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Numbers 1:29 — Word Study

Depth

WLCפְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם לְמַטֵּ֣ה יִשָּׂשכָ֑ר אַרְבָּעָ֧ה וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵאֽוֹת׃ פ

BSAthose registeredpâqad [reckoned, numbered] to the tribemaṭṭeh [family group] of IssacharYissâˢkâr [there is recompense] numbered 54,400ʼarbaʻ [were counted as]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 29 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (me.'ot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 1:29quick helps
In a sentenceThe tribe of Issachar was counted as 54,400 men.
Who is speakingThe narrator, recounting the census of Israelite tribes.
Where we areIn the book of Numbers, detailing the organization of the Israelite tribes.
The hard wordפְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם
Take awayThe tribe of Issachar is clearly numbered among the Israelites.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them › clause The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Numbers 1:29

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Census of Israelgenerated

28From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
29those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.
30From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
31those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

Numbers 1:29 records the number of men from the tribe of Issachar who were eligible to serve in the army, as part of a larger census of the Israelite tribes. This census was crucial for organizing the people for their journey and eventual settlement in the Promised Land. The mention of specific tribes highlights the importance of each tribe's role and contribution to the community of Israel.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 2:6and his division numbers 54,400.
2Numbers 26:25These were the clans of Issachar, and their registration numbered 64,300.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.Numbers 2:6 Numbers 26:25

The Key Word פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם, pe.ku.dei.Hemgenerated

The word פְּקַד (paqad) is a verb that indicates the act of counting or overseeing. It carries a sense of responsibility, often implying that someone is being appointed or held accountable. In this verse, it emphasizes the process of registering the men of Issachar for military service.

As a passive participle in the masculine plural, פְּקֻדֵיהֶם indicates that the men have been counted or enrolled, with the focus on the action being done to them rather than by them. This reflects the organized nature of the census and the authority overseeing it.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם is the focal point of the sentence, governing the subject and the enumeration of the tribe. The structure is straightforward, presenting the subject followed by the details of the count.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the tribe of Issachar and its count, leading to a clear and direct statement of the census results.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates לְמַטֵּ֣ה as φυλῆς, which means 'of the tribe.' This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but also reflects the Greek understanding of tribal identity.

The translation of יִשָּׂשכָ֑ר as ισσαξαρ maintains the name's significance, showing continuity in the identity of the tribe across languages.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 1:29 tells us that the tribe of Issachar had 54,400 men registered for military service. This count is part of a larger census of the Israelite tribes, showing the organization and structure of the community.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the number 54,400 represent?

The number represents the total count of men from the tribe of Issachar who were eligible for military service.

Why is the tribe of Issachar significant?

Issachar is one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and its members played a vital role in the history and formation of the nation.

How does this census relate to the overall narrative of Numbers?

The census in Numbers is essential for organizing the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, highlighting the importance of each tribe.

What does the name Issachar mean?

The name Issachar means 'there is recompense,' reflecting the tribe's heritage and significance within Israel.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn from the organization of the tribes in Israel?
  2. How does understanding the numbers in this census help us appreciate the community structure of Israel?
  3. In what ways does the meaning of Issachar's name resonate with the tribe's role in Israel's history?
  4. How can we apply the idea of being counted or registered in a community in our own lives?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 1:29 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Issachar, [were] fifty and four thousand and four hundred. 54,400 men. [See comments on Numbers 1:20].

Read John Gill on Numbers 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17–46. The numbers ascertained by the census. There can be no doubt that the numbers given in chs. 1–3 and 26 are purely artificial. Gray (Numbers, pp. 10–15) shews that (1) they are impossible, (2) when compared with each other they yield absurd results, (3) they are inconsistent with numbers given in Hebrew literature earlier than P . (1) The number of male Israelites of fighting age is put at 603,550, which appears in round numbers as 600,000 in Numbers 11:21, Exodus 12:37. But the fighting men could form hardly more than a quarter of the whole; so that the population would reach a total of some 2¼ millions. The present population of the Sinaitic peninsula is estimated at from 4,000 to…

Read Cambridge on Numbers 1 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

AND MUSTER OF THE ADULT MALES, Numbers 1:1-46.At the close of the third book of Moses the temple in the wilderness — the tabernacle — had been erected, the law of sacrifices instituted, the Aaronic

