew 4:13 | Νεφθαλείμ | nephthaleim | N GEN M SG |
Naphtali | of Naphtali | Nephthaleim |
G3508-01 |
Matthew 4:15 | Νεφθαλείμ | nephthaleim | N GEN M SG |
of Naphtali | of Naphtali | Nephthaleim |
G3508-01 |
Revelation 7:6 | Νεφθαλεὶμ | nephthaleim | N GEN M SG |
Naphtali | of Naphtali | Nephthaleim |