Dodo

Biblical Record

Dodo appears once, in Judges 10:1, in the passage that introduces the genealogy of the judge Tola. The King James Version renders the verse: "And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim." This verse establishes only that he belonged to the tribe of Issachar and that he was the father of Puah and the grandfather of Tola. Nothing is recorded about his life or deeds.

Significance Within the Bible

Dodo's name appears in the genealogy that introduces the rise of his grandson Tola as a judge. The Book of Judges records that Tola lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim and judged Israel (Judges 10:1-2). The name Dodo serves to identify the family from which Tola came. The New Testament does not mention him.

The Bible also mentions other men of the same name: Dodo of Bethlehem, the father of Elhanan, one of David's mighty men (2 Samuel 23:24; 1 Chronicles 11:26), and Dodo the Ahohite, the father of Eleazar (1 Chronicles 11:12). These are distinct from the Dodo of Judges.

Interpretations and Issues

The Hebrew name Dodo is sometimes explained as related to a word meaning "beloved" or "uncle." There is also a related textual issue: the Septuagint is understood to render this word in Judges 10:1 not as a personal name but as "his [Abimelech's] uncle." The Korean Revised Version translations render it as a proper name.

In addition, Tola and Puah (Phuvah) appear among the sons of Issachar in Genesis 46:13 and Numbers 26:23. For this reason, some hold that these names were passed down from generation to generation within the tribe of Issachar.

The biblical text contains no account of Dodo's character or deeds.

In the Korean Church

Sermons and Sunday school materials devoted specifically to Dodo are rare. He is mentioned mainly as part of the genealogy when the "minor judges" of the Book of Judges, particularly Tola, are discussed.