Crimson Worm

13 min readNov 26, 2021

(All credit to a buddy of mine who explained all of this to me, and to others who have already written about it)

There is a specific type of worm that the Hebrew scriptures reference 43 times. It may be easy to overlook it since the English word ‘worm’ is unpleasant, basic, and unassuming, but it is packed with significance.

The word is תּוֹלָע (tôlā’)

Of course, worms are worms no matter what culture you’re from. In several cases it’s used like you would expect, denoting decay, curse, punishment, or insignificance. Worms grow in the manna that the people tried to save (Ex 16:20), and God promises that when they disobey, the worm will eat their produce instead of them (Deut 28:39). This is the worm which was appointed by God to attack Jonah’s shade plant which then withered (Jonah 4:7). Job and Isaiah both equate it to a maggot (Job 25:6, Is 14:11), and it is the worm that eats the dead bodies of those who rebel against the Lord (Is 66:24).

Yet that is only 6 of the 43 uses of the word tôlā’. The other uses only make sense when we look at the nature of this specific ‘crimson worm.’

The coccus ilicis, or kermes ilicis (or kermes biblicus), called tôlā’ in Hebrew and ‘crimson worm’ in English, is a red worm found primarily in the Middle East, which produces a brilliant red dye.

This is why tôlā’ is most often translated to ’scarlet’ in the Bible instead of ‘worm.’ When God says ‘use scarlet yarn,’ He’s not merely saying ‘use worm yarn’ or ‘use red yarn.’ He’s saying ‘use tôlā’ yarn’ or ‘use the red yarn you get from the tôlā’ worm.’

This is why it’s significant:

When the time comes for the female tôlā’ to bear her young, she goes through a remarkable process to give birth, protect her young, and sustain them until she eventually leaves them. Here’s a snapshot of the process:

She attaches herself to a tree.
She fastens herself so securely to the tree that she is physically unable to detach herself. There is finality in this decision.
While doing so, she makes a hard shell to protect the eggs she lays beneath her.
When the larvae hatch, they live protected under the mother’s fastened body, feeding themselves with her bod.
Once the larvae are strong enough, after several days, the mother dies.
A scarlet red liquid leaks out of the protective shell and often stains the tree it was attached to as well as the baby larvae. This color is permanent and they’ll be that way for the rest of their lives.
Once the mother’s dead, her body begins to decay and over the course of ~3 days, the scarlet red color turns into a white waxy substance.

It’s hard not to see the symbolism here as we think about Jesus.

Attached To A Tree

Jesus, like the worm, attached Himself to a tree in order to die there for the sake of His offspring. This tree was the place where redemption would be purchased and where Jesus would become the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24
“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” — Heb 5:8–9

Protects The Offspring

Jesus’ heart is to protect the offspring. Like the worm, Jesus creates a sort of spiritual ’shell’ of protection around those ‘born again’ newborns and children who are His, and who cannot fend for themselves and are indeed helpless without the mother worm’s fastening herself to them. Jesus is constrained by His love for the offspring such that He, dare we say, ‘cannot’ detach Himself from the tree for their sake. This protection costs Him, like the mother worm, everything. Indeed, it will lead to their life, but the protector’s death.

John 10:1–18, Mt 27:39–44

“While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” — John 17:12

Sustains The Offspring

The mother worm not only provides covering and protection from the environment, but also sustenance through herself, as her offspring feed off of her very body. As she gives up her life, she becomes the source of life for her offspring. So it is with Jesus.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” — John 6:51

Seals The Offspring With Blood

A covenant is sealed with blood, blood being the sign of a confirmed covenant. To be stained with blood is to be sealed by covenant. From Adam (Gen 3:21) to Abraham (Gen 15) to Moses (Ex 24:7–8) to Jesus (Mt 26:28). The last supper provided the image of a New Covenant between God and His people — symbolically in the wine, and fully by the blood on the cross. Those who surrender to this work receive the purifying and sanctifying work of His blood, and are thus stained by it for the rest of their lives, just like the worm’s offspring.

Mt. 26:28, Eph 1:7–14, 4:30, 1 Peter 1:2

Red Turns White

Jesus spent 3 days in the tomb (Mt. 12:40, 27:62–28:8), and it’s His blood that washes away sin and secures eternal redemption (1 Cor 6:11, Mt 26:28, Rom 3:25, Eph 1:7, 2:13, Col 1:20, Heb 9:12–14) and makes His people white/pure (Rev 7:14, 22:14).

Scarlet Yarn

If you aren’t convinced of the supernatural providence of this worm’s creation, let’s go back to the use of tôlā’ in the text and in the ancient Hebrew culture.

From this crimson worm, the people would create a rich red dye, and thus a rich red yarn. It was with this ’scarlet yarn’ (literally tôlā’ yarn in the text) that God told them to create much of the holy furnishings and dress for tabernacle/temple service.

