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JOCHEBED Jehovah is her glory, the wife of Amram, and the mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses (Numbers 26:59). She is spoken of as the sister of Kohath, Amram’s father (Exodus 6:20; comp. 16, 18; 2:1-10).

JOEL Jehovah is his God. (1.) The oldest of Samuel’s two sons appointed by him as judges in Beersheba (1 Samuel 8:2). (See VASHNI Ø(n/a).) (2.) A descendant of Reuben (1 Chronicles 5:4,8). (3.) One of David’s famous warriors (1 Chronicles 11:38). (4.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chronicles 15:7, 11). (5.) 1 Chronicles 7:3. (6.) 1 Chronicles 27:20. (7.) The second of the twelve minor prophets. He was the son of Pethuel. His personal history is only known from his book.

JOELAH a Benjamite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:7).

JOEL, BOOK OF Joel was probably a resident in Judah, as his commission was to that people. He makes frequent mention of Judah and Jerusalem (1:14; 2:1, 15, 32; 3:1, 12, 17, 20, 21).

He probably flourished in the reign of Uzziah (about B.C. 800), and was contemporary with Amos and Isaiah.

The contents of this book are, (1.) A prophecy of a great public calamity then impending over the land, consisting of a want of water and an extraordinary plague of locusts (1:1-2:11). (2.) The prophet then calls on his countrymen to repent and to turn to God, assuring them of his readiness to forgive (2:12-17), and foretelling the restoration of the land to its accustomed fruitfulness (18-26). (3.) Then follows a Messianic prophecy, quoted by Peter (Acts 2:39). (4.) Finally, the prophet foretells portents and judgments as destined to fall on the enemies of God (ch. 3, but in the Hebrew text 4).