Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 19:17
[And] the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.
17 23. Inheritance of the Tribe of Issachar
17. And the fourth lot ] came forth to the tribe of Issachar, whose place during the journey to Canaan had been on the east of the tabernacle, side by side with his brothers Judah and Zebulun, the group moving foremost in the march (Num 2:5; Num 10:15).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. The fourth lot came out to Issachar] It is remarkable, that though Issachar was the eldest brother, yet the lot of Zebulun was drawn before his lot; and this is the order in which Jacob himself mentions them, Ge 49:13-14, though no reason appears, either here or in the place above, why this preference should be given to the younger; but that the apparently fortuitous lot should have distinguished them just as the prophetic Jacob did, is peculiarly remarkable. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning: he has reasons for his conduct, which in many cases are too great for any of his creatures to comprehend, but he works all things after the counsel of his own will, which is ever right and good; and in this case his influence may be as easily seen in the decision by the lot, as on the mind of the patriarch Jacob, when he predicted what should befall his children in the latter days, and his providence continued to ripen, and bring forward what his judgment had deemed right to be done.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
17-20. the fourth lot came out toIssacharInstead of describing the boundaries of this tribe,the inspired historian gives a list of its principal cities. Thesecities are all in the eastern part of the plain of Esdraelon.
Jos19:24-31. OF ASHER.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[And] the fourth lot came out to Issachar,…. The fourth of the seven drawn at Shiloh:
for the children of Issachar, according to their families: among whom the inheritance that came to them by the lot was divided, according to the number of them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Inheritance of Issachar. – In this instance only towns are given, and the boundaries are not delineated, with the exception of the eastern portion of the northern boundary and the boundary line; at the same time, they may easily be traced from the boundaries of the surrounding tribes. Issachar received for the most part the large and very fertile plain of Jezreel (see at Jos 17:16, and Ritter, Erdk. xvi. pp. 689ff.), and was bounded on the south by Manasseh, on the west by Manasseh and Asher, on the north by Zebulun, and farther east by Naphtali also, and on the east by the Jordan.
Jos 19:18 “ And their boundary was towards Jezreel,” i.e., their territory extended beyond Jezreel. Jezreel, the summer residence of Ahab and his house (1Ki 18:45-46, etc.), was situated upon a mountain, with an extensive and splendid prospect over the large plain that was called by its name. It was afterwards called Esdraela, a place described in the Onom. ( s. v. Jezreel) as standing between Scythopolis and Legio; it is the present Zern, on the north-west of the mountains of Gilboa (see Seetzen, ii. pp. 155-6; Rob. iii. pp. 161ff.; Van de Velde, R. ii. pp. 320ff.). Chesulloth, possibly the same as Chisloth-tabor (see at Jos 19:12). Sunem, the home of Abishag (1Ki 1:3-15, etc.), also mentioned in 1Sa 28:4 and 2Ki 4:8, was situated, according to the Onom., five Roman miles (two hours) to the south of Tabor; it is the present Solam or Sulem, at the south-western foot of the Duhy or Little Hermon, an hour and a half to the north of Jezreel (see Rob. iii. pp. 170ff.; Van de Velde, R. ii. p. 323).
Jos 19:19 Haphraim, according to the Onom. ( s. v. Aphraim) villa Affaraea, six Roman miles to the north of Legio, is identified by Knobel with the village of Afuleh, on the west of Sulem, and more than two hours to the north-east of Legun ( Rob. iii. pp. 163, 181). Sion, according to the Onom. villa juxta montem Thabor , has not yet been discovered. Anaharath is supposed by Knobel to be Na’urah, on the eastern side of the Little Hermon (Bibl. Res. p. 337); but he regards the text as corrupt, and following the Cod. Al. of the lxx, which has and , maintains that the reading should be Archanath, to which Arneh on the north of Jenin in the plain corresponds ( Seetzen, ii. p. 156; Rob. iii. p. 157). But the circumstance that the Cod. Al. has two names instead of one makes its reading very suspicious.
