(Joʹash).

This name is spelled two ways in Hebrew, though only as “Joash” in English. The first and more common, Yoh·ʼashʹ, is a shortened form of Jehoash. Numbers 1 and 5 listed below are the other spelling, Yoh·ʽashʹ.

1. A Benjamite in the family line of Becher.​—1Ch 7:6, 8.

2. A descendant of Judah through his third-named son Shelah.​—1Ch 2:3; 4:21, 22.

3. The father of Judge Gideon; an Abi-ezrite of the tribe of Manasseh. (Jg 6:11, 15; 7:14; 8:13, 32) Joash was evidently a man of considerable means and influence in the community, possessing an altar dedicated to Baal, also a “sacred pole,” and having a household of servants. When his son Gideon secretly tore down this altar and sacred pole, and in their place built an altar to Jehovah upon which he sacrificed a seven-year-old bull, the citizens of the place demanded that Joash hand over his son to be put to death. Joash’s answer was: “If [Baal] is God, let him make a legal defense for himself.” And with that Joash began calling his son Jerubbaal.​—Jg 6:25-32; 8:29.

4. One of the mighty men of the tribe of Benjamin that joined David’s forces at Ziklag when  the latter was outlawed by Saul; son of Shemaah the Gibeathite.​—1Ch 12:1-3.

5. A chief appointed by King David to oversee the oil supplies.​—1Ch 27:28, 31.

6. One of those into whose custody the faithful prophet Micaiah was committed for imprisonment by Ahab. He is designated “the king’s son.” (1Ki 22:26, 27; 2Ch 18:25, 26) This expression may refer to an offspring of King Ahab or it could denote an official of royal descent or someone else closely connected with the royal household.

7. Shortened form of Jehoash, king of Judah and son of Ahaziah. (2Ki 11:2, 3, 21) Joash as an alternate spelling for Jehoash occurs many times in the Masoretic Hebrew text, as is pointed out in footnotes of the New World Translation.​—2Ki 12:19; 1Ch 3:11; 2Ch 24:1, 2; see JEHOASH No. 1.

8. Shortened form of Jehoash, king of Israel, son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu. (2Ki 14:1, 8, 9) This alternate spelling (Joash) often occurs in the Masoretic text.​—2Ki 13:9, 12, 13; 2Ch 25:17, 18, 21; Ho 1:1; Am 1:1; see JEHOASH No. 2.