The meaning of Tribe in the Bible
(From Easton's Bible Dictionary)
a collection of families descending from one ancestor. The "twelve tribes" of the Hebrews were the twelve collections of families which sprang from the sons of Jacob. In Matthew 24:30 the word has a wider significance. The tribes of Israel are referred to as types of the spiritual family of God (Revelation 7). (See ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF; JUDAH, KINGDOM OF .)
See more on the meaning of Tribe in the Bible:
Tribe {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}
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