The Torah lists the order of the tribes in fifteen places (all 15 places are listed at the end of this article). However, the order of the tribes is listed differently in almost each place.
In general, the lists are in three main categories:
- The order according to the births of the children to the four wives of Yaacov (forming the basis of the first six listings of the sons of Yaacov).
Order of Birth
Bereshis 29-30
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Dan, Nafoli, Gad, Asher, Yissochor, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyomin
- The order according to the encampment in the desert (forming the basis of the next 6 listings).
Order of the Camp
Bemidbar 2
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
- Structure of conquest and inheritance in Eretz Yisrael
Princes of the Inheritance
Bemidbar 34
Yehudah, Shimon, Benyomin, Dan, Menasheh, Efraim, Zevulun, Yissochor, Asher, Naftoli
SOME DIFFICULTIES
- The first list of the Torah is according to the order of birth of the children of Yaacov. However, this order is not repeated again.
Children of Yaacov
Bereshis 35
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli, Gad, Asher
Going Down to Egypt
Bereshis 46
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Gad, Asher, Yosef, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli
Blessing of Yaacov
Bereshis 49
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Zevulun, Yissochor, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naftoli, Yosef, Binyomin
- Many of the pesukim list the children of the Leah before the children of the maids but the children of Rochel (Yosef & Binyomin) are in different places.
- Children of the maids according to birth are: Dan and Naftoli (children of Bilhah) Gad and Asher (children of Zilpah). However, Gad is separated frequently from the other three. Whereas Naftoli, who was older than Gad and Asher, is listed last in most of the lists.
Tribes at First Counting
Bemidbar 1
Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
Order of the Journeys
Bemidbar 10
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
- Sometimes Efraim precedes Menasheh and sometimes Menasheh precedes Efraim.
Order of the Journeys
Bemidbar 10
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
Princes of the Inheritance
Bemidbar 34
Yehudah, Shimon, Benyomin, Dan, Menasheh, Efraim, Zevulun, Yissochor, Asher, Naftoli
- In the final list, the children of Rochel are in the middle of the children of Leah with Binyomin first. Plus the children of the maids are not listed in order.
Blessing of Moshe
Devarim 33
Reuven, Yehudah, Levi, Binyomin, Yosef, Zevulun, Yissochor, Gad, Dan, Naftoli, Asher (Shimon left out)
- In the next-to-last list, the order is even more difficult to understand.
Tribes for Blessing & Curses Devarim 27
Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Yosef, Binyomin, Reuven, Gad, Asher, Zevulun, Dan, Naftoli
POSSIBLE UNDERSTANDING
First list in the Torah is arranged according to the order of birth.
Order of Birth
Bereshis 29-30
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Dan, Nafoli, Gad, Asher, Yissochor, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyomin
Second list in the Torah is arranged according to the order of birth prioritized first by the mothers, Leah, Rochel, Zilpah and Bilhah. Thus, Yissochor, Zevulun, Yosef & Binyomin listed earlier.
Children of Yaacov
Bereshis 35
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli, Gad, Asher
Third list in the Torah is listed according to the total number of people by each mother going to Egypt (Leah 33, Zilpah 16, Rochel 14, Bilhah 7).
Going Down to Egypt
Bereshis 46
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Gad, Asher, Yosef, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli
Fourth list in the Torah is arranged according to the order of birth prioritized first by the mothers. However, Zevulun precedes Yissochor due to his strength. And the children of Zilpah (maid-servant of Leah) precede the children of Rochel and her maid-servant.
Blessing of Yaacov
Bereshis 49
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Zevulun, Yissochor, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naftoli, Yosef, Binyomin
Fifth list in the Torah is according to the date order that the mothers where married (Leah, Rochel, Zilpah, Bilhah)
Arrival in Egypt
Shmos 1
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli, Gad, Asher (Yosef already there)
Sixth list in the Torah is arranged according to the order of birth prioritized first by the mothers; however, Efraim and Menasheh replace Yosef. Efraim was placed first according to the blessing of Yaacov. The children of the maid-servants are mixed up since the blessings to Yaacov came in a non-direct format (Yaacov took the blessings of Eisav).
Princes of the Tribes
Bemidbar 1
Reuven, Shimon, Yehudah, Zevulun, Yissochor, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Asher, Dan, Gad, Naftoli (no Levi or Yosef)
“BOX” WHEN ENCAMPED EAST →
Dan Naftoli Asher
Efraim
Menasheh
Binyomin
MISHKAN & LEVIIM
Yehuda
Yissochor
Zevulun
Reuven Shimon Gad
Seventh list in the Torah according to the method of encampment in the desert (south, east, west, north).
