Genesis 49:15

ESV He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.

NIV When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.

NASB When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to carry burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.

CSB He saw that his resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load and became a forced laborer.

NLT When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor.

KJV And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

NKJV He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.

What does Genesis 49:15 mean?

Jacob's oracle about each of this sons has come to Issachar. This tribe is depicted as a sturdy donkey, laying between the sheepfolds (Genesis 49:14). Now Jacob expands on that word picture. Issachar's descendants will settle in a pleasant land, willing to do hard work to stay there. Eventually, they will do that work for others as slaves or servants at forced labor.

Joshua 19:17–24 describes Issachar's allotment in the Promised Land as being southwest of the Sea of Galilee, a fertile and pleasant plain. It is unclear exactly what period of force labor Jacob is referring to in the future of Issachar's people, but the region they settled in did attract invaders. Residents of that area would be especially prone to capture and enslavement.

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Context Summary
Genesis 49:13–21 records Jacob's deathbed predictions, this time regarding six of his sons: Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. These are relatively brief, and not entirely positive. While Jacob addresses the first four (Genesis 49:3–12) and last two (Genesis 49:22–27) of his sons in birth order, there is no obvious ranking in his comments here. As compared to other tribes, these would play lesser roles in Israel's future.

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Chapter Summary
Genesis 49 contains Jacob's dying prophetic remarks. In the form of poetry, Jacob pronounces positive and negative "blessings" about each of his 12 sons and the people who will come from them. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are each held to account for their past sins. Judah is described as a lion; the kingly line will come from his people. Joseph and his descendants are lavished with blessings. Once the oracle is completed, Jacob commands his sons to bury him with his fathers in Canaan. Then, the man God named "Israel" (Genesis 35:10–11) dies.

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