Who was Joiada in the Bible?

Joiada was the son of Paseah and a builder who helped repair Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah's leadership. He is specifically credited with repairing the Old Gate (Nehemiah 3:6).

What did Joiada do in the book of Nehemiah?

Joiada's key action was repairing a section of Jerusalem's wall, known as the Old Gate. This was part of the collective effort to restore the city's defenses after the exile (Nehemiah 3:6).

Why is Joiada mentioned in the Bible?

Joiada is mentioned to highlight that the rebuilding of Jerusalem was a communal effort involving many dedicated individuals. His specific contribution, though brief, is recorded to honor his part in this significant restoration project.

Joiada

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleSon

Joiada, the son of Paseah, repaired the Old Gate during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah (Neh.3.6).

Joiada

Biography

Joiada the son of Paseah is remembered for his role in the great communal effort to rebuild Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah's leadership in the mid-fifth century BC. According to Nehemiah 3:6, Joiada and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate, also called the Jeshanah Gate, laying its beams and setting its doors along with its bolts and bars. This gate, likely located in the northwestern section of the city, would have been a significant entry point into Jerusalem. Though Joiada appears only in this single verse, the meticulous catalog in Nehemiah 3 demonstrates that each worker's contribution was noted and honored. His partnership with Meshullam also illustrates the collaborative, community-wide nature of Nehemiah's wall-building project.

Significance

Joiada's brief appearance in Nehemiah 3 captures a profound truth about how God's larger purposes are accomplished: through the faithful, unglamorous labor of ordinary individuals whose names are recorded in Scripture even when their deeds receive no further elaboration. The rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls was not merely a civic project but a spiritual act of restoration and defiance against the enemies of God's people. Joiada's repair of a single gate represents his willingness to participate in God's redemptive work for the covenant community. His example challenges readers to embrace their own particular, often unsung contributions to the larger mission of God.

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:6

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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