JoäsH

Jo'äsh (Heb. Yoäsh', the name of several persons, written in two forms in the original.

1. (יוֹאָשׁ, a contracted form of JEHOASH; Septuag. Ι᾿ωάς) The father of Gideon, buried in Ophrah where he had lived (Jg 6:11,29; Jg 7:14; Jg 8:13,29,32). Although himself probably an idolater, he ingeniously screened his son from the popular indignation in overthrowing the altar of Baal (Jg 6:30-31). B.C. 1362. SEE GIDEON.

2. (Same form as preceding; Sept. Ι᾿ωράς v.r. Ι᾿ωάς) A son of Shemaah or Hasmaah the Gibeathite, and second only to his brother Ahiezer among the brave Benjamite archers that joined David at Ziklag (1Ch 12:3). B.C. 1055.

3. (Same form as preceding; Sept. Ι᾿ωάς) One of the descendants of Shelah, son of Judah, mentioned among those who were in some way distinguished among the Moabites in early times (1Ch 4:22). B.C. perh. cir. 995. SEE JASHUBI-LEHEM. "The Hebrew tradition, quoted by Jerome (Quoest. Hebr. in Paral.) and Jarchi (Comm. ad loc.), applies it to Mahlon, the son of Elimelech, who married a Moabitess. The expression rendered in the A.V., 'who had the dominion (בָּעֲלוּ) in Moab,' would, according to this interpretation, signify 'who married in Moab.' The same explanation is given in the Targum of R. Joseph."

4. (Same form as preceding; Sept. Ι᾿ωάς) An eminent officer of king Ahab, to whose close custody the prophet Micaiah was remanded for denouncing the allied expedition against Ramoth-Gilead (1Ki 22:26; 2Ch 18:25). B.C. 896. He is styled "the king's son," which is usually taken literally, Thenius (Comment. ad loc., in Kings) suggesting that he may have been placed with the governor of the city for military education. Geiger conjectures that Maaseiah, "the king's son," in 2Ch 28:7, was a prince of the Moloch worship, and that Joash was a priest of the same. (Urschrift, p. 307). The title, however, may merely indicate a youth of princely stock.

5. (Same form as preceding: Sept. Ι᾿ωάς) King of Judah (2Ki 11:2; 2Ki 12:19-20; 2Ki 13:1,10; 2Ki 14:1,3,17,23; 1Ch 3:11; 2Ch 22:11; 2Ch 24:1 [יאֹשׁ], 2, 4, 22, 24; 25:23, 25). SEE JEHOASH, 1.

6. (Same form as preceding; Sept. Ι᾿ωάς) King of Israel (2Ki 13:9,12-14,25; 2Ki 14:1,23,27; 2Ch 25:17-18,21,23; Ho 1:1; Am 1:1). SEE JEHOASH, 2.

7. (יוֹעָשׁ, to whom Jehovah hastens, i.e. for aid; Sept. Ι᾿ωάς.) One of the "sons" of Becher, son of Benjamin, a chieftain of his family (1Ch 7:8). B.C. prob. cir. 1017.

8. (Same form as last; Septuag. Ι᾿ωάς.) The person having charge of the royal stores of oil under David and Solomon (1Ch 27:28). B.C. 1014.