Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 49:15/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ט:ט״ו

אוירא מנוחה. כאשר ראה ארצו ומקום מנוחתו נעימים נטה שכמו לסבול כל משא כאשר ישא החמור, ושב כעבד נותן מס, וזה הטעם על יששכר שלא הי' גבורים, ולא ירצו לצאת למלחמה לעזוב מקומם, וכן אמר משה "ויששכר באהליך" (דבר' לג יח) והי' נותנים מס למלך ישראל שלא יצאו, או לגוים שלא יבואו להלחם עליהם

1FOR HE SAW A RESTING-PLACE THAT IT WAS GOOD. When Issachar saw that his land and resting-place were pleasant, he, as an ass, bowed his shoulder to bear any and all burdens and became as a servant that pays levies. Scripture says this concerning Issachar because this tribe did not consist of warriors and its men did not want to leave their homes to go to war. Moses similarly said concerning Issachar, Rejoice…Issachar, in thy tents (Deut. 33:18). The levy mentioned in our verse may refer to Issachar’s payment of a money levy to the king in Israel in lieu of furnishing soldiers for his army, or it may refer to a payment of money to foreign nations that they should not attack them.¹¹⁰. 38 reads, “or to foreign nations who attacked them.” The point is that the tribe of Issachar were as servants (mas oved) because they paid a levy either to the king of Israel or to foreign nations.