Issachar, Ninth Son of Jacob

Background and Family

The origins of Issachar are rooted in a specific and somewhat unusual event involving mandrakes found by his older brother Reuben. According to Genesis 30:14–18, Leah used these mandrakes to 'hire' the company of Jacob from Rachel. When Leah subsequently conceived and gave birth to her fifth son, she declared, "God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband." Consequently, she named the child Issachar (Genesis 30:18). This etymology—linked to the concept of 'hire' (sakar)—would later be echoed in the prophetic blessings regarding his tribe’s industrious nature.

Issachar grew up as part of a large, complex household alongside his ten brothers and one sister, Dinah. He was one of the six sons of Leah who formed the core of the Jacobite family. While the biblical text does not detail his specific interactions with his brothers during the Joseph narrative, he was among those who traveled to Egypt to seek grain and eventually settled there under the protection of the Egyptian vizier, his brother Joseph (Genesis 46:13).

Major Life Events

Issachar’s life is defined less by personal exploits and more by his inclusion in the formal structures of the emerging nation of Israel. His primary contribution to the biblical record is the establishment of his house through his four sons: Tola, Puah (also rendered as Puvah), Jashub (or Job), and Shimron. These four sons became the heads of the clans that would eventually comprise the tribal population recorded in the wilderness censuses of Numbers.

The most descriptive information regarding Issachar comes from the deathbed blessing of his father, Jacob, in Genesis 49. Jacob describes Issachar as a "strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds" (Genesis 49:14). This imagery suggests a man or a people characterized by physical strength and a willingness to labor. Jacob further notes that Issachar "saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear a burden and became a slave at forced labor" (Genesis 49:15). Scholars often interpret this as a reference to the tribe's future settlement in the fertile Jezreel Valley, where they would prioritize agricultural stability and commerce.

Relationship to Other Biblical Figures

Issachar maintains a close proximity to his full brother Zebulun throughout the biblical text. In the blessings of Moses in Deuteronomy 33:18, the two are grouped together: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents." This indicates a complementary relationship between the seafaring/mercantile Zebulun and the agrarian/settled Issachar.

Historically, his descendants remained loyal to the cause of Israel during the Period of the Judges. The Song of Deborah (Judges 5:15) highlights the princes of Issachar for their bravery, noting that they were with Deborah and Barak in the valley against the Canaanite forces. Furthermore, the tribe produced Tola, a judge who led Israel for twenty-three years (Judges 10:1-2), and later provided the men of wisdom who supported David’s rise to the throne—men described as having "understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Spiritual Significance

In the broader theological framework of the Bible, Issachar represents the reward of faithfulness and the virtue of quiet, industrious service. While he does not possess the leadership mandate of Judah or the priestly calling of Levi, he is essential to the tribal integrity of the covenant people. His name remains preserved in the eschatological vision of the New Testament; in Revelation 7:7, the Tribe of Issachar is listed among the 144,000 who are sealed, with 12,000 members accounted for. This signifies that despite the tribe's historical tendency toward quiet labor, they remain a distinct and honored portion of God’s people through all generations of biblical history.