Joiarib
Joiarib, a descendant of Judah through Perez, settled in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile (Neh.11.5).
Biography
Joiarib was a descendant of the tribe of Judah through the line of Perez, the more prominent of Judah's twin sons by Tamar, who resettled in Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 11:5). His resettlement in the holy city was part of a deliberate effort by Nehemiah to repopulate Jerusalem, which had remained sparsely inhabited since its destruction. Nehemiah 11 records the names of volunteers and those chosen by lot to live in Jerusalem, and Joiarib's Perezite lineage connected him to the primary branch of Judah's descendants. Though details of his personal life are not recorded, his presence in Jerusalem represented the reestablishment of Judahite family lines in the city that bore the name of God's covenant presence and His promises to David.
Significance
Joiarib's resettlement in Jerusalem is a small thread in the larger tapestry of Israel's postexilic restoration. His Perezite lineage carried genealogical weight, as this line of Judah ultimately runs to David and, through David, to the Messiah. The deliberate repopulation of Jerusalem described in Nehemiah 11 was a theological act as much as a demographic one, restoring the city as a tangible expression of God's faithfulness to His covenant. Joiarib's name, preserved in this list, testifies to the conviction that every family restored to Jerusalem was part of the fulfillment of God's promises to bring His people home.
Verse Appearances (1)
Ezra
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]