Judges 10:1

to save Israel Cf. Judges 2:16; Judges 2:18; Judges 3:9 f.

Tola the son of Puah According to Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:23 (P), 1 Chronicles 7:1, Tola and Puah were brothers, -sons," i.e. clans of Issachar. Tola means -the crimson worm," -cochineal," and Puah probably -madder," a plant from which a red dye was obtained, in Arab, fûh; the coincidence can hardly be accidental; see Deuteronomy 33:19.

the son of Dodo The name again in 2 Samuel 23:9; 2 Samuel 23:24 1 Chronicles 11:12; 1 Chronicles 11:26; varieties of it are David, Dodavahu, Eldad; the Babyl. form Dûduoccurs in the Amarna letters, e.g. 44 and 45; on the Moab. St. l. 12 Daudoh, apparently a local god worshipped by the Israelites E. of Jordan. Dod= lit. -loved one," then -kinsman," -uncle"; so LXX and Syr. render here -the son of his [Abimelech's] uncle."

in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim Site unknown; not the Shamir of Joshua 15:48, which was in Judah. LXX. A and Luc. read Samaria, replacing a strange name by a familiar one. In historical times the territory of Issachar lay to the N.E. of the Plain of Jezreel; from this verse we learn that at least one clan of the tribe had its seat further south. There may have been some connexion between Shamir and Shimron, a clan of Issachar (Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:24).