We are often asked the question "who is Israel?" It is a broad topic fraught with controversy and (Lord willing) will be the subject of a future article. In the meantime, a less controversial question that is smaller in scope is "who are the twelve tribes of Israel?". Let's examine both Scripture and history to learn the answer.
The Tribes of Israel are the groups born of the sons of the man once named "Jacob" who the Most High renamed "Israel" (Genesis 35:10). Who are they? In the order of their birth, they are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Since Jacob/Israel adopted Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own (Genesis 48:5) technically there are thirteen tribes. In the accounting of the Land of Israel, Levi is not mentioned since they have no inheritance in the Land (Numbers 18:20). The Lord apportions the Land to the remaining twelve.
The color, symbol, and banner information are found in an ancient bible study (called the Midrash Rabbah: Hebrew for "Great Study") related to the book of Numbers, called Numbers Rabbah.
Let's briefly look at all thirteen tribes beginning with the eldest son, Reuben:
Reuben
Birth order: 1 (Genesis 29:32)
Hebrew name: ראובן
Transliterated: Reuven
Meaning: "He has seen" (Genesis 29:32)
Mother: Leah
Color: Red
Stone: Ruby (Exodus 28:17)
Associated symbol: water (Genesis 49:4)
Position around tabernacle: south (Numbers 2:10-16)
Banner: the color of his flag was red, and embroidered on it were mandrakes.
Simeon
Birth order: 2 (Genesis 29:33)
Hebrew name: שמעון
Transliterated: Shimon
Meaning: "he has heard" (Genesis 29:33)
Mother: Leah
Color: Green
Stone: Topaz (Exodus 28:17)
Associated symbol: Shechem (Genesis 49:5)
Position around tabernacle: south (Numbers 2:10-16)
Banner: his flag was green with the town of Shechem embroidered on it.
Levi
Birth order: 3 (Genesis 29:34)
Hebrew name: לוי
Transliterated: Levi (pronounced LEV ee)
Meaning: "attached" (Genesis 29:34)
Mother: Leah
Color: Black, red, & white
Stone: Bareqet (emerald?) (Exodus 28:17)
Associated symbol: chosen
Position around tabernacle: around (Numbers 2:17)
Banner: the color of his flag was a third white, a third black, and a third red; embroidered on it were the Urim and Thummim
Judah
Birth order: 4 (Genesis 29:35)
Hebrew name: יהודה
Transliterated: Yehudah
Meaning: "I will praise" (Genesis 29:35)
Mother: Leah
Color: Sky blue
Stone: Carbuncle (turquoise?) (Exodus 28:18)
Associated symbol: lion (Genesis 49:9)
Position around tabernacle: east (Numbers 2:3-9)
Banner: the color of his flag resembled that of the heavens, embroidered on it was a lion.
Dan
Birth order: 5 (Genesis 30:5)
Hebrew name: דן
Transliterated: Dan (pronounced dahn)
Meaning: "judged"/"vindicated" (Genesis 30:6)
Mother: Bilhah
Color: Blue
Stone: Sapphire (Exodus 28:18)
Associated symbol: judge/scales (Genesis 49:16), serpent (Genesis 49:17)
Position around tabernacle: north (Numbers 2:25-31)
Banner: the color of his flag was similar to sapphire; embroidered on it was a serpent
Naphtali
Birth order: 6 (Genesis 30:7)
Hebrew name: נפתלי
Transliterated: Naphtali
Meaning: "wrestling"/ "twisting" (Genesis 30:8)
Mother: Bilhah
Color: Medium red
Stone: Diamond (Exodus 28:18)
Associated symbol: hind/doe (Genesis 49:21)
Position around tabernacle: north (Numbers 2:25-31)
Banner: the color of his flag was like clarified wine of a not very deep red; on it was embroidered a hind
Gad
Birth order: 7 (Genesis 30:10-11)
Hebrew name: גד
Transliterated: Gad (pronounced gahd)
Meaning: "fortunate" (Genesis 30:11)
Mother: Zilpah
Color: Black and white
Stone: Jacinth (Exodus 28:19)
Associated symbol:
Position around tabernacle: south (Numbers 2:10-16)
Banner: the color of his flag was neither black nor white but a blend of black and white; on it was embroidered a camp
Asher
Birth order: 8 (Genesis 30:12-13)
Hebrew name: אשר
Transliterated: Asher (pronounced ah SHAIR)
Meaning: "happy" (Genesis 30:13)
Mother: Zilpah
Color: Aquamarine
Stone: Agate (Exodus 28:19)
Associated symbol: abundant food (Genesis 49:20)
Position around tabernacle: north (Numbers 2:25-31)
Banner: the color of his flag was like the precious stone with which women adorn themselves embroidered thereon was an olive tree
Issachar
Birth order: 9 (Genesis 30:18)
Hebrew name: יששכר
Transliterated: Yisachar
Meaning: "wages" (Genesis 30:18)
Mother: Leah
Color: Black
Stone: Amethyst (Exodus 28:19)
Associated symbol: donkey (Genesis 49:14)
Position around tabernacle: east (Numbers 2:3-9)
Banner: the color of his flag was black like stibium (antimony); embroidered on it were the sun and the moon.
