Tola

Tola appears in two distinct biblical contexts. (1.) The eldest son of Issachar (Gen. 46:13; Num. 26:23; 1 Chr. 7:1-2) and the ancestor of the Tolaite clan, one of the principal subdivisions of the tribe of Issachar whose numbers are recorded in both Mosaic census lists. His name means worm, grub, or scarlet in Hitchcock's system, related to the crimson dye-producing worm used in tabernacle furnishings. (2.) A judge of Israel from the tribe of Issachar, son of Puah and grandson of Dodo (Judg. 10:1-2), who delivered Israel after Abimelech and judged for twenty-three years, dwelling at Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

The minor judge Tola is mentioned only briefly without any military campaign or major narrative. His lengthy judgeship of twenty-three years suggests a period of stability and quiet administration rather than the dramatic deliverances associated with Gideon, Jephthah, or Samson. He was buried at Shamir.