Tribes at First Counting
Bemidbar 1
Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli (no Levi or Yosef)
Eighth list in the Torah is according to the method of encampment in the desert (east, south, west, north).
Order of the Camp
Bemidbar 2
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
Ninth list in the Torah is according to the method of encampment in the desert (east, south, west, north).
Korbanos of the Princes
Bemidbar 7
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
Tenth list in the Torah is according to the method of encampment in the desert (east, south, west, north).
Order of the Journeys
Bemidbar 10
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
Eleventh list in the Torah is possibly ordered to a particular criteria (age of the Nasi); or perhaps just to show a lack of order within the spies themselves.
Spies
Bemidbar 13
Reuven, Shimon, Yehudah, Yissochor, Efraim, Binyomin, Zevulun, Menasheh, Dan, Asher, Naftoli, Gad
Twelfth list in the Torah has Menasheh preceding Efraim since that tribe had more population at this time of counting.
Tribes at Second Counting
Bemidbar 26
Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Menasheh, Efraim, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli
Thirteenth list in the Torah starts in the South and progressing north according to the inheritance. (Yehudah and Shimon are in the South and then as proceeds north, the other tribes). Levi has no inheritance; Gad and Reuven did not inherit west of the Yardein River.
Princes of the Inheritance
Bemidbar 34
Yehudah, Shimon, Benyomin, Dan, Menasheh, Efraim, Zevulun, Yissochor, Asher, Naftoli (no Gad, Levi, or Reuven)
Fourteenth list in the Torah is arranged according to the following principals: the four children of the maidservants were all on Har Eivel; and all the tribes on Har Grizim were from Leah and Rochel. Reuven (Leah’s oldest) and Zevulun (Leah’s youngest) were also placed on Har Eivel.
Tribes for Blessing & Curses Devarim 27
Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Yosef, Binyomin, Reuven, Gad, Asher, Zevulun, Dan, Naftoli
Fifteenth list in the Torah is in the order of placement in Eretz Yisrael in a pattern like a “Z”.
Blessing of Moshe
Devarim 33
Reuven, Yehudah, Levi, Binyomin, Yosef, Zevulun, Yissochor, Gad, Dan, Naftoli, Asher (Shimon left out)
Fifteen Places in Which the Torah Lists the Tribes
- Order of Birth
Bereshis 29-30
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Dan, Nafoli, Gad, Asher, Yissochor, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyomin - Children of Yaacov
Bereshis 35
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli, Gad, Asher - Going Down to Egypt
Bereshis 46
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Gad, Asher, Yosef, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli - Blessing of Yaacov
Bereshis 49
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Zevulun, Yissochor, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naftoli, Yosef, Binyomin - Arrival in Egypt
Shmos 1
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Binyomin, Dan, Naftoli, Gad, Asher (11-Yosef already there) - Princes of the Tribes
Bemidbar 1
Reuven, Shimon, Yehudah, Zevulun, Yissochor, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Asher, Dan, Gad, Naftoli (no Levi or Yosef in list 6-13) - Tribes at First Counting
Bemidbar 1
Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli - Order of the Camp
Bemidbar 2
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli - Korbanos of the Princes
Bemidbar 7
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli - Order of the Journeys
Bemidbar 10
Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Efraim, Menasheh, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli - Spies
Bemidbar 13
Reuven, Shimon, Yehudah, Yissochor, Efraim, Binyomin, Zevulun, Menasheh, Dan, Asher, Naftoli, Gad - Tribes at Second Counting
Bemidbar 26
Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Yehudah, Yissochor, Zevulun, Menasheh, Efraim, Binyomin, Dan, Asher, Naftoli - Princes of the Inheritance
Bemidbar 34
Yehudah, Shimon, Benyomin, Dan, Menasheh, Efraim, Zevulun, Yissochor, Asher, Naftoli (no Gad, Levi, or Reuven) - Tribes for Blessing & Curses
Devarim 27
Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissochor, Yosef, Binyomin, Reuven, Gad, Asher, Zevulun, Dan, Naftoli - Blessing of Moshe
Devarim 33
Reuven, Yehudah, Levi, Binyomin, Yosef, Zevulun, Yissochor, Gad, Dan, Naftoli, Asher (Shimon left out)
