Joktheel
“Subdued by God”
Summary
The name of two places: a town in the lowlands of Judah, and the name given by King Amaziah to Selah (Petra) after he captured it from Edom.
☩Town in Judah
The first Joktheel was a town in the lowland (Shephelah) of Judah, mentioned between Mizpeh and Lachish. The name, meaning 'subdued by God,' may have been given to commemorate an early Israelite victory over the Canaanites in that region.
☩Amaziah's Conquest
The second Joktheel was the name given by King Amaziah of Judah to Selah (the rock), the Edomite stronghold, after he captured it. This was the famous Petra, capital of Edom. Having defeated Edom in the Valley of Salt, Amaziah took the city and threw 10,000 captives from its cliffs. This conquest brought Edom under Judean control for approximately 80 years.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Joktheel," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Joktheel," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).