tribe
phule denotes an ancestral division, especially a named division of Israel, and can also designate peoples across the earth.
The term most often identifies a particular ancestral division within Israel, whether naming Benjamin, Judah, Asher, or the twelve divisions collectively. It also occurs in broad lists of peoples from across the earth, alongside nations, languages, and peoples.
Senses in use
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Named divisions within Israel · dominant
The singular forms occur in clauses of personal or group identification: Saul is associated with Benjamin in Acts 13:21, Anna with Asher in Luke 2:36, and Paul with Benjamin in Philippians 3:5. In Revelation 7:5, the genitive singular form is repeated as Judas, Reuben, and Gad are each named in connection with those sealed; plural uses also gather Israel's divisions as the twelve tribes in James 1:1 and Revelation 21:12.
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Peoples grouped across the earth · common
In Revelation 11:9, Revelation 13:7, and Revelation 14:6, the term occurs in lists that also name nation, language, and people, describing the scope of seeing, authority, or proclamation. The nominative plural in Revelation 1:7 names all the tribes of the earth as mourning, while Revelation 7:9 places people from every nation, tribe, people, and language before the throne.
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB commonly presents the term with “tribe” or “tribes,” both for named Israelite divisions and for groups listed with nations, peoples, and languages. Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, its wording only confirms the verse-level grouping.