Who was Joel in the Bible?

Hebrew name: יוֹאֵל (yo’el)

Name meaning: “Yahweh is God”

A common Israelite name in the Old Testament

a. The first son of Samuel (1 Samuel 8:2; 1 Chronicles 6:33, 15:17)

Joel and his brother Abijah were appointed as judges over Israel by Samuel. Despite their relationship to the prophet, the Bible notes that the two took bribes and dealt unjustly with the people, leaving Israel clamoring for a king to lead the nation.

b. A Simeonite (1 Chronicles 4:35)

Joel was a man of the tribe of Simeon. The tribe of Simeon was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from Simeon, the second son of Jacob and Leah. The Simeonites settled in the southern part of the land of Canaan.

c. A Reubenite (1 Chronicles 5:4)

Joel is listed among the men of the tribe of Reuben. The Reubenites were descendants of Reuben, Jacob’s first son by Leah.

d. A Gadite chief (1 Chronicles 5:12)

Joel was the chief of the tribe of Gad. The Gadites were descendants of Gad, the son of Jacob through Zilpah.

e. A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:3)

Joel is listed among the men of Issachar. The tribe of Issachar is one of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from Issachar, the ninth son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 30:18).

f. Brother of Nathan (1 Chronicles 11:38; 2 Samuel 23:36)

Nathan was one of David’s mighty men, an elite group of warriors commanded by the king. Joel is named as Nathan’s brother.

g. A Levite (1 Chronicles 15:7)

Joel was a chief Levite from the line of Gershom, the son of Levi.

i. A treasurer (1 Chronicles 23:8, 26:22)

Joel was a Levite who served as a treasurer in the temple during the reign of David.

j. Chief of  Manasseh (1 Chronicles 27:20)

Joel is named as a chief of the tribe of Manasseh during the reign of David.

k. A priest under Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:12)

Joel was a priest who participated in the cleansing of the temple under the orders of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29).

l. An exile at the time of Ezra (Ezra 10:43)

Joel is listed among those who had married foreign women while in Babylon and were commanded by Ezra to divorce them. This was part of Ezra’s restoration of the post-exile community to covenant faithfulness.

m. Son of Zichri ( Nehemiah 11:9)

Joel is listed as an “overseer” of exiles at the time of Nehemiah.

n. Son of Pethuel, a prophet (Joel 1:1 ff.)

Joel, the son of Pethuel, was a literary prophet whose prophecies are recorded in the book of Joel. His target audience was the people of Judah. Joel’s prophecies are urgent calls for the people to turn back to God, warning of the consequences of their sins, but also offering hope of restoration and blessing if they repent. In Acts 2:16, the apostle Peter quotes from the book of Joel, linking Joel’s prophecy to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.