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 1 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

RVARevised Version, American1894

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The nomber of them also of the tribe of Issachar was foure and fiftie thousande and foure hundreth.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

their numbered ones, for the tribe of Issachar, [are] four and fifty thousand and four hundred.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

their numbered ones, for the tribe of Issachar, [are] fifty-four thousand and four hundred.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Those that were numbered of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They counted 54,400 men from the tribe of Issachar.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Were reckoned up fifty-four thousand four hundred.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

from the tribe of Issachar, totaled 54,400.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Fifty-four thousand, four hundred of the tribe of Issachar were numbered.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausenoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseפְּקֻדֵיtheir.enrolledהֶ֖ם[men]prepositional phraseלְofnoun phraseמַטֵּ֣הthe.tribeיִשָּׂשכָ֑רof.Issacharnoun phrase · predicatenumeral phrasenumeral phrasenumeral phraseאַרְבָּעָ֧ה[were].fourוַandחֲמִשִּׁ֛יםfiftyאֶ֖לֶףthousandוְandnumeral phraseאַרְבַּ֥עfourמֵאֽוֹתhundred(s)

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word in this verse, confirming the accuracy of the census details. The Septuagint matches 7 of the 8 words, indicating a close alignment with the Hebrew text.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם לְמַטֵּ֣ה יִשָּׂשכָ֑ר אַרְבָּעָ֧ה וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵאֽוֹת׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לְמַטֵּ֣הφυλῆςיִשָּׂשכָ֑רισσαξαρאַרְבָּעָ֧הτέσσαρεςוַחֲמִשִּׁ֛יםπεντήκονταאֶ֖לֶףξιλιάδεςוְאַרְבַּ֥עκαὶמֵאֽוֹת׃ פτετρακόσιοι

7 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

פקדיהם למטה ישׂשׂכר ארבעה וחמשׁים אלף וארבע מאות

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Numbers 1:29פָּקַדenrolled [menrolled [men] פָּקַדמַטֶּהof [the] trof [the] tribe מַטֶּהיִשָּׂשכָרIssacharIssacharיִשָּׂשכָראַרְבַּע[were] four[were] fourאַרְבַּעחֲמִשִּׁיםand fiftyand fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףאַרְבַּעand fourand fourאַרְבַּעמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהרָבַעto squareto squareרָבַענָטָהto stretchto stretchנָטָהנָשָׂאto lift: rto lift: raiseנָשָׂאחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁאֶ֫לֶףcattlecattleאֶ֫לֶףעָשָׂרtentenעָשָׂרמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהמִשְׁפָּחָהfamilyfamilyמִשְׁפָּחָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאצוּעָרZuarZuarצוּעָרזְבוּלֻןZebulunZebulunזְבוּלֻןאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁים
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Numbers 1:29

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖םpe.ku.dei.Hem enrolled [men] their H6485 Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffix
303× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to visit or oversee, and can imply a range of actions, from friendly to hostile. It is used in various contexts, including appointing, avenging, or delivering something into someone's care. The KJV translates it in many ways, including appoint, avenge, or commit.
Amplified meaning
reckoned, numbered
Tyndale gloss
to reckon: list
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּקַד (paqad) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses a range of meanings including to attend to, visit, muster, appoint, and punish. It can imply oversight or care, as well as the act of seeking or lacking something. The word can also be used in various grammatical forms, indicating actions such as being appointed or being visited upon. The plural form פְּקוּדִים refers to musterings or expenses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּקַד 303 vb. attend to, visit, muster, appoint

Qal

pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)

attend to, in act, see to

seek (with interest, desire)

seek in vain, need, miss, lack

specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes

c. עַל pers., visit upon

pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.

appoint

Niph.

be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking

be visited (graciously)

be visited upon, עַל pers.

be appointed

Pi. (intens.) muster a host

Pu. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived

Hithp. be mustered

Hothp. id.

Hiph.

c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer

c. acc. rei (implic.)

commit, entrust

deposit

Hoph.

be visited in punishment

be deposited

be made overseer

base

[פְּקוּדִים] n.pl.[m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses;—cstr. Ex 38:21

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6485a פָּקַד attend to, visit, muster, appoint .. . . pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)

. attend to, in act, see to

. seek (with interest, desire)

. seek in vain, need, miss, lack

. specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes

. c. עַל pers., visit upon

. pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.