Zebulun
Birth order: 10 (Genesis 30:19)
Hebrew name: זבולון
Transliterated: Zevulun
Meaning: "gift"/"dwell" (Genesis 30:20)
Mother: Leah
Color: White
Stone: Beryl (Exodus 28:20)
Associated symbol: ships (Genesis 49:13)
Position around tabernacle: east (Numbers 2:3-9)
Banner: the color of his flag was white, with a ship embroidered on it.
Joseph
Birth order: 11 (Genesis 30:22-23)
Hebrew name: יוסף
Transliterated: Yosef (pronounced YO sef)
Meaning: "add another" (Genesis 30:24)
Mother: Rachel
Color: Black
Stone: Onyx (Exodus 28:20)
Associated symbol: grapevine (Genesis 49:22)
Position around tabernacle: n/a (see Ephraim & Manasseh below)
Banner: the color of his flag was jet black; the embroidered design thereon for both princes Ephraim and Manasseh was Egypt because they were born there.
Ephraim
Birth order: n/a
Hebrew name: אפרים
Transliterated: Efrayim
Meaning: "fruitful"
Mother: Asenath (Joseph's wife)
Color: Black
Stone:
Associated symbol: bullock
Position around tabernacle: west (Numbers 2:18-24)
Banner: a bullock was embroidered on his flag.
Manassah
Birth order: n/a
Hebrew name: מנשה
Transliterated: Menasheh
Meaning: "forgetfulness" (Exodus 41:51)
Mother: Asenath (Joseph's wife)
Color: Black
Stone:
Associated symbol: wild ox
Position around tabernacle: west (Numbers 2:18-24)
Banner: a wild ox was embroidered on his flag.
Benjamin
Birth order: 12 (Genesis 35:17)
Hebrew name: בנימין
Transliterated: Benyamin
Meaning: "son of my right hand"
Mother: Rachel
Color: Mixed colors
Stone: Jasper (Exodus 28:20)
Associated symbol: wolf (Genesis 49:27)
Position around tabernacle: west (Numbers 2:18-24)
Banner: the color of his flag was a combination of all the twelve colors; embroidered on it was a wolf.
New Realm Impressions has created artistic Messianic banners for each tribe (their site requires a Flash plugin).
Here is the same information given above in chart format:
Birth order | Hebrew name | Trans-literated | Meaning | Mother | Color | Stone | Symbol | Position | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reuben | 1 | ראובן | Reuven | "He has seen" (Genesis 29:32) |
Leah | red | ruby (Exodus 28:17) |
water (Genesis 49:4) |
south (Numbers 2:10-16) |
Simeon | 2 | שמעון | Shimon | "He has heard" (Genesis 29:33) |
Leah | green | topaz (Exodus 28:17) |
Shechem (Genesis 49:5) |
south (Numbers 2:10-16) |
Levi | 3 | לוי | Levi | "attached" (Genesis 29:34) |
Leah | black, red, & white | emerald (Exodus 28:17) |
chosen (the breastplate) |
around (Numbers 2:17) |
Judah | 4 | יהודה | Yehudah | "I will praise" (Genesis 29:35) |
Leah | sky blue | turquoise (Exodus 28:18) |
lion (Genesis 49:9) |
east (Numbers 2:3-9) |
Dan | 5 | דן | Dan | "judged"/"vindicated" (Genesis 30:6) |
Bilhah | blue | sapphire (Exodus 28:18) |
serpent (Genesis 49:17) |
north (Numbers 2:25-31) |
Naphtali | 6 | נפתלי | Naphtali | "wrestling"/ "twisting" (Genesis 30:8) |
Bilhah | medium red | diamond (Exodus 28:18) |
hind/doe (Genesis 49:21) |
north (Numbers 2:25-31) |
Gad | 7 | גד | Gad | "fortunate" (Genesis 30:11) |
Zilpah | black and white | jacinth (Exodus 28:19) |
south (Numbers 2:10-16) |
|
Asher | 8 | אשר | Asher | "happy" (Genesis 30:13) |
Zilpah | aquamarine | agate (Exodus 28:19) |
abundant food (Genesis 49:20) |
north (Numbers 2:25-31) |
Issachar | 9 | יששכר | Yisachar | "wages" (Genesis 30:18) |
Leah | black | amethyst (Exodus 28:19) |
donkey (Genesis 49:14) |
east (Numbers 2:3-9) |
Zebulun | 10 | זבולון | Zevulun | "gift"/"dwell" (Genesis 30:20) |
Leah | white | beryl (Exodus 28:20) |
ships (Genesis 49:13) |
east (Numbers 2:3-9) |
Joseph | 11 | יוסף | Yosef | "add another" (Genesis 30:24) |
Rachel | black | onyx (Exodus 28:20) |
grapevine (Genesis 49:22) |
|
Ephraim | - | אפרים | Efrayim | "fruitful" (Genesis 41:52) |
Asenath (Joseph's wife) |
black | bullock | west (Numbers 2:18-24) |
|
Manasseh | - | מנשה | Menasheh | "forgetfulness" (Exodus 41:51) |
Asenath | black | wild ox | west (Numbers 2:18-24) |
|
Benjamin | 12 | בנימין | Benyamin | "son of my right hand" | Rachel | mixed | jasper (Exodus 28:20) | wolf (Genesis 49:27) |
west (Numbers 2:18-24) |