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Issachar

Issachar got his name from a remark of his mother’s. Leah said, “God hath given me my hire.” His descendants became one of the tribes of Israel, counted in the wilderness at “fifty and four thousand and four hundred.” They camped on the east side, next to Judah. When the land was divided, the fourth lot fell to Issachar, a region reaching toward Jezreel, Shunem and Tabor, with “sixteen cities with their villages.” Most of what these verses give is numbers and boundaries, the plain record of a family receiving its place. Joshua 19:17-23 lists the towns.

13 verses

Genesis

Genesis 30:18

And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

Exodus

Exodus 1:3

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

Numbers

Numbers 1:28

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;

Numbers 1:29

Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

Numbers 2:3

And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah.

Numbers 2:5

And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar.

Joshua

Joshua 19:17

And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.

Joshua 19:18

And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,

Joshua 19:19

And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,

Joshua 19:20

And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,

Joshua 19:21

And Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez;

Joshua 19:22

And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.

Joshua 19:23

This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Hired (Gen. 30:18). “God hath given me,” said Leah, “my hire (Heb. sekhari)...and she called his name Issachar.” He was Jacob’s ninth son, and was born in Padan-aram (comp. 28:2). He had four sons at the going down into Egypt (46:13; Num. 26:23, 25).

Issachar, Tribe of, during the journey through the wilderness, along with Judah and Zebulun (Num. 2:5), marched on the east of the tabernacle. This tribe contained 54,400 fighting men when the census was taken at Sinai. After the entrance into the Promised Land, this tribe was one of the six which stood on Gerizim during the ceremony of the blessing and cursing (Deut. 27:12). The allotment of Issachar is described in Josh. 19:17-23. It included the plain of Esdraelon (=Jezreel), which was and still is the richest portion of Palestine (Deut. 33:18, 19; 1 Chr. 12:40).

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The prophetic blessing pronounced by Jacob on Issachar corresponds with that of Moses (Gen. 49:14, 15; comp. Deut. 33:18, 19).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(reward). I. The ninth son of Jacob and the fifth of Leah. (Genesis 30:17,18) (B.C. 1753-45) At the descent into Egypt four sons are ascribed to him, who founded the four chief families of the tribes. (Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:23,25; 1 Chronicles 7:1) The number of the fighting men of Issachar, when taken in the census at Sinai, was 54,400. During the journey they seem to have steadily increased. The allotment of Issachar lay above that of Manasseh. (Joshua 19:17-23) In the words of Josephus, "it extended in length from Carmel to the Jordan, in breadth to Mount Tabor." This territory was, as it still is, among the richest land in Palestine. It is this aspect of the territory of Issachar which appears to be alluded to in the blessing of Jacob.

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(1.) A Korhite Levite, one of the door-keepers of the house of Jehovah, seventh son of Obed-edom. (1 Chronicles 26:5)

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Dictionary entries from Easton's Bible Dictionary and Smith's Bible Dictionary. Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.