Who was Joah in the Bible?

Joah was a gatekeeper for the temple, specifically identified as a son of Obed-edom (1 Chronicles 26:4). His family was entrusted with guarding the entrances to the Lord's house.

What was the role of a temple gatekeeper like Joah?

Temple gatekeepers were Levites responsible for security, managing offerings, and maintaining order at the temple entrances (1 Chronicles 9:22-27). Joah's assignment was a vital, trusted duty in worship.

Why is Joah mentioned in the Bible?

Joah is listed to show the detailed organization of Levitical service and to highlight how faithful families like Obed-edom's were given important responsibilities in God's temple (1 Chronicles 26:1-19).

Joah

Old TestamentUnited MonarchyMaleLeviteSon

Joah, a son of Obed-edom, was one of the gatekeepers assigned to guard the temple (1Ch.26.4).

Joah

Biography

Joah son of Obed-edom was born into one of the most distinguished Levitical households of David's era. His father Obed-edom had achieved lasting fame as the man who housed the ark of the covenant for three months, during which time God visibly blessed his entire household (2 Samuel 6:11-12). David later appointed Obed-edom's family as gatekeepers and musicians for the temple service, and Joah inherited this sacred responsibility. As a gatekeeper listed in 1 Chronicles 26:4, Joah was part of the sixty-two-strong family of Obed-edom appointed to guard the southern gates and the storehouse, a position of genuine spiritual and practical significance in the administration of the sanctuary.

Significance

Joah son of Obed-edom inherited a legacy of divine blessing that flowed directly from his father's act of faithful hospitality toward the ark of God. His appointment as a temple gatekeeper continued the family's extraordinary multigenerational service to Yahweh. The Chronicler's detailed enumeration of Obed-edom's sons and grandsons in 1 Chronicles 26 reflects a theology of transmitted faithfulness, God's blessing upon one generation creating capacity for dedicated service in the next. Joah's story affirms that what faithful parents establish before God can provide a vocational and spiritual inheritance of lasting significance for their children and descendants.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 26:4

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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