. appoint

. . be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking

. be visited (graciously)

. be visited upon, עַל pers.

. be appointed

. (intens.) muster a host

. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived

. be mustered

. id.

. . c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer

. c. acc. rei (implic.) . commit, entrust

. deposit

. . be visited in punishment

. be deposited

. be made overseer

H6485b פְּקוּדִים n. pl. [m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6485 paqad paw-kad'

a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent);

by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss,

deposit, etc.:--appoint, X at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint

to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep,

be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up,

look, make, X by any means, miss, number, officer, (make)

overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to)

remember(-brance), set (over), sum, X surely, visit, want.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּקַד (pa.qad) — to reckon: list.

: list/count

1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pay attention to, observe

1a2) to attend to

1a3) to seek, look about for

1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack

1a5) to visit

1a6) to visit upon, punish

1a7) to pass in review, muster, number

1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking

1b2) to be visited

1b3) to be visited upon

1b4) to be appointed

1b5) to be watched over

1c) (Piel) to muster, call up

1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer

1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit

1f) (Hophal)

1f1) to be visited

1f2) to be deposited

1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted

1g) (Hithpael) numbered

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Inf-c | Suff — Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffix
HVqsmpc/Sp3mp
enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
לְמַטֵּ֣הle.ma.Teh of [the] tribe of H4294 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
252× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word can mean a tribe, like the 12 tribes of Israel, or a staff, like the one Moses used to lead his people in Exodus 4:2.
Amplified meaning
family group
Tyndale gloss
tribe
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַטֶּה (mat-teh) refers to a staff, rod, or branch, and can also denote a tribe. It is derived from a root meaning to extend, and its uses include both literal and figurative meanings, such as a support or a means of correction. The lexicons consistently highlight its association with leadership and community.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַטֶּה 251 n.m.

staff, rod, shaft

branch

tribe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4294 מַטֶּה . staff, rod, shaft

. branch

. tribe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4294 matteh mat-teh'

or (feminine) mattah {mat-taw'}; from 5186; a branch (as

extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for

chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre),

throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a

support of life, e.g. bread):--rod, staff, tribe.

see HEBREW for 05186

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: rod.

: rod/staff

1) staff, branch, tribe

1a) staff, rod, shaft

1b) branch (of vine)

1c) tribe

1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)

מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe.

: tribe

1) staff, branch, tribe

1a) staff, rod, shaft

1b) branch (of vine)

1c) tribe

1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)

מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: arrow.

: arrow

1) staff, branch, tribe

1a) staff, rod, shaft

1b) branch (of vine)

1c) tribe

1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)

מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: stick.

: stick

1) staff, branch, tribe

1a) staff, rod, shaft

1b) branch (of vine)

1c) tribe

1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)

מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: supply.

: supply

1) staff, branch, tribe

1a) staff, rod, shaft

1b) branch (of vine)

1c) tribe

1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
יִשָּׂשכָ֑רyi.so.sh.Khar Issachar H3485 Noun proper masculine
43× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Issachar means 'there is recompense' and refers to the 9th son of Jacob and the tribe that descended from him. He was the 5th son of Leah, Jacob's first wife. The tribe of Issachar is mentioned in 1 Chronicles and other books.
Amplified meaning
there is recompense
Tyndale gloss
Issachar
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשָּׂשכָר (Yissaskar) refers to Issachar, the ninth son of Jacob and Leah, and the progenitor of the tribe named after him. The name means 'there is recompense' and is associated with a territory in Canaan. Additionally, there is a Korahite Levite named Issachar, mentioned in the context of temple duties.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשָּׂשכָר 43 n.pr.m. Issachar

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3485 יִשָּׂשכָר Issachar

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3485 Yissaskar yis-saw-kawr'

(strictly yis-saws-kawr'); from 5375 and 7939; he will bring

a reward; Jissaskar, a son of Jacob:--Issachar.

see HEBREW for 05375

see HEBREW for 07939

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשָּׂשכָר (yis.sa.s.khar) — Issachar.

