after Ishmael did assassinate Gedaliah, pursued him and recovered those he had taken prisoner. (Jer. 40:13, 14; 41:11-16) Jezaniah was among those leaders who inquired of Jeremiah concerning what to do then, but rather than follow his advice, they led the few remaining ones down to Egypt. (2 Ki. 25:26; Jer. 42:1-3, 8; 43:1-5) “Azariah the son of Hoshaiah” is possibly a brother of, but more likely the same as, Jaazaniah.—Jer. 43:2.

JAAZIAH

(Ja·a·ziʹah) [Jehovah strengthens].

A Merarite Levite, four of whose sons or descendants served during David’s reign.—1 Chron. 24:26, 27, 31.

JAAZIEL

(Ja·aʹzi·el) [God strengthens].

A Levite musician in the second division that accompanied the ark of the covenant when it was transferred from Obed-edom’s house to Jerusalem. (1 Chron. 15:18) In verse 20 he is called Aziel. According to 1 Chronicles 16:5, where he is called Jeiel (the first “Jeiel” in that verse), he was afterward assigned to regular duty as a musician before the Ark.

JABAL

(Jaʹbal) [water ditch].

A descendant of Cain; son of Lamech and his first wife Adah. (Gen. 4:17, 19, 20) Jabal is called “the founder of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.” Jabal was not the first shepherd, for Abel had been one previously; but Jabal evidently began or was predominant in nomadic livestock raising as a way of life. He perhaps invented tents, which would be much easier to move than permanent dwellings when a certain pasturage gave out.

JABBOK, TORRENT VALLEY OF

(Jabʹbok).

One of the main rivers, E of the Jordan, first mentioned in Scripture with reference to Jacob’s crossing “the ford of Jabbok” with his household. Also, near this ford Jacob grappled with an angel.—Gen. 32:22-30.

Though the Jabbok’s headwaters rise near Amman (ancient Rabbah), the river collects waters from several perennial streams and numerous winter torrents before flowing into the Jordan some twenty-four miles (c. 39 kilometers) N of the Dead Sea. Only about twenty-five air miles (c. 40 kilometers) separate the river’s source from its finish. But the Jabbok’s semicircular course covers some sixty miles (c. 97 kilometers). Its modern Arabic name, Nahr ez-Zerka, literally means “river of blue.” Perhaps this name is derived from the gray-blue color that the Jabbok exhibits when seen from a distance. Small fish abound in its shallow, easily fordable waters.

Oleander bushes and many kinds of small trees line the deep fertile valley through which the Jabbok flows. This valley, with its steep sides, served as a natural boundary. (Deut. 3:16) The first section of the torrent valley, running from S to N, once constituted a frontier between the Ammonites and the Amorites (Num. 21:24), whereas the section extending from W to E split Gilead in two and formed the boundary between the realms of Amorite Kings Sihon and Og. (Deut. 2:37; Josh. 12:2; Judg. 11:13, 22) Today this same valley is one of the best routes for crossing the Jordan from what was anciently called Gilead.

JABESH

(Jaʹbesh) [dry].

1. A town in the northern section of Gilead. Also known as Jabesh-gilead, it is mentioned in the history of the judges and kings.—Judg. 21:8; 1 Sam. 11:1; 1 Chron. 10:11, 12; see JABESH-GILEAD.

2. Father of Israel’s King Shallum.—2 Ki. 15:10, 13, 14.

JABESH-GILEAD

(Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad).

An ancient town in the tribal territory of Gad E of the Jordan. Its exact location is not certain, although most scholars agree that it was in the vicinity of the river Yabis (Jebesh), about twenty-two air miles (c. 35 kilometers) S of the Sea of Galilee. Some think it was about two miles (c. 3 kilometers) E of the Jordan on the adjoining sites of Tell Abu Kharaz and Tell el-Meqbereh. Others assign it to other locations five or six miles (c. 8 or 10 kilometers) farther E between Pella and Gerasa, either at Tell el-Maqlub on the N side of the Wadi Yabis or at ed-Deir on the S side.

The first mention of Jabesh-gilead was in the days of the judges, in connection with the retribution dealt out to the neighboring tribe of Benjamin for its condoning of gross immorality. (Judg. 21:8) On that occasion when the Israelites practically exterminated the entire tribe of Benjamin (only 600 males escaped), it was found that not a man of Jabesh-gilead had participated in meting out this justified punishment. It was therefore determined that every man, woman and child of Jabesh-gilead, with the exception of the virgins, should be put to death. The 400 virgins that were thus spared were then given as wives to the fugitive Benjamites so as to prevent extinction of the tribe.—Judg. 20:1–21:14.

