Joah
“Jehovah is his brother or helper”
Summary
A Hebrew name meaning 'Jehovah is his brother' or helper, borne by four or five different men in the Old Testament, including officials under kings Hezekiah and Josiah.
☩Recorder Under Hezekiah
The most prominent Joah was the son of Asaph who served as recorder or historiographer under King Hezekiah. He was one of three officials sent by Hezekiah to meet the Assyrian envoys during Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem around 701 BC. Along with Eliakim the palace administrator and Shebna the secretary, Joah received the blasphemous and threatening message of Rabshakeh, the Assyrian commander. These three officials then requested that Rabshakeh speak in Aramaic rather than Hebrew so the common people on the walls would not understand his demoralizing propaganda.
☩Other Individuals
Several other men bore this name. A Levite of the Gershonite family, son of Zimmah and father of Iddo (elsewhere called Ethan), who assisted in Hezekiah's religious reformation. A third Joah was a son of Obed-edom, appointed with his brothers to take charge of sacred furniture in David's time. A fourth Joah, son of Joahaz, served as recorder under King Josiah and was among the officers who superintended the Temple repairs. Some sources count these as four distinct individuals, while others identify the two Gershonite Levites as the same person.
Related Verses10 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Joah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Joah," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.George Morrish, "Joah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).