God wanted tôlā’ yarn to be used in the curtains of the tabernacle (Ex 26:1, Ex 36:8), the veil of the tabernacle (Ex 26:31, Ex 36:35), the entrance screen of the tabernacle (Ex 26:36, Ex 36:37), and the screen around the tabernacle courtyard (Ex 27:16, Ex 38:18).

Tôlā’ yarn was also to be used in various parts of the high priest’s ephod (Ex 28:6, Ex 28:8, Ex 28:15, Ex 28:33, Ex 39:1–8, Ex 39:24), and other parts of the priests’ garments (Ex 39:29). It was also used in a cloth which covered elements of the tent of meeting as they traveled (Num 4:8).

Thus, this tôlā’ yarn was one of the things the people could contribute for the tabernacle and a skill that people were trained in (Ex 25:4, Ex 35:6, Ex 35:23, Ex 35:25, Ex 35:35, Ex 38:23). To wear clothing made of this red yarn from the tôlā’ worm was a symbol of wealth (Lam 4:5).

God embedded this process and story of a sacrificial mother worm into the very fabric (literally) of the tabernacle, temple, and priestly process — the means of God’s dwelling with man on earth and the means of man’s communing with God.

Even the yarn itself speaks of God’s redemptive story in pointing to His security, sacrifice, sustenance, seal, and sanctification. It’s no surprise that this tôlā’ yarn was also used in the ritual cleansing of someone who had been healed of leprosy (Lev 14:4–6), in the ritual cleansing of a house which had leprosy in it (Lev 14:49–52), and in the red heifer ritual offering for purification (Num 19:6). It’s this ’scarlet wool’ that the author of Hebrews reminds us of in his point that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Heb 9:15–22)

Psalm 22

“…but I am a worm (tôlā’) and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people…” — Ps 22:6

When David wrote this word tôlā’ in Psalm 22, we might suppose he was simply expressing humility. Perhaps he was. I am more inclined to think that David knew exactly what word, symbol, and idea he was portraying. He, as a type of the future Messiah, knew his place (most of the time) as sub-king under the sovereignty and active direction of God.

Regardless of David’s intention, we of course find the word’s greatest significance when Jesus points to it on the cross. When Jesus cited the opening words of Psalm 22 (Mt. 27:46), he employed a tradition of the time that identified the entire passage, like quoting a chapter heading or book title. Jesus’ cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” was analogous to a preacher today saying, “Remember the words of Psalm 22.”

What’s more, this was known as the ‘death psalm’ in Jewish culture. RVL (episode 11) says:

…So the Rabbis learn the text, live the text, teach the text…and it is the dream of every rabbi to ‘die the text’… A jew, for 2400 years, if you’re religious that when you die, you recite Psalm 22 and you die with the Shema on your lips, so the first thing you do is meet God after you’ve said the Shema. Now not many jews get that of course but when they went to the gas chambers, went to the inquisition, when the crusaders — they would always recite Psalm 22 and then the Shema. Akiva was reciting the Shema, the Romans had made a cage and were lowering it into a fire and burning him and then lifting him out, and then lowering him into the fire and then lifting him out, and they were making his talmeedim, these 14–16 year old kids, watch. And Akiva would lower in screaming the Shema and come out reciting Psalm 22, and one of the students finally couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Rabbi, your whole life you’ve been trying to follow God and He allowed THIS to happen to you, why do you still say Shema?” And Rabbi Akiva is said to have said, “If I spent my whole life seeking to follow the Torah and live the Shema, and this happened, imagine how bad it would be if I hadn’t.”
This is the ‘death psalm.’ I want you to come with me to the cross and I want to suggest to you that all seven sayings — six for sure — come out of Psalm 22. And what Jesus is doing dying — choking to death — is muttering, gasping through the death psalm, and when He comes to the point that it reminds Him of something, He shouts it. And I’ll take it from the Hebrew so it’s a little different, but if you get the Tanakh you’ll see it this way:
1.
It starts, “My God My God!” (not even Father!) “Why have you abandoned me!” (v.2)
That’s obvious. (Mt. 27:46, Mk 15:34)
2.
“You drew me from the womb, made me secure at my mother’s breast. I became your charge at birth from my mother’s womb. You have been my God.” (v.10–11)
“Mother, your son. Son, your mother.” (John 19:25–27) …Maybe?
3.
“My life ebbs away, my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax melting within me, my strength dries up like a shard of pottery, my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth — “ (v.15)
“I’M SO THIRSTY!” (John 19:28)…Maybe? Your Rabbi died, I think, reciting the text.
4.
“Because of you, I offer praise in the great congregation.” (v.26) In Hebrew, “In the presence of the worshippers, I COMMIT MY SPIRIT!”
“To you, I commit my spirit,” Luke says. (Lk 23:46)
5.
And last, this is the way the psalm ends: “Offspring shall yet serve him, the Lord’s fame shall yet be proclaimed to the generation to come, they shall tell of his greatness for he has finished it.” (v.31)
“It is finished.” (John 19:30)

In saying any one of these things therefore, Jesus at least implicitly (if not explicitly) prayed the entire psalm as He hung there, as an intimate conversation between Him and His Father. Let’s therefore walk through our own consideration of Psalm 22's entirety, in the context of the tôlā’.

