Boy Old Testament Rare
Tola
worm; grub; scarlet
תּוֹלָע to.la
Tola (Hebrew: תּוֹלָע, to.la) means “worm; grub; scarlet”, by traditional interpretation. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested belongs to the Patriarchal period. In 2020 it was given to 5 children in the United States. Appears with Abimelech in Judges 10.
Which Tola?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
-
Tola
son of Issachar; father of Jahmai; father of Shemuel
-
Tola
son of Puah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 5 across 4 books
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
Based on 2020 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2020 | 5 | Steady |
| All-time total | 110 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 11 in 2010 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 46:13 |
| Last appears | 1 Chronicles 7:2 |
| Cross-references | 39 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Dodo attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Puah.
- Puah co-occurrence Appears with Puah in Judges 10.
- Dodo co-occurrence Appears with Dodo in Judges 10.
- Jashub co-occurrence Appears with Jashub in Genesis 46.
- Shimron co-occurrence Appears with Shimron in Genesis 46.
- Jahmai co-occurrence Appears with Jahmai in 1 Chronicles 7.
- Rephaiah co-occurrence Appears with Rephaiah in 1 Chronicles 7.
- Samuel co-occurrence Appears with Samuel in 1 Chronicles 7.
Origin & meaning
A man of the tribe of Issachar living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.13;
son of: Issachar (H3485);
brother of: Puah (H6312), Jashub (H3437H) and Shimron (H8110B);
father of: Uzzi (H5813H), Rephaiah (H7509I), Jeriel (H3400), Jahmai (H3181), Ibsam (H3005) and Shemuel (H8050I)
Also named: to.la.i (תּוֹלָעִי "Tolaite" H8440)
§ Tola = "worm"
1) the 1st born of Issachar and progenitor of the family of Tolaites
2) a man of Issachar, son of Puah and judge of Israel after Abimelech
Tola was a son of Issachar and the ancestor of the Tolaite clan.
The biblical story
Tola was one of the sons of Issachar, mentioned in Gen.46.13, Num.26.23, and 1Ch.7.1-2. He was born to Issachar during the family's time in Canaan and went down to Egypt with Jacob's household. Tola became the ancestor of the Tolaite clan within the tribe of Issachar. In the census taken in the wilderness of Sinai, the Tolaite clan numbered 22,600 men (Num.26.23). Tola's descendants were among the Israelites who received an inheritance in the Promised Land. The mention of Tola in the genealogies highlights the growth and development of the tribe of Issachar from the time of the patriarchs to the settlement in Canaan.
Key verses
Tola appears in 4 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.
Genesis 46:13 -
Of the sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the Punites:
Numbers 26:23 -
Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
1 Chronicles 7:1 -
And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father’s house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.
1 Chronicles 7:2
Show all 4 references
Genesis (1)
- Genesis 46:13
Numbers (1)
- Numbers 26:23
1 Chronicles (2)
- 1 Chronicles 7:1
- 1 Chronicles 7:2