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Issachar

Issachar is one of those Old Testament figures whose story quietly threads through Scripture yet leaves a meaningful mark on history as God’s people. As the ninth son of Jacob and the fifth born to Leah, Issachar became the father of a tribe known for its strength, steady work, and remarkable insight. His descendants settled in some of the most fertile land in Israel, raised families, tended cattle, and played important roles in battles, leadership, and national decisions.

Though Issachar himself was described as strong yet inclined toward comfort, his tribe grew into a people known for wisdom—especially the ability to understand the times and know what Israel should do. From the days of the patriarchs to the reign of King David, the tribe of Issachar contributed leaders, warriors, and faithful worshipers who sought to honor God.

The following sections explore Issachar, the tribe that’s life, his sons came from him, and carried throughout the legacy they Israel’s history.

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1. Issachar
   1. Character and History of Issachar
      1. Birth
      2. Descendants
   2. Prophecies Concerning Issachar
   3. Fighting
   4. Population Counts
   5. Notable Leaders
      1. Nethaneel
      2. Paltiel
      3. Judge Tola
      4. King Baasha
      5. Omri
   6. Political Insight

Character and History of Issachar

Birth

Descendants

Prophecies Concerning Issachar

Issachar and his children went with Jacob (Israel) to Egypt to escape the famine. Before Jacob died, he blessed his children.

• Genesis 49:14-15
  • Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
  • And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

Moses prophesied a quiet and happy life for the tribe.

• Deuteronomy 33:18-19
  • And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
  • They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

Fighting

Although Issachar was sometimes associated with comfort-seeking, the tribe fought bravely in the battle against Sisera

• Judges. 5:15
  • And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

Population Counts

First census: 54,400 fighting men

• Numbers 1:28–29
  •  Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
  • ²⁹ Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

Second census: 64,300

• Numbers 26:25
  • These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.

Time of David 87,000

• 1 Chronicles 7:5
  • And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.

Notable Leaders

Nethaneel

• Numbers 1:5 & 8
  • And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.
  • Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
• Numbers 7:18
  • On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer:
  • He offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense:
  • One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
  • One kid of the goats for a sin offering:
  • And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
• Numbers 10:15
  • In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
  • And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

Paltiel

• Num. 34:17-18 &
  • hese are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.
  • And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.
  • And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.

Judge Tola

• Judges 10:1
  • And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
  • And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

King Baasha

• 1 Kings 15:27
  • And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

Omri

• 1 Chronicles 27:1 & 18
  • Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course were twenty and four thousand.
  • Of Judah, Elihu, one of the brethren of David: of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael:

Political Insight

In keeping with Jacob’s blessing, the tribe showed remarkable discernment in political matters. They shifted allegiance from Saul to David,

• 1 Chr. 12:32
  • And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

Though part of the Northern Kingdom, many from Issachar still attended Hezekiah’s Passover in Judah.

• 2 Chronicle 30:18-19
  • For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written.
  • But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one That prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

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