The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse, while seemingly a simple list, highlights how even seemingly minor figures are part of God's grand design. The names listed here, belonging to Issachar's lineage, are precursors to future leaders and judges, like Tola the judge, demonstrating that God remembers and incorporates every individual and family into His unfolding plan.
The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jacob and his entire household are now journeying to Egypt, prompted by God's promise of making them a great nation there, even as famine grips Canaan. This passage lists the descendants of Jacob who made the move, serving as a foundational genealogy for the burgeoning nation before they settle in the land of Goshen.
Genesis 46:13 simply lists the sons of Issachar. But why is this list here, and what does it reveal about God's faithfulness?
This verse is part of a larger genealogy in Genesis 46, detailing Jacob's family as they prepare to move to Egypt. It's more than just a historical record; it's a testament to God's promise to make a great nation from Abraham's descendants.
A Count of Souls
God is meticulously recounting every person in Jacob's family. This detailed list, including the sons of Issachar—Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron—shows that God knows and cares for each individual.
God's Faithfulness in Numbers
Even though the total number of Jacob's descendants entering Egypt is relatively small (seventy souls, as mentioned in verse 27), this detailed listing emphasizes God's power to grow a small family into a mighty nation. The names here are the building blocks of that future nation.
The names Tola and Job, sons of Issachar, might sound familiar. What connections do they have to later figures in Israel's history?
While Genesis 46:13 is a straightforward listing, the names themselves can resonate with readers familiar with the rest of the Old Testament.
Tola: A Judge and Leader
One of the sons of Issachar is named Tola. Later in the book of Judges, we read about a Judge named Tola, also from the tribe of Issachar. He judged Israel for twenty-three years (Judges 10:1-2). It's significant that a name from this foundational family list becomes associated with leadership and governance centuries later.
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Job: A Name of Significance
The name Job, listed here, is distinct from the famous patriarch Job who lived later. However, the presence of this name among Issachar's descendants points to a lineage where significant individuals would emerge. Scholars note that variations of this name appear in different genealogies, suggesting it was a name of some prominence within the tribe.
This verse, listing the sons of Issachar, appears within the larger narrative of Jacob's entire family migrating to Egypt. While the verse itself is a simple genealogical record, it's placed within a significant historical moment of migration and divine promise.
~1800 BC
Abraham called to Canaan
God promises Abraham descendants and a land, marking the beginning of a lineage that would eventually lead to Jacob's family migrating to Egypt.
~1750 BC
Jacob born
Jacob, grandson of Abraham, is born, setting the stage for the future patriarch of the Israelites.
~1720 BC
Joseph sold into slavery
Jacob's son Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, a pivotal event that indirectly leads to the family's migration to Egypt.
~1715 BC
Joseph rises to power in Egypt
Through divine providence, Joseph becomes a high-ranking official in Egypt, enabling him to save his family from famine.
~1715 BC— this verse
Jacob receives God's reassurance
God speaks to Jacob in a vision, encouraging him to move his family to Egypt and promising to make them a great nation there.
~1715 BC
Jacob's family migrates to Egypt
Jacob, along with his entire household, travels to Egypt and settles in the land of Goshen, fulfilling God's promise and plan.
This passage lists the descendants of Issachar, providing slightly different names for some of his sons, which helps to understand the variations in ancient genealogies.
1 Chronicles 7:1Similar to Numbers, this chapter lists the sons of Issachar, offering another variation in names and reinforcing the importance of these tribal lineages within Israel's history.
Judges 10:1This verse mentions a judge named Tola, who is explicitly identified as the son of Puah and grandson of Issachar, showing how descendants of this line played significant roles in later Israelite history.
Genesis 46:8-12This section immediately precedes and follows the listing of Issachar's sons by detailing the descendants of Reuben and Simeon, placing Issachar's lineage within the broader context of Jacob's entire family descending into Egypt.
Genesis 46:26-27This passage gives the total number of Jacob's descendants who went to Egypt, providing a numerical significance to the detailed lists of families, including Issachar's.
calvinGenesis 46:1-34: "And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac."
- Et dixit Deus ad Israel in visi onibus noctis, dixit inquam, Jahacob Jahacob. Ille respondit, Ecce, adsum.
3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
- Et dixit, Ego sum Deus, Deus patris tui: ne timeas descendere in Aegyptum: quia in gentem magnam ponam to ibi…
pooleGenesis 46:13: "And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron."
No text from Poole on this verse.
This verse, while seemingly a simple list, highlights how even seemingly minor figures are part of God's grand design. The names listed here, belonging to Issachar's lineage, are precursors to future leaders and judges, like Tola the judge, demonstrating that God remembers and incorporates every individual and family into His unfolding plan.
Jacob and his entire household are now journeying to Egypt, prompted by God's promise of making them a great nation there, even as famine grips Canaan. This passage lists the descendants of Jacob who made the move, serving as a foundational genealogy for the burgeoning nation before they settle in the land of Goshen.
Jacob and his entire household are now journeying to Egypt, prompted by God's promise of making them a great nation there, even as famine grips Canaan. This passage lists the descendants of Jacob who made the move, serving as a foundational genealogy for the burgeoning nation before they settle in the land of Goshen.
"The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron." — This verse, while seemingly a simple list, highlights how even seemingly minor figures are part of God's grand design. The names listed here, belonging to Issachar's lineage, are precursors to future…
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Last reviewed October 2026