The Tribe of Issachar
1 Chronicles 7:1-5
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1 C.7.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולבני: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יששכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תולע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ופואה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישוב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ושמרון: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארבעה: NUM,card,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 46:13 (quotation): Lists the sons of Issachar as Tola, Puah (Puvah), Jashub, and Shimron — a direct genealogical parallel to 1 Chronicles 7:1.
- Numbers 26:23 (quotation): Census listing of Issachar’s families naming the same four sons (Tola, Puvah, Jashub, Shimron), echoing the genealogical record.
- 1 Chronicles 12:32 (thematic): Mentions the men of Issachar and their distinct role/identity within Israel — thematic connection to the tribe and its descendants named in 1 Chronicles 7:1.
- Judges 5:15 (thematic): Deborah’s song references Issachar’s princes participating in Israel’s deliverance, reflecting the tribe’s historical significance tied to the genealogical listing.
Alternative generated candidates
- The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four.
- To the sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four.
1 C.7.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- תולע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עזי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- ורפיה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויריאל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויחמי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויבשם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושמואל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ראשים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cns
- אבותם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- לתולע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גבורי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לתלדותם: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מספרם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3mp
- בימי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- דויד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשרים: NUM,card,pl
- ושנים: CONJ+NUM,m,pl,abs
- אלף: NUM,m,sg
- ושש: CONJ+NUM,card,m,sg
- מאות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 46:13 (verbal): Tola is listed as one of the sons of Issachar in Jacob’s migration to Egypt, providing the ancestral identification behind the Tola named here.
- Judges 10:1-2 (allusion): Tola (son of Puah, of Issachar) appears as a judge/leader of Israel — a later tradition of Tola’s leadership that echoes the verse’s emphasis on heads and prominent men of Tola’s line.
- Numbers 26:23-25 (structural): The Numbers census gives genealogical listings and tribal counts for Issachar’s families; parallels Chronicles’ practice of enumerating heads, mighty men, and their numbers.
- 1 Chronicles 7:1 (verbal): The immediately preceding verse in Chronicles lists the sons of Issachar (including Tola) and likewise describes household heads and mighty men, forming a direct continuation of the same genealogical material.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Samuel—heads of their fathers' houses for Tola, men of might, valiant in their generations. Their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.
- The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Shammua; they were heads of the houses of their fathers—men of valor. In their generations, in the days of David, their number was twenty-two thousand six hundred.
1 C.7.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- עזי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- יזרחיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יזרחיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מיכאל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועבדיה: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
- ויואל: VERB,qal,part,3,m,sg
- ישיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- חמשה: NUM,m,pl
- ראשים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כלם: PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 7:1-5 (structural): Immediate context: the same chapter lists the descendants and names the 'heads' of families; v.3 is part of this contiguous genealogical formula.
- 1 Chronicles 8:1-5 (structural): Parallel genealogical listing for the tribe of Benjamin—same literary form of naming sons and family 'heads' and tracing lineage.
- 1 Chronicles 2:3-4 (thematic): Another Chronicle genealogy (Judah) that shares the theme and method of enumerating sons and family heads, showing the chronicler’s consistent genealogical presentation.
- Numbers 1:16 (verbal): Uses the phrase 'heads of the fathers' houses' (chiefs) in a list of tribal leaders—verbal parallel to the use of 'heads' (ראשים) for family leaders in 1 Chr 7:3.
- Ezra 2:1-2 (structural): Postexilic return lists that name leaders and heads of families; structurally similar as a roster of names functioning to record family/headship continuity.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the sons of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah—five; all of them heads.
- And the sons of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishiah—five; all were heads.
1 C.7.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועליהם: CONJ+PREP+PRON,3,pl
- לתלדותם: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cns
- אבותם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- גדודי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- צבא: NOUN,m,sg,const
- מלחמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שלשים: NUM,m,pl,abs
- וששה: CONJ+NUM,card,pl
- אלף: NUM,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- הרבו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- נשים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ובנים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 7:1-3 (structural): Immediate context: the chapter enumerates sons, families and their war-capable companies — same genealogical/military household formula and demographic explanation for large numbers.
- Numbers 1:2-3 (thematic): Divine command to number all able-bodied men 'able to go forth to war'; parallels the concern with organizing and counting fighting men into companies.
- Numbers 26:1-65 (structural): The second census of Israel lists tribes and the numbers of men by families/households — analogous tribal/familial enumeration of military-age men and totals.
- 1 Chronicles 27:1-15 (structural): David’s organized military divisions with assigned thousands per month — another example in Chronicles of arranging Israel’s fighting men into counted companies.
Alternative generated candidates
- And over them, by their generations, to the houses of their fathers, were companies of armed men for battle, thirty-six thousand; for they increased in wives and children.
- And of them, by their generations and ancestral houses, were battle companies for war, thirty-six thousand; for they had multiplied in wives and children.
1 C.7.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואחיהם: CONJ+NOUN,-,-,3,m,pl,prsuf
- לכל: PREP
- משפחות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יששכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גבורי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- חילים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שמונים: NUM,m,pl
- ושבעה: NUM,m,pl,abs
- אלף: NUM,m,sg
- התיחשם: VERB,hitp,perf,3,m,pl
- לכל: PREP
Parallels
- Numbers 1:18 (verbal): Census of fighting men by tribe (Issachar listed among tribes); parallels the genre of enumerating 'mighty men' though with a different total than 1 Chr 7:5.
- Numbers 26:23 (verbal): Later wilderness census giving another figure for Issachar's warriors; highlights parallel tradition of tribal military counts and numerical discrepancies with 1 Chr 7:5.
- Genesis 46:13 (structural): Genealogical listing of the sons of Issachar (Tola, Puah/Puvah, Job/Jashub, Shimron); parallels the chronicler's concern with Issachar's family structure that underlies the military enumeration.
- 1 Chronicles 12:32 (thematic): Portrays men of Issachar as a distinctive, reliable group (men who understood the times and numbered as leaders); complements 1 Chr 7:5's characterization of Issachar as 'valiant men'.
- Judges 5:15-16 (thematic): Deborah's song depicts Issachar's leaders and their participation in battle alongside Barak—another biblical motif of Issachar as military supporters, echoing the 'mighty men' theme.
Alternative generated candidates
- And their kinsmen, of all the families of Issachar, mighty men of valor, were eighty-seven thousand—fit for service in all the duties of war.
- And their kinsmen, of all the families of Issachar—mighty men of valor—eighty-seven thousand, all equipped for war.
The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four.
The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmi, Jibsam, and Samuel—heads of their fathers' houses for Tola; mighty men of valor, by their generations; their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred. And the sons of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah—five in all; they were all heads.
By their generations, according to their fathers' houses, there were battle ranks for war—thirty-six thousand; for they had multiplied in women and children. And their kinsmen, of all the clans of Issachar, mighty men of valor, were eighty-seven thousand, all armed for war.