Issachar

Ninth son of Jacob and fifth by Leah, ancestor of the tribe of Issachar. The name relates to “reward” or “hire”—Leah declared “God has given me my reward” (Genesis 30:18). Jacob’s blessing compared Issachar to “a strong donkey” who “bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor” (Genesis 49:14-15), suggesting the tribe’s hardworking nature. The tribe settled in the fertile Jezreel Valley and became known for wisdom and understanding—“men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32).