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II. THE RECORD OF ISRAEL'S APOSTASY 3:7--16:31 >
D. The fourth apostasy 6:1-10:5 >
4. The judgeships of Tola and Jair 10:1-5 >
Tola's judgeship 10:1-2
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Tola (meaning "worm"in Hebrew) "arose to save Israel"from the tribe of Issachar sometime after Abimelech died. One of Issachar's sons was also named Tola (Gen. 46:13; Num. 26:23; 1 Chron. 7:1-2). The writer did not record how the judge Tola rose to power or exactly when. Specifically, no mention of Yahweh raising him up appears, as was true also of Abimelech. Nevertheless this brief notation of his contribution to Israel's national life pictures him as a worthy individual who enjoyed an orderly and stable tenure. He judged Israel 23 years.