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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Even though Abimelech’s reign was a disaster, the text highlights that a new judge, Tola, arose to save Israel. This phrasing suggests God’s direct intervention, implying Tola was raised up by divine providence to bring stability, not necessarily through battlefield victories but through wise governance that restored peace after chaos.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the tumultuous and self-appointed rule of Abimelech, which brought only strife and idolatry, God raised up Tola to lead Israel. Tola, from the tribe of Issachar, served as a judge for twenty-three years, and his time, along with his successor Jair, brought a period of peace to the land, marked by a quiet and prudent governance rather than military victory.
When we hear 'judge' and 'save,' we often picture epic battles. But Tola's story offers a different kind of heroism.
A Different Kind of Saving
Tola's role as a 'savior' (or 'deliverer') doesn't necessarily mean he led armies or won military victories. Unlike some of the more famous judges, the Bible doesn't record any specific enemies he fought against or oppressed peoples he liberated through conquest.
Instead, his saving work seems to have been more about internal restoration and peaceful governance.
Tola comes from Issachar, a tribe often described as quiet and focused on the land. How does this influence our understanding of him?
The Unassuming Tribe
It's noteworthy that Tola is from the tribe of Issachar. The Bible often paints Issachar as a tribe more interested in agricultural pursuits and peace than in warfare or political power (Genesis 49:14-15).
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This makes Tola's role as a judge of all Israel even more interesting:
Understand the original words
yasha · Hebrew Verb
In the context of Judges, this refers to a leader raised by God to deliver His people from oppression, restore justice, and maintain covenantal order. It signifies both military and judicial leadership under divine appointment.
Tola's judgeship highlights a period of relative peace and recovery for Israel after the turmoil caused by Abimelech's illegitimate rule, emphasizing God's continued provision of leadership even when the people have strayed.
c. 1100-1070 BC
Abimelech's Usurpation and Reign
Abimelech, son of Gideon, illegitimately seizes power in Shechem, ruling tyrannically for three years and causing significant internal conflict and idolatry.
c. 1100 BC
Abimelech's Death
Abimelech dies in a gruesome manner, struck by a millstone thrown from a tower as he attempted to burn a stronghold, ending his oppressive rule.
c. 1100-1070 BC
Interim Period
Following Abimelech's demise, a period of instability may have occurred, with potential lingering effects of his destructive reign and the people's continued straying from God.
c. 1070-1047 BC— this verse
Tola Judges Israel
Tola, from the tribe of Issachar, arises as a judge. His leadership is characterized by peace and a prudent, pious governance, likely restoring order after Abimelech's turmoil.
c. 1047-1020 BC
Jair Judges Israel
Jair, a Gileadite, succeeds Tola and judges Israel for twenty-two years, a period also marked by relative peace, though the people again fall into sin.
This passage traces a genealogy that includes the same key figures (Tola and Puah) mentioned in Judges 10:1, showing their place within the lineage leading toward King David and ultimately Christ.
Genesis 46:13This verse lists Tola and Puah as sons of Issachar, confirming their tribal affiliation and lineage as described in Judges 10:1.
Judges 3:9-10This passage describes the pattern of Israel's sin, God raising up a deliverer ('judge'), and the land having rest, a pattern that Tola, though not detailed, fits into.
1 Kings 2:32This verse mentions a connection between David and Joab's family with the lineage of Tola and Puah, hinting at a broader significance of these figures in Israel's history.
gillJudges 10:1: "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."
And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel,.... To save, deliver, and protect Israel; which does not necessarily imply that Abimelech did; for he was no judge of God's raising up, or the people's choosing, but usurped a kingly power over them; and was so far from saving and defending them, that he involved them in trouble and di…
clarkeJudges 10:1: "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."
Tola the son of Puah - As this Tola continued twenty-three years a judge of Israel after the troubles of Abimelech's reign, it is likely that the land had rest, and that the enemies of the Israelites had made no hostile incursions into the land during his presidency and that of Jair; which, together continued forty-five years.
Even though Abimelech’s reign was a disaster, the text highlights that a new judge, Tola, arose to save Israel. This phrasing suggests God’s direct intervention, implying Tola was raised up by divine providence to bring stability, not necessarily through battlefield victories but through wise governance that restored peace after chaos.
After the tumultuous and self-appointed rule of Abimelech, which brought only strife and idolatry, God raised up Tola to lead Israel. Tola, from the tribe of Issachar, served as a judge for twenty-three years, and his time, along with his successor Jair, brought a period of peace to the land, marked by a quiet and prudent governance rather than military victory.
After the tumultuous and self-appointed rule of Abimelech, which brought only strife and idolatry, God raised up Tola to lead Israel. Tola, from the tribe of Issachar, served as a judge for twenty-three years, and his time, along with his successor Jair, brought a period of peace to the land, marked by a quiet and prudent governance rather than military victory.
"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." — Even though Abimelech’s reign was a disaster, the text highlights that a new judge, Tola, arose to save Israel. This phrasing suggests God’s direct intervention, implying Tola was raised up by di…
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Last reviewed October 2026