וַיַּ֤רְא מְנֻחָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב וְאֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ כִּ֣י נָעֵ֑מָה וַיֵּ֤ט שִׁכְמוֹ֙ לִסְבֹּ֔ל וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס־עֹבֵֽד׃ (ס)
Ia melihat bahwa tempat perhentian itu baik, dan bahwa negerinya menyenangkan; maka ia menundukkan bahunya untuk memikul beban, dan ia menjadi hamba yang mempersembahkan upeti.
Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis
[80] Judah and Issachar seem to be these. For the man who exercises himself in the practical wisdom of God, makes thankful acknowledgement to Him who bestowed good without stint; while the representative of the other aspect is furthermore engaged in noble and worthy works. Now of the man who makes confession of thankfulness Judah is the symbol, with whose birth Leah leaves off bearing (Gen. 29:35); but of him who is engaged in noble deeds Issachar is the figure, “for he submitted his shoulder to labour and became a tiller of the soil” (Gen. 49:15). In his case, as Moses says, when he has been sown and planted in the soul “there is a reward” (Gen. 30:18), that is to say his labour is not in vain, but crowned by God and awarded a recompense.
On the Migration of Abraham
[221] That is why the lover of learning took possession of the place called Shechem, a name which when translated is “shouldering,” a figure of toil, since it is with these parts of the body that we are accustomed to carry loads, as Moses himself calls to mind elsewhere speaking in this wise of one who worked and strove, “he submitted his shoulder to labour, and became a tiller of the soil” (Gen. 49:15).