The tôlā’ in Psalm 22

v.3–5

Jesus identifies the character of God as One who is faithful. Time and time again, He has delivered His people as they trusted Him — He is a Rescuer of men.

v.1–2

Yet confusingly, God is not rescuing this Man (v1–2). It would seem out of character, as this Man is doing all of the right things. Indeed, “Why?”

v.6–7

Jesus says, “…[Those men] cried and were rescued, but I am not a man.” Indeed, He is more than a man — He is a tôlā’. The tôlā’ by its nature is self-sacrificial. It chooses to be permanently bound to the tree. It does not expect that it will cry out and be rescued, for this sacrificial death is the very purpose for its existence. This self-sacrificial nature is exactly contrary to that of mankind, and thus, mankind scorned and mocked it, even though it was for their great benefit.

v.8

This refusal to cry out and be rescued was precisely what they mocked (Mt. 27:39–44,49). In a sense, they might have figured He was less than a man. After all, God rescues men. If God won’t rescue this man, he must be less than a man. Worthless.
To this implication, Jesus responds, “I am not a man.” “I am a tôlā’.” (v.6)

v.9–13

Jesus was used to refusing to be rescued (Mt. 4). Thus, once again, He focused on His Father’s character, His faithfulness, and asked Him to be near, though He felt far.

v.14–15

Just like the tôlā’ on the tree, He let His lifeblood be ‘poured out.’ He gave His entire body such that His bones were ‘out of joint.’ He ‘dried up’ on that tree like the tôlā’ forming its cocoon of safety, and He let His ‘heart melt’ for those who were His, to the point that the only thing that was left was the pure white ‘wax’ substance.

v.16–18

And if the significance of the worm was lost on everyone else, Jesus and His Father knew. For Jesus looked down and saw them casting lots for His clothing. Which clothing? The robe they had put on Him and taken back off of Him — the scarlet (tôlā’) robe (Mt. 27:27–28, 31, 35).

v.19–21

Lest we think Jesus did not ask His Father to rescue Him — He did. Not only in the garden (Mt. 26:39,42,44) but here on the cross.

v.22–24

And yet this lack of rescuing didn’t change what was true concerning the Father’s character. He is still worthy of praise and glory, fear and awe. He is still the God who cares and listens to those afflicted. Yet how can we reconcile this when He is presently not rescuing His most Beloved?

v.25–31

Because there is coming a Day when Jesus will reign physically on the earth from Jerusalem over every other king and all will bow the knee to Him who is worthy to inherit the nations (Is. 2, Ps. 2, Rev 5). The afflicted will be forever rescued, be forever satisfied, and live forever proclaiming His goodness.
And thus, by the Father’s restraint in rescuing Jesus from the cross, He is rescuing and redeeming men unto Himself. How then can we say He wasn’t still the ‘God who rescues’ while Jesus hung on the cross? Jesus, like Moses (Ex 32:32) or Paul (Rom 9:1–3) requests that God “Rescue them, not me. If I can give myself for their sake, I will.”
This is the heart of the tôlā’.

Isaiah says that our sin is “red like crimson” (red like tôlā’), and yet the Lord invites His people to obey that their sin would be white ‘like wool’ (or like the white waxy substance that results from a tôlā’ worm actually sacrificing itself for the sake of others) (1:18). Additionally, the Lord calls the tribe of Jacob a worm (tôlā’) as He invites them to ‘fear not,’ and to receive His help and His refuge (41:14).

Yet we know that we are called to more than this. We are not merely called to be the offspring of the tôlā’. He calls us to follow in the same mind and spirit as Him, laying down our lives for others (Phil 2–3, 2 Cor 4–5). Thus, He calls us to be the tôlā’ ourselves.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” — Rom 11:33–36

If you enjoyed this, check out these resources:

Arara Bush/Tree:

Other Trees:

27. Images Of The Desert — Rotem & Acacia (Trees) https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/27 (24 min)
28. Images Of The Desert — Ar’ar & Tamarisk (Trees) https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/28 (22 min)
Here’s a short article from Ray Vander Laan on the olive tree: https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/olive-tree-imagery

Other Images:

26. Images Of The Desert — Shepherd https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/26 (36 min)
29. Images Of The Desert — Wadi & En Gedi https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/29 (33 min)

Ray Vander Laan also walks through some of these things in episodes 1–4 of this Follow The Rabbi lecture series:

https://medium.com/@RT_Brown7/ray-vander-laan-rvl-follow-the-rabbi-b7e4290e99e0