Interesting Facts

• Issachar offered advice to his brothers on how to deceive their father Jacob after selling Joseph.
• Issachar suggested tearing Joseph’s coat, killing a kid goat, and dipping the coat in its blood to make Jacob believe Joseph was devoured by a beast.
• Issachar was among the sons of Jacob who carried their father’s bier to be buried in Canaan.

Genealogy

• Issachar was a son of Jacob and Leah.
• His brothers included Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and Zebulun (Leah’s sons), as well as Joseph and Benjamin (Rachel’s sons), Gad and Asher (Zilpah’s sons), and Dan and Naphtali (Bilhah’s sons). His sister was Dinah.
• The sources mention that the sons of Jacob married and had children during this period, and specifically list Issachar’s sons as Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shomron.

Historical Context

Issachar’s life unfolded during a pivotal period in the history of Jacob’s family. This era was characterized by their semi-nomadic existence in Canaan, including significant events such as the incident involving Dinah and the subsequent conflict with the inhabitants of Shechem, the selling of Joseph into Egypt, and the eventual migration of the entire family to Egypt due to famine. The cultural dynamics of the time emphasized familial loyalty and the importance of the patriarchal structure. The brothers’ actions regarding Dinah and Joseph, though controversial, reflect a concern for family honor and well-being as they perceived it. Later, the famine and the presence of Joseph in a position of power in Egypt dramatically altered their circumstances, leading to a sustained period of dwelling in a foreign land under specific governance. The instructions given by Isaac and Jacob regarding burial in the cave of Machpelah highlight the significance of ancestral heritage and the promised land in their cultural and spiritual understanding.

Narrative

Issachar plays a relatively minor, though notable, role in the narrative presented in these sources. His most significant action is offering the deceptive plan to his brothers after they had sold Joseph. When the brothers were grappling with how to explain Joseph’s absence to their father Jacob and were burdened by guilt, Issachar proposed tearing Joseph’s coat, staining it with the blood of a kid goat, and presenting it to Jacob to suggest that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. This suggestion was adopted by his brothers, and it led to Jacob’s intense grief and mourning for Joseph. This episode reveals Issachar to be a resourceful, albeit deceitful, individual who actively participated in concealing their wrongdoing from their father. Later in the narrative, Issachar is mentioned as one of the sons who carried Jacob’s bier during his burial procession from Egypt to the cave of Machpelah in Canaan. This act demonstrates his participation in honoring his father’s final wishes and fulfilling a significant family obligation in their ancestral homeland. Beyond these specific instances, Issachar is primarily listed as one of the sons of Jacob who journeyed to Egypt with his family and whose descendants contributed to the growing Israelite population there. His individual motivations and personality are not extensively explored, but his actions concerning the deception of Jacob offer a glimpse into his character within the context of his brothers’ collective decisions.