1 Chronicles 7:1-5

LESSON THREE 7-8

I. GENEALOGIES FROM ADAM TO DAVID (1 Chronicles 1:1 to 1 Chronicles 9:44)

9. THE DESCENDANTS OF THE TRIBE OF ISSACHAR (1 Chronicles 7:1-5)

INTRODUCTION

The representatives of other tribes of Israel clearly identifiable in David's day are mentioned in this section. Joshua and Saul are prominent names appearing in this account.

TEXT

1 Chronicles 7:1. And of the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. 2. And the sons of Tola: Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers-' houses, to wit, of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations: their number in the days of David was two and twenty thousand and six hundred. 3. And the son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Isshiah, five; all of them chief men. 4. And with them, by their generations, after their fathers-' houses, were bands of the host for war, six and thirty thousand for they had many wives and sons. 5. And their brethren among all the families of Issachar, mighty men of valor, reckoned in all by genealogy, were fourscore and seven thousand.

PARAPHRASE

1 Chronicles 7:1. The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, Shimron. 2. The sons of Tola, each of whom was the head of a subclan: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeri-el, Jahmai, Ibsam, Shemuel. At the time of King David, the total number of men of war from these families totaled 22,600. 3. Uzzi's son was Izrahiah among whose five sons were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, all chiefs of subclans. 4. Their descendants, at the time of King David, numbered 36,000 troops; for all five of them had several wives and many sons. 5. The total number of men available for military service from all the clans of the tribe of Issachar numbered 87,000 stouthearted warriors, all included in the official genealogy.

COMMENTARY

The enumeration in chapter seven was taken in the days of David (1 Chronicles 7:2).[22] Issachar was Jacob's fifth son by Leah (Genesis 35:23). He was the father of four sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. Tola's descendants at the time of this record numbered 22,600. The descendants of Uzzi, son of Tola, numbered 36,000. Tola's and Uzzi's people total 58,600. Verse five indicates that all of the families of Issachar numbered 87,000. This latter number agrees well with the census figures in Moses-' day (Numbers 26:23-25). The Issacharites are described as mighty men of valor, great warriors.

[22] Elmslie, W. A. L., The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. Ill, The First and Books of Chronicles, Abingdon Press, New York, 1954, p. 371.