Jehoash, Joash

JEHOASH, JOASH (jē-hō'ăsh, Heb. yehô’āsh; jō'ăsh, Heb. yô’āsh). A word of uncertain meaning, perhaps Jehovah supports or whom Jehovah gave.

1. A son of Beker and grandson of Benjamin, probably born soon after the descent into Egypt (1Chr.7.8).

2. An early descendant of Judah through Shelah, who with his brother Saraph ruled in Moab (1Chr.4.22).

3. A descendant of Abiezer son of Manasseh (Josh.17.2; Judg.6.11). Evidently his family had become insignificant, for Gideon his son said, “My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family” (Judg.6.15); but in spite of that Gideon could call on ten of his servants for help (Judg.6.27). This Joash, though “Jehovah” was a part of his name, had succumbed to the polytheism around him and had built an altar to Baal; but when the men of his city demanded the death of Gideon for destroying the altar, Joash, truer to his family than to his god, stood by his son and said, “Jerubbaal,” i.e., “Let Baal plead!” This exclamation became a nickname for Gideon, whom many called “Jerubbaal” thereafter (Judg.6.30-Judg.6.32). Gideon was later buried in Joash’s sepulcher (Judg.8.32).

4. The keeper of David’s cellars of oil (1Chr.27.28).

5. One of the relatives of King Saul who fell away to David while he was in voluntary exile at Ziklag and became one of the commanders of his forces (1Chr.12.3).

6. A son of King Ahab who was ordered to imprison Micaiah the prophet and to feed him “nothing but bread and water” till Ahab would return to deal with him—but Ahab never returned, and Joash presumably freed Micaiah (1Kgs.22.26; 2Chr.18.25-2Chr.18.26).

8. The king of Israel from 848 to 832 b.c. (2Kgs.13.10-2Kgs.13.13; 2Kgs.14.8-2Kgs.14.16; 2Chr.25.17-2Chr.25.24). He was son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, and was father of Jeroboam II. These four comprised the dynasty of Jehu (2Kgs.10.30-2Kgs.10.31). Jehoash, like the other kings of the north, was an idolater.