Tola

Biblical Record

Tola appears only in Judges 10:1–2. According to the text, he was a man of the tribe of Issachar, the son of Puah and the grandson of Dodo. After the events surrounding Abimelech, he "arose to defend Israel," and he "dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim" (Judges 10:1). He served as Israel's judge for twenty-three years, then died and was buried in Shamir (Judges 10:2). He was succeeded by Jair the Gileadite (Judges 10:3).

The text does not say from whom he delivered Israel or what wars or events took place during his tenure. The modern location of Shamir is also uncertain.

Others with the Same Name

Tola, the firstborn son of Issachar, is a different person. Genesis 46:13 and 1 Chronicles 7:1 identify him as a son of Issachar, the son of Jacob. Numbers 26:23 records that "the family of the Tolaites" descended from him, and 1 Chronicles 7:2 records that his descendants numbered 22,600 valiant men in the days of David. The name of the judge Tola's father, Puah, is also the same as that of Issachar's second son (Phuvah or Puah). For this reason, some hold that the judge Tola's family carried on the names of the tribe's ancestors. The name Chedorlaomer in Genesis 14, by contrast, belongs to a king of Elam and is unrelated to Tola.

Significance in the Bible

Tola is one of the so-called "minor judges," whose deeds are recorded only briefly. In the book of Judges, his record is placed immediately after the internal strife and massacre instigated by Abimelech, the son of Gideon (Judges 9). The New Testament does not mention Tola.

Interpretation and Issues

• The nature of the "deliverance": Because the text does not name any foreign enemy, many commentators understand Tola's deliverance as the stabilizing of Israel after the turmoil of Abimelech's rule. This is an interpretation drawn from the context, not something the text states directly.
• Meaning of the name: The Hebrew Tola is known to have the same form as a word meaning "worm," or the "crimson worm" (cochineal insect) from which red dye was obtained.
• Reading of "Dodo": The Hebrew Dodo can be read either as a personal name or as "his uncle." For this reason, the Septuagint is known to have rendered this verse differently.
• Traditions concerning Tola's character or manner of governing have no basis in the text.

In the Korean Church

Sermons devoted specifically to Tola are rare. His name comes up mainly in overviews of Judges or in studies of the list of judges from the period of the judges. Both the New Korean Revised Version and the Korean Revised Version used in Korean churches render his name as "Dolla" (돌라).