Sirayeli
INkosi yanika uYakobi igama uSirayeli, unyana kaIsake nongumzukulwana ka-Abraham kwiTestamente eNdala (Gen. 32:28; 35:10). Igama uSirayeli linokubhekiswa kuYakobi ngokwakhe, inzala yakhe, okanye ebukumkanini bezo nzala obabuzezazo kumaxesha eTestamente eNdala (Ⅱ Sam. 1:24; 23:3). Emva kokuba uMoses wakhokela abantwana bakaSirayeli baphume ebukhobokeni baseYiputa (Eks. 3–14), babelawulwa ngabagwebi ngaphezu kweminyaka engamakhulu amathathu. Kuqalisa ngoKumkani uSawule, ookumkani balawula phezu koSirayeli omanyeneyo kwada kwaya ekufeni kukaSolomon, xa izizwe ezilishumi zavukela ziphuma kuRehabheham zisakha isizwe esahlukeneyo. Emva kokuba ubukumkani bukaSirayeli bahluliwe, iintlanga zasentla, njengenxenye enkulu ngakumbi, yaligcina igama uSirayeli, ngelixa ubukumkani obusezantsi kwathiwa nguYuda. Ilizwe laseKanan kanjalo kuthiwa namhlanje nguSirayeli. Ngolunye uluvo, uSirayeli uthetha ikholwa lenene kuKrestu (Rom. 10:1; 11:7; Gal. 6:16; Efese 2:12).
Izizwe ezilishumi elinesibini zikaSirayeli
Umzukulwana ka-Abraham uYakobi, ogama lakhe latshintshelwa kuSirayeli, wayenoonyana abalishumi elinesibini. Iinzala zabo zithe zaba nokwaziwa njengezizwe ezilishumi elinesibini zikaSirayeli okanye abantwana bakaSirayeli. Ezi zizizwe ezilishumi elinesibini: URubhen, uSimon, uLevi, uYuda, uIsakare, noZebhulon (oonyana bakaYakobi noLeya); uDan noNafetali (oonyana bakaYakobi noBhiliha); uGadi noAshere (oonyana bakaYakobi noZilipa); uYosefu noBhenjamin (oonyana bakaYakobi noRakeli) (Gen. 29:32–30:24; 35:16–18).
UYakobi wanika intsikelelo inkokeli yohlanga ngalunye phambi kokufa kwakhe (Gen. 49:1–28). Ulwazi olungakumbi, khangela igama lonyana ngamanye kaYakobi.
URubhen, unyana wamazibulo womfazi wokuqala kaYakobi, uLeya, waphulukana nentsikelelo yobuzibulo nesabelo esiphindiweyo selifa ngenxa yokungendawo (Gen. 49:3–4). Ilungelo ngokuzalwa ngoko laya kuYosefu, owayengunyana wamazibulo womfazi wesibini kaYakobi, uRakeli (Ⅰ IziKr. 5:1–2). ULevi, osizwe sakhe iNkosi yasonyulela ukusebenza njengabalungiseleli bobubingeleli Bayo, akazange afumane lifa ngenxa yobizo lwabo olukhethekileyo lokulungiselela phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe. Oku kwavumela isabelo esiphindiweyo sikaYosefu ekubeni sabiwe ngoonyana bakaYosefu, uEfrayim noManase (Ⅰ IziKr. 5:1; Yer. 31:9), ababebalwe njengezizwe ezahlukeneyo zikaSirayeli (GJS, Gen. 48:5–6 [Isihlomelo]).
Amalungu esizwe sikaYuda ayeza kuba ngabalawuli kude kufike uMesiya (Gen. 49:10; GJS, Gen. 50:24 [Isihlomelo]). Ngemihla yokugqibela isizwe sikaEfrayim sinelungelo elilodwa lokuzisa umyalezo wokuBuyiselwa kwevangeli ehlabathini nokuhlanganisa uSirayeli osasaziweyo (Dut. 33:13–17). Ixesha liya kuza xa ngevangeli kaYesu Krestu, uEfrayim eya kuba noxanduva lobunkokeli ekumanyaneni zonke izizwe zikaSirayeli (Isaya 11:12–13; I&M 133:26–34).
Ukusasazwa kukaSirayeli
INkosi yaza yabandezela izizwe ezilishumi elinesibini zikaSirayeli ngenxa yokungalungisi kwabo novukelo. Nangona kunjalo, iNkosi kanjalo yasebenzisa olu sasazo lwabantu Bayo abonyuliweyo phakathi kwezizwe zehlabathi ekusikeleleni ezo zizwe.
Ukuhlanganiswa kukaSirayeli
Indlu kaSirayeli iya kuhlanganiswa kunye ngemihla yokugqibela phambi kokuza kukaKrestu (V zoK 1:10). INkosi ihlanganisa abantu Bayo uSirayeli xa beyamkela Yona baze bagcine imiyalelo Yayo.
Izizwe ezilishumi ezilahlekileyo zikaSirayeli
Izizwe ezilishumi zikaSirayeli zenza ubukumkani basentla bukaSirayeli kwaye zathwalelwa kude ekuthinjweni eAsiriya ngowe-721 P.K. Ngeloo xesha baya “kumazwe asentla” baza balahleka kulwazi lwabanye. Ngemihla yokugqibela baya kubuya.