A man of the tribe of Issachar living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.30.18;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);

father of: Tola (H8439), Puah (H6312), Jashub (H3437H) and Shimron (H8110B)

Also named: Isachar (Ἰσαχάρ "Issachar" G2466)

§ Issachar = "there is recompense"

1) the 9th son of Jacob and the 5th by Leah his first wife and the progenitor of a tribe by his name

2) a Korahite Levite and the 7th son of Obed-edom and doorkeeper to the temple

3) the tribe descended from Issachar the son of Jacob

4) the territory allocated to the descendants of Issachar when they entered the land of Canaan

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

is'-a-kar (yissa(se)khar; Septuagint, Swete Issachar; Tischendorf, Issachar, so also in the New Testament, Tregelles, and Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek):

(1) The 9th son of Jacob, the 5th borne to him by Leah (Ge 30:17 f).

1. The Name:

His birth is in this passage connected with the strange story of Reuben and his mandrakes, and the name given him is apparently conceived as derived from 'ish sakhar, "a hired workman." There is a play upon the name in this sense in Ge 49:15, "He bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under taskwork." Wellhausen (Textder Buch. Sam., 95) thinks that the second element of the name may denote a deity; and Sokar, an Egyptian god, has been suggested. The name in that case would mean "worshipper of Sokar." Practically nothing is…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Issachar

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…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(reward). I. The ninth son of Jacob and the fifth of Leah. (Genesis 30:17,18) (B.C. 1753-45) At the descent into Egypt four sons are ascribed to him, who founded the four chief families of the tribes. (Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:23,25; 1 Chronicles 7:1) The number of the fighting men of Issachar, when taken in the census at Sinai, was 54,400. During the journey they seem to have steadily increased. The allotment of Issachar lay above that of Manasseh. (Joshua 19:17-23) In the words of Josephus, "it extended in length from Carmel to the Jordan, in breadth to Mount Tabor." This territory was, as it still is, among the…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Recompense, so named by Leah his mother, Ge 30:18, the ninth son of Jacob, born B. C. 1749. The character of his posterity was foretold by Jacob and by Moses, Ge 49:14,15 De 33:18,19.

The TRIBE OF ISSACHAR numbered fifty-four thousand men in the desert, and on entering Canaan was the third in population, Nu 1:28 26:25. Their portion, having the Jordan on the east, Manasseh on the west, Zebulun north, and Ephraim south, included a considerable part of the fine plain Esdraelon, the most fertile in the country. They were industrious agriculturists, and are mentioned with honor for their brave and wise patriotism, Jud 5:15

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
אַרְבָּעָ֧ה'ar.ba.'Ah [were] four H702 Adj
318× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The number four is a simple counting number in Hebrew, used to describe quantities of things, such as people, objects, or groups.
Amplified meaning
were counted as
Tyndale gloss
four
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

702 'arba` ar-bah'

masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.

see HEBREW for 07251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.

four

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛יםva.cha.mi.Shim and fifty H2572 Conjunction
163× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word simply means the number fifty, used in various biblical contexts like measurements and quantities. It appears in Leviticus and Numbers.
Tyndale gloss
fifty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'

multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.

see HEBREW for 02568

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.

1) fifty

1a) fifty (cardinal number)

1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)

1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acmpa — Conjunction
HC/Acmpa
enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
אֶ֖לֶף'E.lef thousand H505
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.
Tyndale gloss
thousand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

505 'eleph eh'-lef

prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first

letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)

a thousand:--thousand.

see HEBREW for 0504

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.

: thousand

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.

: clan

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcbsa
HAcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).

See NUMBER.

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
וְאַרְבַּ֥עve.'ar.Ba' and four H702 Conjunction
318× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The number four is a simple counting number in Hebrew, used to describe quantities of things, such as people, objects, or groups.
Tyndale gloss
four
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

702 'arba` ar-bah'

masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.

see HEBREW for 07251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.

four

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acbsc — Conjunction
HC/Acbsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Issachar [were] four and fifty thousand and four hundred
מֵאֽוֹת׃ פme.'ot hundred H3967
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a hundred, used as a simple number or part of a larger number in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including fractions like one one-hundredth. Found in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
hundred
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred

as simple number

as part of larger number

a hundredth part

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number

. as part of larger number

. a hundredth part

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3967 me'ah may-aw'

or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a

hundred; also as a multiplicative and a

fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.

1) hundred

1a) as simple number

1b) as part of larger number

1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)

Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcfpa
HAcfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).

See NUMBER.

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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