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Joel (given name)

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Joel
Michelangelo's painting of the Biblical prophet
Pronunciation/ˈdʒoʊəl/ JOH-əl,
/ˈdʒoʊl/ JOHL
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew
Meaning"YHWH is God"
Other names
Related namesJoe, Joey, Joelle, Joelson

Joel or Yoel is a male name derived from יוֹאֵל Standard Hebrew, Yoʾel, Tiberian Hebrew, or Yôʾēl, meaning "Yahu is El" (El being a Northwest Semitic word meaning 'god' or 'deity'), "YHWH is God", or the modern translation "Yahweh is God".

A pious Jew would never use the word "Yahweh". In that context the name is said to mean "Adonai" or "the Lord is God".

It is reminiscent of the Shema, the Shema Yisrael (Hebrew: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, lit. 'Hear, Israel'), which is a Jewish prayer that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. Its first verse, Deuteronomy 6:4,[1] encapsulates the monotheistic essence of Judaism: "Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one" (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃).[2]

Joel as a given name appears in the Hebrew Bible and is also used today. Its female form is Joelle.

Joel as a given name

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Biblical figures

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Others

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Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ↑ Deuteronomy 6:4
  2. ↑ Moberly, R. W. L. (1990). ""Yahweh is One": The Translation of the Shema". In Emerton, J. A. (ed.). Studies in the Pentateuch. Vetus Testamentum, Supplements. Vol. 41. Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 209–215. doi:10.1163/9789004275645_012. ISBN 978-90-04-27564-5.