Original Word: δωδεκάφυλον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: dódekaphulon
Pronunciation: do-de-KAH-foo-lon
Phonetic Spelling: (do-dek-af'-oo-lon)
KJV: twelve tribes
NASB: twelve tribes
Word Origin: [from G1427 (δώδεκα - twelve) and G5443 (φυλή - tribe)]

1. the commonwealth of Israel

twelve tribes.

From dodeka and phule; the commonwealth of Israel -- twelve tribes.

see GREEK dodeka

see GREEK phule

Word Origin
from adjective dódekaphulos (of twelve tribes); from dódeka and phulé
Definition
the twelve tribes
NASB Translation
twelve tribes (1).STRONGS NT 1429: δωδεκάφυλον

δωδεκάφυλον, 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)).)

Overview

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.
2. Exodus 24:4 and Joshua 4:2-9 both feature twelve memorial stones, symbolizing the unity of the nation under the LORD’s covenant.
3. 1 Kings 18:31, where Elijah rebuilds the altar with twelve stones “according to the number of the tribes,” shows prophetic insistence on Israel’s wholeness even amid division.

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).
• The legitimacy of Christian proclamation within Jewish expectation (Romans 11:1-5).
• The corporate nature of salvation history: one hope embracing all tribes, now widened to all nations (Isaiah 49:6; Acts 13:47).

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.
• James 1:1 – “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” addresses Jewish believers scattered abroad, mirroring Paul’s inclusive vision.
• Romans 11 – Paul’s olive-tree metaphor affirms the irrevocable calling of Israel, harmonizing tribal identity with Gentile inclusion.

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.
2. Corporate Solidarity: Churches can emphasize unity amid diversity, modeling the “twelve-tribed” ideal in multi-ethnic congregations (Ephesians 2:11-22).
3. Missional Perspective: Just as Paul linked his message to Israel’s hope before Agrippa, modern evangelism can present Christ as the culmination of scriptural expectation, appealing to both Jewish and Gentile audiences.

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.

δωδεκαφυλον δωδεκάφυλον dodekaphulon dōdekaphulon dodekaphylon dodekáphylon dōdekaphylon dōdekáphylonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts

Acts 26:7 N-NNS
GRK: ἣν τὸ δωδεκάφυλον ἡμῶν ἐν
NAS: [the promise] to which our twelve tribes hope
KJV: [promise] our twelve tribes, instantly
INT: which the twelve tribes of us in

Strong's Greek 1429
1 Occurrence

δωδεκάφυλον — 1 Occ.