Some three centuries later, when all Israel was clamoring for a visible king like the other nations had, the Ammonites threatened to bore out the right eye of every male inhabitant of Jabesh-gilead, a threat that was removed only when Saul mustered a force of 330,000 and put the Ammonites to flight. (1 Sam. 11:1-15) Forty years later the Philistines defeated the Israelites and hung the decapitated bodies of Saul and his three sons on the wall of the public square inside Beth-shan. Upon hearing of this disgrace, valiant men of Jabesh-gilead made a daring night raid in which they removed the corpses, brought them to Jabesh-gilead, burned the bodies and gave the bones a respectful burial. They then fasted for seven days.—1 Sam. 31:8-13; 1 Chron. 10:8-12.

David, as the newly anointed king of Judah, sent commendations and blessing to the citizens of Jabesh-gilead for having extended loving-kindness in this way toward the fallen anointed one of Israel. (2 Sam. 2:4-7) Later, David had the bones of Saul and Jonathan brought from Jabesh-gilead and interred in Saul’s family burial plot in Benjamite territory.—2 Sam. 21:12-14.

JABEZ

(Jaʹbez) [he gives pain (or sorrow); apparently from Hebrew ʽa·tsavʹ (to pain or distress)].

1. A descendant of Judah named Jabez by his mother because of her pain in giving birth to him. Jabez proved himself to be more honorable than his brothers and, in answer to his prayer, experienced Jehovah’s blessing and protection.—1 Chron. 4:1, 9, 10.

2. Apparently a Judean site, perhaps founded by No. 1 above. Jabez was the home of three families of scribes. (1 Chron. 2:55) Its exact location is today unknown.

JABIN

(Jaʹbin) [one who is intelligent, discerning].

Perhaps a dynastic name or title of the Canaanite kings of Hazor.

1. The king of Hazor when Joshua invaded the Promised Land. Jabin formed a confederation of northern Canaanite kings and these amassed against Israel a force “as numerous as the grains of sand . . . [including] very many horses and war chariots.” When camped at the waters of Merom, their combined armies were defeated by Joshua’s surprise attack and follow-up pursuit. Jabin was executed when Hazor itself was later captured and burned.—Josh. 11:1-14; 12:7, 19.

2. A later Canaanite king ruling from the restored Hazor; possibly a descendant of No. 1 above. Jabin’s being called “the king of Canaan” might denote supremacy over the other Canaanite kings, granting him exceptional power and authority; it does appear that there were others at least allied with him. On the other hand, the expression might merely distinguish him from kings of other lands. Jabin’s army, including nine hundred chariots with iron scythes, was under the command of Sisera, who takes greater prominence in the account than Jabin himself.—Judg. 4:2, 3; 5:19, 20.

By Jehovah’s permission, Jabin harshly oppressed apostate Israel twenty years. But on their calling to God for deliverance, Jehovah raised up Barak and Deborah to lead Israel to victory over Jabin’s army. Sisera was killed by the wife of Heber the Kenite, who had been at peace with Jabin. (Judg. 4:3-22) The Israelites continued warring against Jabin and finally put him to death.—Judg. 4:23, 24; Ps. 83:9, 10.

JABNEEL

(Jabʹ’ne·el) [God causes to be built].

1. A Judean boundary site (Josh. 15:1, 11), probably the same as the Jabneh that King Uzziah (829-777 B.C.E.) wrested from the Philistines. (2 Chron. 26:6) Jabneel is identified with modern Yebna. Situated about four miles (c. 6 kilometers) from the Mediterranean Sea, Yebna stands on an isolated, sandy hill some thirteen miles (c. 21 kilometers) S of Joppa.

2. A boundary site of Naphtali. (Josh. 19:32, 33) Many geographers suggest as a possible identification Khirbet Yamma, less that five miles (8 kilometers) W-SW of the southern end of the Sea of Galilee.

JABNEH

(Jabʹneh) [God causes to be built].

A walled Philistine city that suffered defeat at the hands of Judah’s King Uzziah. (2 Chron. 26:6) it is probably the same as Jabneel.—Josh. 15:11; see JABNEEL No. 1.

JACAN

(Jaʹcan).

Fifth named of Abihail’s seven sons; a Gadite.—1 Chron. 5:13, 14.

JACHIN

(Jaʹchin) [he will firmly establish].

