Numbers 1:8 — Word Study
WLCלְיִ֨שָּׂשכָ֔ר נְתַנְאֵ֖ל בֶּן־ צוּעָֽר׃
BSAfrom IssacharYissâˢkâr [the tribe of, there is recompense] NethanelNᵉthanʼêl [given of God] sonbên [descendant] of ZuarTsûwʻâr
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לְיִ֨שָּׂשכָ֔ר | for Issachar | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| נְתַנְאֵ֖ל | Nethanel | Noun proper masculine |
| בֶּן־ | [the] son of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| צוּעָֽר׃ | Zuar | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; |
| KJV | Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. |
| ASV | Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar. |
| YLT | 'For Issachar — Nathaneel son of Zuar. |
| WEB | Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar. |
| BBE | From Issachar, Nethanel, the son of Zuar; |
Where they part company is in the amplification of the names — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause identifying the tribe and leader, followed by a subordinate clause detailing lineage.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 1:8
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
Numbers 1:8 is part of a larger narrative where Moses is taking a census of the Israelite tribes. Each tribe's leader is named, showing the organization of the community as they prepare for their journey. This context emphasizes the importance of leadership and order within the Israelite camp.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 2:5 | The tribe of Issachar will camp next to it. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel son of Zuar, |
| 2 | Numbers 7:18 | On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, drew near. |
| 3 | Numbers 10:15 | Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִשָּׂשכָר, le.Yi.so.sh.Khargenerated
The name יִשָּׂשכָר (Yissaskar) means 'there is recompense' and refers to the ninth son of Jacob and Leah. The tribe descended from him is noted for its agricultural prowess and wisdom, as seen in later biblical texts.
As a proper noun, it is a masculine singular noun, indicating a specific tribe within Israel. The parsing shows it is used here as a prepositional phrase, linking Nethanel to his tribe.
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 main clause is introduced by a prepositional phrase: לְיִשָּׂשכָר, for Issachar. This sets the context for the subject, which is the noun phrase נְתַנְאֵל, Nethanel, followed by the construct noun phrase בֶּן־, son of, and finally the proper noun צוּעָר, Zuar.
The structure emphasizes the lineage and tribal affiliation, with the prepositional phrase establishing the tribe first, followed by the leader's name and his father's name.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִשָּׂשכָר as ισσαξαρ, which retains the name's identity but does not convey its meaning. This choice indicates a focus on transliteration rather than interpretation.
The name נְתַנְאֵל is rendered as ναθαναηλ, again preserving the name while leaving its meaning unexpressed in the Greek text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 1:8 lists Nethanel, the son of Zuar, from the tribe of Issachar. This verse is part of a census that names leaders from each tribe of Israel, showing their organization as they prepare for their journey.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Issachar means 'there is recompense' and refers to the tribe descended from Jacob's ninth son.
Nethanel was a chief of the tribe of Issachar, as noted in the book of Numbers.
Naming lineage emphasizes family connections and tribal identity, which were crucial for the Israelites.
This verse is part of a census that organizes the tribes of Israel for their journey, highlighting leadership and structure.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of leadership from this verse?
- How does understanding tribal lineage help us appreciate the organization of the Israelites?
- In what ways does the meaning of names in the Bible provide insight into the characters?
- How can we apply the concept of recompense in our own lives today?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 1:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleOf Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. [See comments on Numbers 1:5].
Read John Gill on Numbers 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryOf Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Nethanel] ‘God hath given.’ The name is frequent in Chron., Ezr. and Neh., and is the same as Nathaniel, John 1:45.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 1 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleAND 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
from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.
from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
Tyndale line
Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.
Of Issachar; Nethanel the son of Zuar.
Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
Of Issachar, Nethaneel, the sonne of Zuar:
Strictly literal
for Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar;
'For Issachar — Nathaneel son of Zuar.
for Issachar, Nathaneel son of Zuar;
Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.
from the tribe of Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;
From the Latin
Of Issachar, Nathanael the son of Suar.
