Joel (joel). [Heb. Yoel, “Yahweh is God”; the name occurs also on an ancient Hebrew seal impression; Gr. Ioµeµl.]

1.   A Kohathite Levite, and ancestor of Samuel (1 Chr 6:36), considered by some to be identical with the Shaul of v 24. See Shaul, 3.

2.   The eldest son of Samuel (1 Sa 8:2), and father of Heman the singer under David (1 Chr 6:33; 15:17). Samuel's firstborn is called Vashni (va¬sh'n) [Heb WashnéÆ] in ch 6:28, KJV. WashnéÆ means “and the second.” The name Joel was probably inadvertently omitted by some scribe. With the help of the Greek version of Lucian and the Syriac version the text may be reconstructed as follows: “And the sons of Samuel; the first-born Joel and the second Abiah,” or “Abijah.”

3.   A Gershonite Levite who with 130 fellow Levites assisted David in bringing the ark from Obed-edom's house to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:7, 11, 12).

4.   A Gershonite Levite who with his brother was placed in charge of the treasures dedicated to God in David's time (1 Chr 23:8; 1 Chr 26:21, 22).

5.   A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chr 7:3).

6.   One of David's “mighty men,” a brother of Nathan (1 Chr 11:38), considered by some to be identical with Igal, 2, or related to him (2 Sa 23:36).

7.   A chief of the western half tribe of Manasseh in the time of David (1 Chr 27:20).

8.   A Gadite chieftain in Bashan (1 Chr 5:12).

9.   A Reubenite (1 Chr 5:4, 8).

10.   A Kohathite Levite who helped cleanse the Temple in the time of Hezekiah (2 Chr 29:12).

11.   One of the Simeonite princes who seized rich pastureland at Gedor (1 Chr 4:35-41).

12.   One of the so-called Minor Prophets, the author of the book that bears his name (Joel 1:1). Nothing is known about his history.

13.   A man of the family of Nebo; he had married a foreign wife in Ezra's time (Ezr 10:43).

14.   A Benjamite overseer who lived in Jerusalem (Neh 11:9).

Horn, Siegfried H., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association) 1979.