Ἰσαχάρ (Isachar)
Isachar
Issachar
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The name Isachar appears only once in the New Testament, listed among the twelve tribes of Israel in Revelation 7:7. It is a proper noun derived directly from the Hebrew יִשָּׂשכָר, which means "reward" or "hire." This etymology recalls the biblical narrative in Genesis 30:18, where Leah names her fifth son Isachar, expressing gratitude that God had given her a wage for her service.
In its sole scriptural occurrence, the name functions as part of a symbolic enumeration rather than a historical record. The author of Revelation includes Isachar in the sealed number of 144,000 servants from Israel, highlighting the continuity between the ancient covenant people and the spiritual reality described in the vision. The text preserves the Greek transliteration of the patriarch’s name without adding interpretive commentary.
Translators consistently render this word as Issachar or Isachar, maintaining the traditional spelling found in most English Bible versions. The entry serves as a reminder of the twelve-fold structure used throughout Revelation to describe God’s people, linking the New Testament vision back to the ancestral tribes of Jacob.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Isachar appears in Revelation 7:7 as part of a symbolic list of tribes sealed by God. Derived from Hebrew roots meaning 'reward' or 'hire,' it recalls Leah’s gratitude in Genesis for the children she bore. In this New Testament context, the name is not about historical lineage but spiritual inclusion.
Seeing Isachar among the 144,000 reminds us that God’s covenant people are defined by His promise, not just bloodline. It connects the ancient stories of Jacob’s sons to the universal church. This word invites you to see yourself as part of a vast, sealed community chosen by grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- of Isaachar1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Ἰσσαχὰρ1×
Key Verses
-
Revelation of John 7:7
of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
The name functions here strictly as a symbolic marker within the twelve-fold structure of the sealed servants, linking the vision to ancestral Israel.