Jos 19:20 Harabbit is supposed by Knobel to be Araboneh, on the north-east of Arneh, at the southern foot of Gilboa ( Rob. iii. p. 157). Kishion, which was given up to the Levites (Jos 21:28) and is erroneously written Kedesh in 1Ch 6:57, is unknown. This also applies to Abez or Ebez, which is never mentioned again.
Jos 19:21 Remeth, for which Jarmuth stands in the list of Levitical towns in Jos 21:29, and Ramoth in 1Ch 6:58, is also unknown.
(Note: Knobel imagines Remeth, whose name signifies height, to be the village of Wezar, on one of the western peaks of Gilboa ( Seetzen, ii. p. 156; Rob. iii. p. 166, and Bibl. Res. p. 339), as the name also signifies “a lofty, inaccessible mountain, or a castle situated upon a mountain.” This is certainly not impossible, but it is improbable. For this Mahometan village evidently derived its name from the fact that it has the appearance of a fortification when seen from a distance (see Ritter, Erdk. xv. p. 422). The name has nothing in common therefore with the Hebrew Remeth, and the travellers quoted by him say nothing at all about the ruins which he mentions in connection with Wezar (Wusar).)
En-gannim, which was also allotted to the Levites (Jos 21:29; also 1Ch 6:73, where it is called Anem), has been associated by Robinson (iii. p. 155) with the of Josephus, the present Jenin. The name En-gannim signifies fountain of gardens, and Jenin stands at the southern side of the plain of Jezreel in the midst of gardens and orchards, which are watered by a copious spring (see Seetzen, ii. pp. 156ff.); “unless perhaps the place referred to is the heap of ruins called Um el Ghanim, on the south-east of Tabor, mentioned by Berggren, ii. p. 240, and Van de Velde, Mem. p. 142” ( Knobel). En-chadda and Beth-pazzez are only mentioned here, and have not yet been discovered. According to Knobel, the former of the two may possibly be either the place by Gilboa called Judeideh, with a fountain named Ain Judeideh ( Rob. Bibl. Res. p. 337), or else Beit-kad or Kadd near Gilboa, mentioned by Seetzen (ii. p. 159) and Robinson (iii. p. 157).
Jos 19:22-23 “ And the boundary touched Tabor, Sahazim, and Beth-shemesh.” Tabor is not the mountain of that name, but a town upon the mountain, which was given to the Levites, though not by Issachar but by Zebulun (1Ch 6:62), and was fortified afresh in the Jewish wars ( Josephus, Bell. Jud. iv. 1, 8). In this passage, however, it appears to be reckoned as belonging to Issachar, since otherwise there are not sixteen cities named. At the same time, as there are several discrepancies between the numbers given and the names actually mentioned, it is quite possible that in this instance also the number sixteen is incorrect. In any case, Tabor was upon the border of Zebulun (Jos 19:12), so that it might have been allotted to this tribe. There are still the remains of old walls and ruins or arches, houses, and other buildings to be seen upon Mount Tabor; and round the summit there are the foundations of a thick wall built of large and to a great extent fluted stones (see Rob. iii. pp. 453ff.; Seetzen, ii. p. 148; Buckingham, Syr. i. pp. 83ff.). The places which follow are to be sought for on the east of Tabor towards the Jordan, as the boundary terminated at the Jordan. Sachazim (Shahazimah) Knobel connects with el Hazetheh, as the name, which signifies heights, points to a town situated upon hills; and el Hezetheh stands upon the range of hills, bounding the low-lying land of Ard el Hamma, which belonged to Naphtali. The reason is a weak one, though the situation would suit. There is more probability in the conjecture that Beth-shemesh, which remained in the hands of the Canaanites (Jdg 1:33), has been preserved in the ruined village of Bessum ( Rob. iii. p. 237), and that this new name is only a corruption of the old one, like Beth-shean and Beisan. It is probable that the eastern portion of the northern boundary of Issachar, towards Naphtali, ran in a north-easterly direction from Tabor through the plain to Kefr Sabt, and thence to the Jordan along the Wady Bessum. It is not stated how far the territory of Issachar ran down the valley of the Jordan (see the remarks on Jos 17:11).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Lot of Issachar. | B. C. 1444. |
17 And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. 18 And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, 19 And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, 20 And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez, 21 And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez; 22 And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. 23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.