1. The fourth son of Simeon. (Gen. 46:10) He is apparently called Jarib at 1 Chronicles 4:24. His descendants, the Jachinites, comprised one of the Simeonite families in Israel.—Ex. 6:15; Num. 26:12.

2. The priest whose paternal house was selected by lot to care for the twenty-first of the twenty-four priestly divisions that David organized. (1 Chron. 24:7, 17) One or more of their descendants (or another priest of the same name) resided in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.—1 Chron. 9:3, 10; Neh. 11:10.

3. The southernmost of the twin pillars standing in front of Solomon’s temple.—1 Ki. 7:15-22; see BOAZ, II; CAPITAL.

JACHINITES

(Jaʹchin·ites).

Descendants of Simeon’s fourth son Jachin.—Gen. 46:10; Num. 26:12.

JACKAL

A kind of wild dog that has a long, pointed muzzle and a bushy tail, and closely resembles the fox. This animal is still encountered in Palestine. Though the jackal may attack and kill fowl and even lambs and, in fact, live on almost anything, including fruit, it is basically a scavenger that feeds on carrion. Hence, the animal performs a beneficial service, since the carrion otherwise might provide a breeding place for disease germs. Jackals generally hunt at night, singly, in pairs or in small packs. During the day they usually sleep in desolate places, holes in the ground, caves and abandoned buildings, or ruins.

Since jackals are denizens of wild, lonely and even desertlike areas, the domain of the jackal is used figuratively in the Scriptures to represent a state of utter desolation, without human inhabitant. Various prophecies use this figure to forecast desolation for Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, Hazor, Babylon and Edom. (Jer. 9:11; 10:22; 49:33; 51:37; Isa. 34:5, 13; Mal. 1:3) The Bible also makes reference to the jackal’s mournful wailing or howling. (Isa. 13:22; Mic. 1:8) The jackal’s cry begins at sunset and is a long-drawn-out wail, repeated three or four times, each repetition being slightly higher in key than the preceding one. Finally the wail ends in a series of short, loud, yelping barks.

In Scripture the jackal figures repeatedly in an illustrative setting. Job, in describing his own lamentable state, exclaims that he has become “a brother to jackals.” (Job 30:29) In regard to a humiliating defeat of God’s people, the psalmist, perhaps with reference to the battlefield where jackals congregate to feed upon those slain (compare Psalm 68:23), mourned: “You have crushed us in the place of jackals.” (Ps. 44:19) Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. brought the stress of famine, resulting in mothers’ treating their own offspring cruelly. Thus Jeremiah appropriately contrasted the cruelty “of my people” with the jackals’ maternal care.—Lam. 4:3, 10.

On account of the intense droughts on the land of Judah when it lacked Jehovah’s blessing, zebras are depicted as snuffing up the wind, that is, panting for breath, like jackals. (Jer. 14:1, 2, 6) On the other hand, with reference to the restoration of his people, Jehovah promised that the abiding place of jackals would come to have grass, reeds and papyrus plants. And Jehovah’s providing water for his people in the wilderness would cause animals such as the jackal to glorify him.—Isa. 35:7; 43:20, 21.

[Picture on page 860]

The Bible refers to the mournful wailing of the jackal

JACOB

(Jaʹcob) [taking hold of the heel; supplanter].

1. Son of Isaac and Rebekah, and younger twin brother of Esau. Jacob’s parents had been married for twenty years before the birth of these twins, their only children, in 1858 B.C.E. Isaac at the time was sixty years old. So, as in the case of Abraham, Isaac’s prayers for offspring were answered only after his patience and faith in God’s promises had been fully tested.—Gen. 25:20, 21, 26; Rom. 9:7-10.

In her pregnancy, Rebekah was distressed by the struggling of the twins within her womb, which, Jehovah explained, were the beginnings of two opposing nations. Furthermore, Jehovah declared that, contrary to custom, the older would serve the younger. Accordingly, the second-born Jacob was holding the heel of Esau at their birth; hence the name Jacob, meaning “taking hold of the heel.” (Gen. 25:22-26) Jehovah thus demonstrated his ability to detect the genetic bent of the unborn, and to exercise his foreknowledge and right to select beforehand whom he chooses for his purposes, and yet in no way to predetermine the final destiny of individuals.—Rom. 9:10-12; Hos. 12:3.

In contrast to his father’s favorite son Esau, who was a wild, restless, wandering type of huntsman, Jacob is described as “a blameless [Heb., tam] man, dwelling in tents,” one who led a quiet pastoral life and was dependable to look after domestic affairs,