Ἰσαχάρ
Isachár
G2466 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Issachar, a personal name originally designating the son of Jacob/Israel and Leah, and subsequently the eponymous ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In later texts, the name may refer collectively to the tribe descended from him, their territory, or male members of that group.
Semantic Range
patriarch; eponymous ancestor; tribal name; member of the tribe; territory of Issachar
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew יִשָּׂשכָר (Yissāśkār). The etymology of the Hebrew name itself is uncertain, with proposals including 'he brings reward' or 'man of hire', but in Greek the form is a direct transliteration, serving as a loanword without additional Greek morphological adaptation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Septuagint and New Testament, Ἰσαχάρ (Isachár) appears only as a proper name, referring either to the individual patriarch or to his tribe. The Greek form is utilized in genealogical, geographical, and tribal lists (Gen 30:18, Num 1:28, Rev 7:7). In neither Hellenistic nor Roman-period Greek sources does Ἰσαχάρ develop independent meaning apart from its Hebrew origin. English translations traditionally use 'Issachar' as a transliteration, which correctly represents the underlying form but may mask the ambiguity or folk etymologies attached to the Hebrew name in early Israelite narratives. The term carried no separate connotations of geographic, ethnic, or religious identity beyond its signification as a tribal or personal name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (יִשָּׂשכָר); Isachar (i.e. Jissaskar), a son of Jacob (figuratively, his descendant):--Issachar.
Root Family
Ἰσαχάρ (Isachar) — Issachar, ancestor, tribal eponym
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2466-01 |
Ἰσσαχὰρ | issachar | N GEN M SG |
Issachar | of Issachar | Isachar | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2466-01 |
Revelation 7:7 | Ἰσσαχὰρ | issachar | N GEN M SG |
Issachar | of Issachar | Isachar |