Joel יוֹאֵל

Joel is briefly mentioned in Ezr.10.43 as one of the Israelites who had married foreign women during the Babylonian exile. After the return of the exiles to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra, it was discovered that many Israelites, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with the neighboring peoples. This was in violation of God's command to maintain their holiness and avoid the pagan practices of the surrounding nations. Ezra called for a assembly, where the people confessed their sin and pledged to put away their foreign wives and children. Joel is listed among those who had taken this step of obedience in response to Ezra's reforms.