connections with Absalom and the fact that Joab had only recently fought the rebel forces of Absalom under Amasa’s leadership. According to Joab’s ambitious wishes, he was again made head of the army.—2 Sam. 20:8-13, 23.

Why did David fail to execute Joab when he murdered Abner, and why did he reappoint Joab as general over the army after he had also murdered Amasa, who had been made general to replace Joab? The Bible does not say. If it was weakness in enforcing God’s law, it may have been because of the strength and influence of Joab and his family in the army. Or there may have been other circumstances that the Bible does not relate. At any rate, it must be remembered that David, though not executing Joab for some reason, whether good or bad, did not forgive him, but charged his son and successor Solomon to see that Joab paid for his badness.

Takes incomplete census

At another time David was incited by Satan to take an illegal census of the people. Joab remonstrated with David, to no avail. But he did not complete the work, leaving out the tribes of Levi and Benjamin “because the king’s word had been detestable to Joab.”—1 Chron. 21:1-6; 2 Sam. 24:1-9.

Joins Adonijah’s attempt to take throne

Despite his previous service under David, when David became old and sick, Joab forsook David and joined the conspiracy of David’s son Adonijah. (1 Ki. 1:18, 19) Perhaps he did this because he felt that, with Adonijah as king, he would be the power behind the throne, or it may be that he felt more sure of his position with Adonijah than with Solomon. When he heard that Solomon had been made king by David, he forsook Adonijah. (1 Ki. 1:49) Later, when Adonijah was killed, Joab ran to the tent of Jehovah and took hold of the horns of the altar. (1 Ki. 2:28) This furnished no sanctuary for him, for he was a deliberate murderer; therefore Solomon sent Benaiah to execute him there. Thus Solomon carried out David’s deathbed counsel to him not to let the gray hairs of Joab go down in peace to Sheol, because of the bloodguilt on Joab for his murder of Abner and Amasa, “two men more righteous and better than he was.” Joab was buried in his own house in the wilderness. Thereafter Benaiah was made head of the army.—1 Ki. 2:5, 6, 29-35; 11:21.

The sixtieth psalm, a psalm of David, is devoted, in its latter verses (8-12), to Joab’s victory over the Edomites.—See the superscription of this psalm.

3. The head of a family of “sons of Pahath-moab,” some of whom returned in 537 B.C.E. from Babylonian exile, with Zerubbabel.—Ezra 2:1, 2, 6; Neh. 7:6, 7, 11.

4. At Ezra 8:1, 9, “sons of Joab” are listed among those returning with Ezra in 455 B.C.E. Obadiah the son of Jehiel was at that time family head. In this text they are not connected with the house of Pahath-moab, but it is possible that they are of the same family, or related to, No. 3.

JOAH

(Joʹah) [Jah is brother, perhaps in the sense of “helper”].

1. One of the Levitical gatekeepers assigned in David’s day to guard duty over the storehouses; the third son of Obed-edom.—1 Chron. 26:1, 4, 12-15.

2. A Levite descended from Gershom (Gershon); son of Zimmah. (1 Chron. 6:19b-21) He is possibly the same Joah who, with his son, helped dispose of the unclean objects that Hezekiah had removed from the temple at the beginning of his reign.—2 Chron. 29:1, 3, 12, 16.

3. One of the committee of three sent by King Hezekiah to the Assyrian messenger Rabshakeh, but who were not to answer his charges and brags. Joah and his two companions did, however, ask Rabshakeh to speak to them in the Syrian tongue, which they themselves understood, rather than the Jews’ language in the hearing of others on the city wall. With their clothes ripped apart, they reported his threats to Hezekiah. (2 Ki. 18:18, 26, 36, 37; Isa. 36:3, 11, 21, 22) The construction of the text, “Joah the son of Asaph the recorder,” allows for either Joah or Asaph to be “the recorder,” but it is more likely that Joah himself held this office, just as the two with him are also described by their office.

4. The recorder by whom King Josiah sent money to the workers to repair the temple; son of Joahaz.—2 Chron. 34:8-11.

JOAHAZ

(Joʹa·haz) [shortened form of Jehoahaz, meaning “Jah has taken hold”].

1. Variant spelling of the name of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, as found in certain translations (AS, JP, Ro, RS) of 2 Kings 14:1. There the Masoretic Hebrew text reads Yoh·ʼa·hhazʹ, but on the authority of manuscripts that read Y^ehoh·ʼa·hhazʹ, other translations (AT, JB, Mo, NW) render the name Jehoahaz.—See JEHOAHAZ No. 2.

2. Father of King Josiah’s recorder Joah.—2 Chron. 34:1, 8.

3. Variant spelling, at 2 Chronicles 36:2, of the name of Jehoahaz, the son and successor of Josiah, king of Judah. Here certain translations (AS, AT, JP, Ro) follow the Masoretic text and read Joahaz, whereas others (AV, JB, Mo, NW) read Jehoahaz.—See JEHOAHAZ No. 3.

JOANAN

(Jo·anʹan).

An ancestor of Jesus’ mother Mary; listed apparently as grandson of Zerubbabel.—Luke 3:23, 27.

JOANNA

(Jo·anʹna).

One of several women whom Jesus Christ cured of some infirmity and who then became his followers, ministering to him and his apostles from their own possessions. (Luke 8:1-3) Joanna was apparently with the women present at Jesus’ impalement and, having prepared spices and oil to take to his tomb, they were among the first to find that he had been resurrected. The eleven apostles, however, found their report thereof difficult to believe. (Luke 23:49, 55, 56; 24:1-11) Joanna’s husband Chuza was steward of Herod Antipas.—Luke 8:3.

JOASH

(Jo·ash).

In Hebrew this name is spelled two ways, though in English only as “Joash.” The first and more common, Yoh·ʼashʹ, is a shortened form of Jehoash, meaning “Jehovah is strong” or “Jehovah has bestowed”; the second, Yoh·ʽashʹ, means “Jehovah has come to help, or, aid.”—Numbers 1 and 5 listed below are the latter spelling.

1. A Benjamite in the family line of Becher.—1 Chron. 7:6, 8.

2. A descendant of Judah through his third-named son Shelah.—1 Chron. 2:3; 4:21, 22.

3. The father of Judge Gideon; an Abi-ezrite of the tribe of Manasseh. (Judg. 6:11, 15; 7:14; 8:13, 32) Joash was evidently a man of considerable means and influence in the community, possessing an altar dedicated to Baal, also a “sacred pole,” and having a household of servants. When his son Gideon secretly tore down this altar and sacred pole, and in their place built an altar to Jehovah upon which he sacrificed a seven-year-old bull, the citizens of the place demanded that Joash hand over his son to be put to death. Joash’s answer: “If [Baal] is God, let him make a legal defense for himself.” And with that Joash began calling his son Jerubbaal.—Judg. 6:25-32; 8:29.

4. One of the mighty men of the tribe of Benjamin that joined David’s forces at Ziklag when the latter was outlawed by Saul; son or descendant of Shemaah.—1 Chron. 12:1-3.

5. A chief appointed by King David to oversee the oil supplies.—1 Chron. 27:28, 31.

6. Son of King Ahab and one of those into whose custody the faithful prophet Micaiah was committed