The lot of Issachar ran from Jordan in the east to the great sea in the west, Manasseh on the south, and Zebulun on the north. A numerous tribe, Num. xxvi. 25. Tola, one of the judges, was of this tribe, Judg. x. 1. So was Baasha, one of the kings of Israel, 1 Kings xv. 27. The most considerable places in this tribe were, 1. Jezreel, in which was Ahab’s palace, and near it Naboth’s vineyard. 2. Shunem, where lived that good Shunamite that entertained Elisha. 3. The river Kishon, on the banks of which, in this tribe, Sisera was beaten by Deborah and Barak. 4. The mountains of Gilboa, on which Saul and Jonathan were slain, which were not far from Endor, where Saul consulted the witch. 5. The valley of Megiddo, where Josiah was slain near Hadad-rimmon, 2Ki 23:29; Zec 12:11.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Issachars Lot, vs 17-23
The tribe of Issachar was assigned some of the finest cropland of all Canaan. It was then, and still is today, the breadbasket of Israel. Issachar’s allotment lay in a triangle formed by the southern border of Zebulun on the north, the northwest to southeast border of Manasseh west and south, and the Jordan river on the east.
Comments on these common borders will be found at Jos 17:7-13, and the foregoing topic on Zebulun’s possession.
Jezreel was the chief city of the tribe. Here Ahab had his summer palace and murdered Naboth to get his vineyard for a herb garden (1Kings chapter 21).
Shunem, where the good woman provided a room for the prophet Elisha (2Ki 4:8 ff), was also in the number of Issachar’s cities.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
The Inheritance of Issachar Jos. 19:17-23
17 And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.
18 And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
19 And Haphraim, and Shihon, and Anaharath,
20 And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,
21 And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez;
22 And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.
23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.
7.
Who was Issachar? Jos. 19:17
Issachar was the fifth son born to Jacob and Leah. His name was from a Hebrew word, zachar, which meant to hire. Leah felt she had hired her husband by allowing Rachel to have the mandrakes found by her son, Reuben. Issachars birth is recorded in Gen. 30:17-18, and Jacobs prophecy about his future is given in Gen. 49:14-15. When the children of Israel were numbered at Sinai, there were 54,400 men, twenty years of age and older, among these people. Later at the second census, there were 64,300 (Numbers 1, 26).
8.
What were the borders of Issachar? Jos. 19:18
Issachar lay in the valley between Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel, His land ran east to the Jordan River. Asher and Naphtali inherited land to the north, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (west) was on the south. It is doubtful that the land of Issachar reached either to the Mediterranean Sea or to the Sea of Galilee, but the fertile land in the valleys within his borders provided some of the best soil in all of Canaan.
9.
What cities of importance were in Issachar? Jos. 19:18-22
Sixteen cities are listed as a part of the inheritance of Issachar. Jezreel was an important city. It became the summer home of the kings of Israel (1Ki. 21:1). Shunem (Jos. 19:18) was the home of the Shunammite who befriended Elisha (2Ki. 4:8 ff.). En-gannim (Jos. 19:21) was the scene of Ahaziahs escape from Jehu (2Ki. 9:27), where it is translated, the garden house, in the King James Version, and is identified with the modern city of Jenin, a large town of four thousand people. These cities were strategic defense outposts in the days of Israels monarchy.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(17) The fourth lot . . . to Issachar.These two tribes were located next to the house of Joseph on the north. It should be remembered that Issachar and Zebulun had been associated with Judah to form the same camp and division of the army in the wilderness. This association, lasting forty years, must have created many ties between these two tribes and their leader Judah. It was no ordinary wisdom that placed the descendants of Rachel (Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh) between Judah on the south and Judahs two associates on the northto cement the union of all Israel, and as far as possible to prevent discord.
