Numbers 1:8

Summary

The verse names the representative of the tribe of Issachar among the men appointed to assist Moses in the census: Nethanel son of Zuar. It follows the fixed formula used throughout this list, pairing the tribe's name with the leader's name and patronymic.

Key words

• le ("for", H9005) — the preposition marks Issachar as the tribe on whose behalf this leader stands; it introduces each entry in the list.
• Yissoshkhar ("Issachar", H3485G) — proper name of the tribe, functioning here as the reference point for the leader who follows.
• Netan'El ("Nethanel", H5417G) — proper name of the individual designated as leader for this tribe.
• ben- ("son of", H1121A) — construct form of "son," linking the personal name to the father's name and establishing the patronymic formula.
• Tzu'Ar ("Zuar", H6686) — proper name of the father, completing the identification of Nethanel.

What the text says

The Hebrew clause has no verb; it is a nominal listing structure: preposition + tribal name, followed by personal name + construct "son of" + father's name. This elliptical pattern is consistent across the surrounding verses (Numbers 1:5–15), where each tribe is introduced with le ("for") attached to its name, followed by the appointed leader's identification through patronymic. The construct chain ben-Tzu'Ar ("son of Zuar") is the standard way Biblical Hebrew specifies lineage in genealogical or administrative lists, placing the father's name immediately after "son of" without any linking word.

The absence of a finite verb reflects the genre: this is a register or roster entry, not a narrative sentence. The reader supplies the implied verb (something like "was appointed" or "stood") from the broader context of the chapter, where Moses is instructed to take a census with the help of one leader per tribe. The syntax is economical, typical of administrative Hebrew prose, listing only the essential identifying data — tribe, name, patronymic — without elaboration.

Differences between versions

The Greek transliterates the father's name as Sōgar (Σωγάρ) where the Hebrew has Tzu'Ar ("Zuar", H6686); the Vulgate's Suar is closer to the Hebrew consonantal form. These are transliteration variants of the same proper name rather than differences in meaning. The Greek also renders the tribal preposition construction as a genitive (τῶν Ἰσσαχάρ, "of the [sons] of Issachar") rather than reproducing the Hebrew's simple prepositional le.