1 Chronicles 7:2
“The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations. Their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.”
What does 1 Chronicles 7:2 mean?
This verse is part of a genealogy listing the descendants of Tola, one of the sons of Issachar. The text tells us these six men were leaders of their clans and known for their strength and character, which likely meant they were capable warriors and respected community figures. By the time of King David's reign, their family line had grown to over twenty-two thousand people, suggesting this was a substantial and influential tribe within Israel. Genealogies like this one might seem like just names and numbers to modern readers, but they were deeply meaningful to ancient Israelites as proof of belonging, inheritance rights, and tribal identity. For people in hard seasons reading today, there's something comforting about knowing that even in Scripture, individual names and family lines mattered enough to be recorded. Your story, your family, your legacy of faith matters too.