Simplified
from the tribe of Issachar, Nethanel, son of Zuar;
From Issachar, Nethanel, the son of Zuar;
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is consistent with the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the MT here. This indicates a strong textual tradition for this verse.
לְיִ֨שָּׂשכָ֔ר נְתַנְאֵ֖ל בֶּן־ צוּעָֽר׃
4 of the 4 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.
לישׂשׂכר נתנאל בן צוער
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.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 1:8
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.
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.
יִשָּׂשכָר 43 n.pr.m. Issachar
base
H3485 יִשָּׂשכָר Issachar
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
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
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
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…
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…
(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…
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…
נְתַנְאֵל (Nethanel) means "given of God" and is derived from the roots for "give" and "God." It refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a chief of the tribe of Issachar, the fourth son of Jesse, and various priests and Levites during different periods. Notably, Nethanel appears in contexts related to leadership and priesthood.
נְתַנְאֵל n.pr.m.
a chief of Issachar
4th son of Jesse
name of priests
priest’s son (who had strange wife)
Levite name
a prince of Jehoshaphat
base
H5417 נְתַנְאֵל
5417 Nthane'l neth-an-ale'
from 5414 and 410; given of God; Nethanel, the name of ten
Israelites:--Nethaneel.
see HEBREW for 05414
see HEBREW for 0410
נְתַנְאֵל (ne.tan.el) — Nethanel.
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.8;
son of: Zuar (H6686)
§ Nethaneel = "given of God"
1) son of Zuar and a chief of the tribe of Issachar at the exodus
2) the 4th son of Jesse and a brother of David
3) a priest in the reign of David who blew the trumpet before the ark when it was brought from the house of Obed-edom
4) a representative of the priestly family of Jedaiah in the time of Joiakim
5) a priest of the family of Pashur who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
6) a Levite, father of Shemaiah the scribe in the reign of David
7) a Levite, son of Obed-edom
8) a chief of the Levites in the reign of king Josiah of Judah
9) a prince of Judah in the reign of king Jehoshaphat of Judah who was sent by the king to teach in the cities of the kingdom
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
ne-than'-el, neth'-a-nel (nethan'el, "God has given"; Nathanael; the King James Version Nethaneel, ne-than'-e-el):
(1) A chief or prince of Issachar (Nu 1:8; 2:5; 7:18,23; 10:15).
(2) The 4th son of Jesse (1Ch 2:14).
(3) One of the trumpet-blowers before the ark when it was brought up from the house of Obededom (1Ch 15:24).
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
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.
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…
צוּעָר (Tsaw`ar) refers to a personal name, Zuar, meaning 'littleness.' He is noted as the father of Nethanel, a leader from the tribe of Issachar during the Exodus, mentioned in Numbers 1:8. The word is derived from a root meaning 'small,' indicating its significance in describing Zuar.
צוּעָר n.pr.m. in Issachar (little one)
base
H6686 צוּעָר
6686 Tsaw`ar tsoo-awr'
from 6819; small; Tsuar, an Israelite:--Zuar.
see HEBREW for 06819
צוּעָר (tsu.ar) — Zuar.
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.8;
father of: Nethanel (H5417)
§ Zuar = "littleness"
father of Nethaneel, the chief of the tribe of Issachar at the time of the exodus and an assistant of Moses
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
zu'-ar, zoo'-ar (tsu`-ar "little one"; Sogar): Father of Nethanel (Nu 1:8; 2:5; 7:18,23; 10:15), who was head of the tribe of Issachar.
(littleness), father of Nethaneel the chief of the tribe of Issachar at the time of the exodus. (Numbers 1:8; 2:5; 7:18,23; 10:15) (B.C. 2491.)
same as Zoar
→ Father of Nethaneel Nu 1:8; 2:5; 7:18,23; 10:15