Tola

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Hebrew Tōlāʿ (“worm; scarlet/crimson”), a term linked to red dye from a worm/insect.
• Period/Era: Old Testament — Divided Kingdom (pre-monarchic Judges period).
• Main References: Judges 10:1–2.
• Key Connections: Son of Puah, son of Dodo; from the tribe of Issachar; associated with Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.

Who was Tola?

Tola was an Israelite leader raised up to save Israel after Abimelech.
He is identified genealogically as the son of Puah, son of Dodo, from Issachar.
His judgeship lasted twenty-three years, and he lived at Shamir in Ephraim.

Key Events & Achievements

• Event 1: Rose to leadership in Israel following the time of Abimelech (Judges 10:1).
• Event 2: Judged Israel for twenty-three years (Judges 10:2).
• Event 3: Died and was buried at Shamir (Judges 10:2).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Tola’s brief record highlights how Israel’s leadership in the Judges era was often preserved through locally rooted, genealogically identified judges.

Key Verse

"After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim." — Judges 10:1, ESV