Original Word: נַפְתּוּל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: naphtuwl
Pronunciation: naf-too-leem
Phonetic Spelling: (naf-tool')
KJV: wrestling
NASB: wrestlings
Word Origin: [from H6617 (פָּתַל - show yourself astute)]

1. (properly) wrestled
2. but ued (in the plural) transitively, a struggle

wrestling

From pathal; properly, wrestled; but ued (in the plural) transitively, a struggle -- wrestling.

see HEBREW pathal

Word Origin
from pathal
Definition
wrestlings
NASB Translation
wrestlings (1).

[נַפְתּוּלִים] noun [masculine]

plural wrestlings (compare √

Niph`al Perfect); — construct ׳נַפְתּוּלֵי א Genesis 30:8 wrestlings of God, i.e. mighty wrestlings.

Meaning and Context

The term נַפְתּוּל (Strong’s Hebrew 5319) appears once in the Hebrew canon, Genesis 30:8, where Rachel, locked in a bitter rivalry with her sister Leah, exclaims: “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and prevailed” (Genesis 30:8). From this cry springs the name of Jacob’s sixth son, Naphtali. The word therefore functions as both a vivid description of personal struggle and the etymological seed for a tribal identity within Israel.

Literary Usage

Because it is a hapax legomenon, every nuance is concentrated in a single context. The plural construction, translated “mighty wrestlings,” evokes repeated, exhausting contention. Rachel’s statement highlights a struggle that is physical (the use of her maid Bilhah), emotional (sisterly jealousy), and spiritual (petitioning the LORD for offspring). The expression frames human striving within divine providence: her “prevailing” is attributed not merely to human maneuvering but to God’s response (Genesis 30:6).

Historical Trajectory

1. The naming moment sets the tone for the tribe of Naphtali. Later descriptions of Naphtali’s territory in Joshua 19:32-39 reveal land that demanded relentless effort to secure amid Canaanite opposition.
2. Jacob’s dying words—“Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns” (Genesis 49:21)—portray agility and fruitfulness emerging from earlier struggle.
3. Moses’ blessing—“Naphtali, overflow with favor and full of the blessing of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 33:23)—cements the theme: hard-won wrestlings lead to abundant blessing and geographical satisfaction “by the lake,” foreshadowing Galilee.

Theological Insights

• Struggle under sovereignty: Rachel’s admission that God “has heard my voice” (Genesis 30:6) weaves divine initiative with human effort, foreshadowing the Pauline tension of “work out your own salvation… for it is God who works in you” (Philippians 2:12-13).
• Naming and identity: Biblical names often crystallize theology. נַפְתּוּל becomes a perpetual reminder that Israel’s very formation is marked by contention transformed into covenant blessing.
• A preview of Israel’s future wrestling: The same household that births Naphtali will later produce Jacob’s wrestling with “a man” at Peniel (Genesis 32:24-30). Individual and national destinies are forged in encounters that demand perseverance with God.

Ministerial and Practical Application

• Encouragement amid rivalry: Believers experiencing relational conflict can find in Rachel’s exclamation a permission to bring raw emotion before God while trusting Him to redeem strife.
• Spiritual perseverance: נַפְתּוּל underlines that prevailing often comes through protracted engagement, not escapism—an exhortation to persevere in intercessory prayer (Luke 18:1-8).
• Identity reshaped by grace: Just as Naphtali matures from “wrestlings” to “favor,” Christians grow from initial struggles into channels of blessing (2 Corinthians 3:18).

New Testament Echoes

Matthew 4:13-15 cites “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali” as the theater of Jesus’ early ministry, fulfilling Isaiah 9:1-2. The gospel light dawns precisely in territory whose tribal name traces back to intense struggle, underlining that Messiah shines most brightly where conflict has run deepest.

Homiletical Outlines

1. “From Strife to Song”: Genesis 30:8; Genesis 49:21; Deuteronomy 33:23; Matthew 4:15—God turns human struggle into redemptive melody.
2. “Wrestling with God’s Will”: Genesis 30:8; Genesis 32:24-30; Romans 15:30—wrestling as a metaphor for intercession and mission.
3. “Naming Your Battles”: Exploring how honest acknowledgment of conflict (נַפְתּוּל) becomes the first step toward overcoming in Christ (Revelation 12:11).

Key Takeaways

• נַפְתּוּל encapsulates the paradox of striving and grace.
• The solitary occurrence magnifies its importance, anchoring one of Israel’s tribes in a testimony of contested blessing.
• Its theological arc runs from patriarchal rivalry to Messianic fulfillment, encouraging believers that God sovereignly converts our wrestlings into avenues of light and favor.

נַפְתּוּלֵ֨י נפתולי naftuLei nap̄·tū·lê nap̄tūlêInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts