Bible Word Study
יוֹעֵאלָה
Yôwʻêʼlâh · Joelah, an Israelite
יוֹעֵאלָה
Joelah, an Israelite
Definition
Yoelah is a proper name referring to an Israelite warrior named Joelah, who served under King David. The name appears only once in the Bible, in 1 Chronicles 12:7, where he is listed among the Gadites who joined David at his stronghold in the wilderness. These men were described as mighty warriors, skilled with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. As a proper name, it carries no other distinct meanings or senses in different biblical passages.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper noun in 1 Chronicles 12:7, within a military roster of valiant men from the tribe of Gad who defected to David's side before he became king. Its usage is purely identificatory, listing him as one of the eleven chiefs of the Gadites. There are no patterns of usage across other books, as it is a hapax legomenon (a word occurring only once).
Etymology
The name Yoelah (יוֹעֵאלָה) is likely derived from the root יָעַל (ya'al, H3276), meaning 'to ascend,' 'to go up,' or 'to be profitable.' It appears to be a feminine active participle form, possibly meaning 'she who ascends' or 'may He (God) cause to ascend.' This suggests a name expressing hope or a characteristic of elevation. The ending '-ah' may be a theophoric element referencing Yahweh.
Semantic Range
As a personal name, Yoelah reflects common Hebrew naming conventions, often incorporating verbs or references to God. His inclusion in a list of elite Gadite warriors highlights the cultural importance of military prowess, loyalty to a divinely appointed leader (David), and tribal identity during the early monarchy period. The detailed description of these warriors' abilities and appearance (1 Chronicles 12:8) underscores the cultural value placed on strength and speed in battle. There are no direct synonyms for this proper name. Other Gadite warriors listed alongside him, like Ezer (H5829) and Obadiah (H5662), are distinct individuals.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]