With regard to Judah and Zebulun, it is noticeable that we find their union reproduced in the earthly history of our Lord. Mary, who was of the house of David, and Joseph of the same lineage, are found dwelling in Nazareth, in the tribe of Zebulun. Thus the north and the south alike had part in David, and inheritance in Davids Son. There is a Bethlehem (Jos. 19:15) in Zebulun as well as in Judah. The name is not found in any other tribe.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
ISSACHAR’S LOT, Jos 19:17-23.
The territory of this tribe was bounded on the north by Zebulun, on the east by the Jordan, and on the south and west by Manasseh. It took in a large portion of the most beautiful and desirable parts of the great plain of Esdraelon. For the sake of securing themselves in so desirable a portion as the fertile plain of Esdraelon the children of Issachar became humbly subservient to the Canaanites of the adjacent fortified towns, and to the proud country of Phenicia on the near seacoast. They assumed a position of almost slavish servitude to them, becoming their common carriers, mule-drivers, and servants of all work, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of the dying Jacob: “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant, and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant to tribute.” Gen 49:14-15.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘For Issachar came out the fourth lot, for the children of Issachar according to their families.’
See note on Simeon (Jos 19:1) with respect to the direct mention of the patriarchal name. Issachar is regularly tied in with Zebulun, and in the Blessing of Moses is mentioned co-jointly with them as a junior partner (Deu 33:18). This co-unity no doubt increased with having their inheritances next to each other and as a result of the circumstances in which they found themselves, surviving in the countryside and forests among strong Canaanite cities. They are probably to be seen as included in Zebulun in Jdg 1:30; Jdg 4:6; Jdg 5:18, although mentioned separately in Jdg 5:15 as performing valiantly, which demonstrates that they played a full part in the battle. Like their patriarchal ancestor they probably enjoyed their pleasures and lacked initiative (Gen 49:14-15). But there is no evidence that suggests that they ever became a slave nation, although no doubt harassed by the Canaanites in their area until they became strong enough with others to drive them out.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Though Issachar’s lot doth not afford much of history in gospel times, yet there is much of history in the Old Testament records concerning it: Jezreel, and Shunem, and Kershion (or Keson) were in this portion, See 1Ki 21:1 ; 2Ki 4:8 ; Jdg 5:21 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 19:17-23
17The fourth lot fell to Issachar, to the sons of Issachar according to their families. 18Their territory was to Jezreel and included Chesulloth and Shunem, 19and Hapharaim and Shion and Anaharath, 20and Rabbith and Kishion and Ebez, 21and Remeth and En-gannim and En-haddah and Beth-pazzez. 22The border reached to Tabor and Shahazumah and Beth-shemesh, and their border ended at the Jordan; sixteen cities with their villages. 23This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages.
Jos 19:22 Beth-shemesh This name means sun-temple (BDB 112). This is not the same as the city by the same name in the tribal allocation of Judah (cf. Jos 15:10) or in Naphtali (Jos 19:38).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
came out. See note on Jos 19:1 and Jos 19:10.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Reciprocal: Gen 49:14 – General Num 26:55 – by lot 1Ki 4:17 – Issachar Eze 48:25 – Issachar Rev 7:7 – Issachar
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The inheritance of Issachar 19:17-23
The writer did not give the boundaries of Issachar in as much detail as the preceding tribes. The Jordan River on the east, the borders of Manasseh on its south and southwest, Zebulun on its northwest, and Naphtali on its north prescribed its territory. Issachar received 16 towns (Jos 19:18-22).