Who are the tribes?

With different mothers are they all white?

Where are they now?

How are they described in the scriptures?

These are the twelve sons of Jacob.

Gen 35:22  And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

Gen 35:23  the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun;

Gen 35:24  the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin;

Gen 35:25  the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali;

Gen 35:26  and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.

REUBEN

Modern day France…quite a large nation, but unstable, jealous of England and America, and the other nations of Ephraim and Manasseh. Lost birthright, this birthright was then given to Ephraim and Manasseh.

The firstborn son of Jacob and Leah.

Gen 29:32  So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.”

Reuben slept with Bilhah his father’s concubine.

Gen 35:22  And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

Because of this act Reuben lost his birthright.

1Ch 5:1  Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright;

Reuben will not excel because of his deeds.

Gen 49:3  “Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.

Gen 49:4  Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it He went up to my couch.

The following verse the word nor is not inspired so the verse should be.

Let Reuben live, and not die, and let his men be few.

Deu 33:6  “Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”

SIMEON

Second born son to Jacob and Leah, full brother to Reuben.

It appears that they were given parts of Judah for their inheritance, but were divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel.

Gen 29:33  Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

Gen 49:5  “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.

Gen 49:6  Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.

Gen 49:7  Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.

Not mentioned by Moses in Deut 33 along with the other tribes of Israel.

They took the law into their own hands in the revenge for Dinah.

Gen 34:25  Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.

Gen 34:26  And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out.

Jacob was not pleased with their actions.

Gen 34:30  Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”

Gen 34:31  But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

LEVI

The third son of Leah and Jacob full brother to Reuben and Simeon.

They were not given their own land and they combined in with Judah.

The Lord is their inheritance.

After the captivity they will be reinstated as ministers of God and teach.

Deu 33:10  They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.

Eze 44:15  “But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord GOD.

Isa 66:21  And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the LORD.

Gen 29:34  She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.

Levi was to be the ministers.

Num 3:6  “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

Deu 10:8  At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.

Deu 10:9  Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him.)

Deu 8:15  who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;

Deu 8:16  who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end

Their future.

Gen 49:5  “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.

Gen 49:6  Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.

Gen 49:7  Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.

Gen 49:8  “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you.

Deu 33:8  And of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,

Deu 33:9  Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant.

Deu 33:10  They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.

Deu 33:11  Bless his substance, LORD, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

JUDAH

Fourth son of Leah and Jacob full brother to Reuben, Simeon, Levi.

Still living in modern day Israel today and keepers of the Sabbath.

Gen 29:35  And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

Jacob tells what will happen to them in the last days.

Gen 49:8  “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you.

Gen 49:9  Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?

Gen 49:10  The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

Gen 49:11  Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

Gen 49:12  His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.

The blessings from Moses.

Deu 33:7  And this he said of Judah: “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies.”

1Ch 5:2  yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s

DAN

It is thought that Dan is Ireland and in the folk law of Ireland is Tuatha-de-danaan which means the Tribe of Dan.

Many cities and towns in Ireland begin or end in don den dan dun, which are all a derivative of Dan.

The fifth son of Jacob, but his mother was Bilhah the handmaid of Rachael.

Gen 30:4  Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

Gen 30:5  And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

Gen 30:6  Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

Jacob tells what is in store for the sons.

Gen 49:1  And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:

Gen 49:16  “Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel.

Gen 49:17  Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.

Gen 49:18  I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!

Deu 33:22  And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.”

Jdg 5:17  Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets.

Dan is the only tribe not mentioned in the 144000 in the book of Revelation.

NAPHTALI

The sixth son of Jacob, a full brother of Dan.

Gen 30:7  And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

Gen 30:8  Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

Gen 49:21  “Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.

Deu 33:23  And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south.”

Jdg 5:18  Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.

Because they are a full brother to Dan, they could be Wales or Scotland.

GAD

The seventh son of Jacob by Zilpah who was the handmaid of Leah.

Gen 30:9  When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife.

Gen 30:10  And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

Gen 30:11  Then Leah said, “A troop comes!” So she called his name Gad.

Gen 49:19  “Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.

Deu 33:20  And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head.

Deu 33:21  He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the LORD, And His judgments with Israel.”

ASHER

The eighth son of Jacob the second son born to Zilpah, Asher is a full brother to Gad.

Gen 30:12  And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

Gen 30:13  Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher.

Gen 49:20  “Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.

Deu 33:24  And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil.

Deu 33:25  Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.

Jdg 5:17  Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets.

ISSACHAR

Gen 30:18  Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.

Gen 49:14  “Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens;

Gen 49:15  He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.

Deu 33:18  And of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents!

Deu 33:19  They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.”

Jdg 5:15  And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As Issachar, so was Barak Sent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.

Jdg 5:16  Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.

ZEBULUN

Tenth Son of Jacob his mother was Leah.

Gen 30:19  Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son.

Gen 30:20  And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun.

Deu 33:18  And of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents!

Gen 49:13  “Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.

Jdg 5:14  From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.

Jdg 5:18  Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.

JOSEPH

Eleventh son of Jacob, the mother was Rachel.

Gen 30:22  Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

Gen 30:23  And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”

Gen 30:24  So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The LORD shall add to me another son.”

Gen 49:22  “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.

Gen 49:23  The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.

Gen 49:24  But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

Gen 49:25  By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

Gen 49:26  The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

Deu 33:13  And of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath,

Deu 33:14  With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months,

Deu 33:15  With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills,

Deu 33:16  With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’

Deu 33:17  His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

BENJAMIN

Twelfth son of Jacob, full brother to Joseph mother was Rachel.

Gen 35:17  Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.”

Gen 35:18  And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

Gen 49:27  “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.”

Deu 33:12  Of Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”

Jdg 5:14  From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.