Issachar

[is-uh-kahr] /ˈɪs əˌkɑr/

noun
1.
a son of Jacob and Leah. Gen. 30:18.
2.
one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
/ˈɪsəˌkɑː/
noun (Old Testament)
1.
the fifth son of Jacob by his wife Leah (Genesis 30:17–18)
2.
the tribe descended from this patriarch
3.
the territory of this tribe

son of Jacob by Leah (Old Testament), name of a biblical tribe of Israel, from Greek issakhar, from Hebrew Yissakhar, probably [Klein] from yesh sakhar “there is a reward” (cf. Gen. xxx:18).

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