8440. Tolai
Lexical Summary
Tolai: Tolaites

Original Word: תּוֹלָעִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Towla`iy
Pronunciation: toh-LAH-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (to-law-ee')
KJV: Tolaites
NASB: Tolaites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H8439 (תּוֹלָע - Worm)]

1. a Tolaite (collectively) or descendants of Tola

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Tola

Patronymically from Towla'; a Tolaite (collectively) or descendants of Tola -- Tolaites.

see HEBREW Towla'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from Tola
Definition
desc. of Tola
NASB Translation
Tolaites (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. שְׁפַתַּ֫ים see below

תּוֺלָיִ adjective, of a people of foregoing; with article as collective noun Numbers 26:23.

Topical Lexicon
Identity within the Tribal Family of Israel

Tola’i designates the clan that descended from Tola, firstborn of Issachar (Genesis 46:13). In the wilderness census on the plains of Moab the family is singled out: “The descendants of Issachar by their clans were: through Tola, the Tolaite clan” (Numbers 26:23). Although only one explicit occurrence of the clan-name appears, the underlying family line is traced through Genesis 46 and 1 Chronicles 7, where the sons of Tola are listed, confirming the continuity of the house from the patriarchal sojourn in Egypt to the settlement in Canaan.

Role in the Second Wilderness Census

Numbers 26 records the second numbering of Israel, taken near the close of the forty-year journey. The census had two principal purposes:
• to prepare an army for the imminent conquest of the land (Numbers 26:52–53)
• to establish the basis for the allotment of inheritance “according to the names of the tribes of their fathers” (Numbers 26:55)

Within this context the Tolaite clan stands as a testament to God’s faithfulness in preserving even the smallest family through judgment and wandering. Not a single clan of Issachar perished, and the tribe’s total grew from 54,400 (Numbers 1:29) to 64,300 (Numbers 26:25). The increase underscores divine blessing and the success of Issachar’s families—Tola’i included—in raising the next generation amid trial.

Historical Connections and Leadership

Issachar’s placement on the eastern side of the camp, marching under Judah’s banner (Numbers 2:5-7), meant that the Tolaite families moved and warred closest to the Messianic tribe. Centuries later a fellow Issacharite named Tola rose as a judge “to save Israel” (Judges 10:1). Although the judge is not explicitly called a Tolaite, the shared patriarchal name suggests that leadership and valor were longstanding characteristics of this family branch.

Spiritual and Theological Significance

1. Covenant Memory: The specific mention of Tola’i in Scripture affirms that God knows every household within His covenant people (2 Timothy 2:19).
2. Inheritance Secured: By recording the clan at the moment of land distribution, Scripture assures that no rightful heir would be overlooked once Canaan was apportioned (Joshua 17:14-17 echoes the principle).
3. Redemption Foreshadowed: The root word tolaʿ often describes the crimson dye obtained from the “scarlet worm,” a striking providence when linked with the firstborn clan of Issachar. Isaiah 1:18—“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”—draws on the same imagery, hinting that even census lists whisper of cleansing that would be perfected in Christ.

Ministry Applications

• Valuing Every Member: The single citation of Tola’i teaches pastors and congregations that the smallest, least-noticed group matters to God’s redemptive plan (1 Corinthians 12:22-24).
• Faithfulness across Generations: Parents and teachers may look to the growth of Issachar—and thus of the Tolaites—as motivation to disciple children faithfully despite wilderness conditions.
• Hope in Hidden Service: Many believers labor without public recognition; the preserved memory of Tola’i reminds them that their service is recorded in heaven (Hebrews 6:10).

Summary

Though mentioned but once, תּוֹלָעִי encapsulates the themes of covenant continuity, meticulous divine care, and generational faithfulness. The clan’s quiet presence in the inspired record assures the Church that God weaves every family thread, however obscure, into the tapestry of His unfolding salvation history.

Forms and Transliterations
הַתּוֹלָעִ֑י התולעי hat·tō·w·lā·‘î hattolaI hattōwlā‘î
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Numbers 26:23
HEB: תּוֹלָ֕ע מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַתּוֹלָעִ֑י לְפֻוָ֕ה מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
NAS: the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah,
KJV: the family of the Tolaites: of Pua,
INT: Tola the family of the Tolaites of Puvah the family

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8440
1 Occurrence


hat·tō·w·lā·‘î — 1 Occ.

8439b
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