Lexical Summary dódekaphulon: Twelve tribes Original Word: δωδεκάφυλον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance twelve tribes. From dodeka and phule; the commonwealth of Israel -- twelve tribes. see GREEK dodeka see GREEK phule NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom adjective dódekaphulos (of twelve tribes); from dódeka and phulé Definition the twelve tribes NASB Translation twelve tribes (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1429: δωδεκάφυλονδωδεκάφυλον, δωδεκαφυλου, τό (from δώδεκα, and φυλή, tribe), the twelve tribes, used collectively of the Israelitish people, as consisting of twelve tribes: Acts 26:7. (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 55, 6 [ET]; Protevangelium Jacobi, c. 1, 3; λαός ὁ δωδεκάφυλος, Sibylline Oracles Cf. δεκάφυλος, τετράφυλος, Herodotus 5, 66; (Winer's Grammar, 100 (95)).) Strong’s Greek 1429 encapsulates the idea of “the twelve-tribed people,” a single collective term that points to the historic covenant community of Israel. Although the compound noun occurs only once in the New Testament, its background permeates the entire biblical narrative, uniting patriarchal promise, prophetic hope, and apostolic proclamation. Biblical Occurrence Acts 26:7 records Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa: “the promise our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day”. The phrase grounds Paul’s gospel in the shared expectation of all Israel, asserting continuity between the ancestral faith and the revelation of Jesus Christ. Old Testament Foundations 1. Genesis 35:22-26 lists the sons of Jacob, the progenitors of the tribes, rooting the concept in covenant lineage. These passages establish the twelve-tribe motif as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and Israel’s corporate responsibility. Intertestamental Expectation Second Temple writings (e.g., Tobit 13; Psalms of Solomon 17) anticipate a restored, united Israel under Messiah. Worship “night and day” (cf. Anna in Luke 2:37) reflects temple piety carried into synagogue and sectarian life. Paul’s wording in Acts 26:7 echoes this devotional language, showing that first-century Jews still cherished the eschatological hope of tribal restoration. Use in Acts 26:7 Paul appeals to the shared hope of “our twelve tribes” to demonstrate that faith in the risen Christ fulfills—not abandons—the ancestral promise. By speaking before a Herodian king who ruled over parts of historic Israel, Paul underscores: • The continuity of promise from Abraham to the present (Genesis 12:3; Acts 3:25). Eschatological Hope Revelation 7:4-8 and Revelation 21:12 portray the consummation of history using tribal imagery. The sealed servants and the gates of the New Jerusalem reinforce that God’s redemptive plan retains the twelve-tribe structure while encompassing a countless multitude “from every nation” (Revelation 7:9). The single occurrence of Strong’s 1429 thus resonates with a larger canonical trajectory—from promise to fulfillment, from Israel to the world. Related New Testament Passages • Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30 – Twelve apostles judging the twelve tribes signify renewed leadership for restored Israel. Ministry Implications 1. Continuity of Scripture: Teachers may confidently trace Christological fulfillment back through the tribal promises, showing that the gospel stands upon the unbroken reliability of God’s word. Conclusion Though Strong’s 1429 appears only once, it gathers the entire sweep of redemptive history into a single term: the twelve-tribed people awaiting God’s promise. Paul’s usage in Acts 26:7 anchors the Christian message within that ancient hope, affirming that in Jesus the Messiah, the covenant with Israel finds its destined fulfillment and opens the door of salvation to the ends of the earth. |
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