Jeiel

Jeiel is a name borne by at least ten distinct men in the Hebrew scriptures, concentrated in Chronicles and Ezra. The name appears in two closely related Hebrew spellings — preserved in UPDV as both "Jeiel" and (in two verses) "Jeuel" — and they are collated together as a single umbrella. The bearers run from a Reubenite chief and a Benjamite settler of Gibeon to one of David's mighty men, several Levitical musicians and temple servants, a royal scribe, and post-exilic returnees with Ezra.

A Reubenite chief

In the Reubenite genealogy of 1 Chronicles 5, Jeiel heads the recorded family line: "And his brothers by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah" (1Ch 5:7).

A Benjamite of Gibeon

A Benjamite Jeiel is the founding settler of Gibeon. His household is recalled in the Saulide genealogy: "And in Gibeon there dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah" (1Ch 9:35).

One of David's mighty men

Among David's heroes, two brothers from Aroer are listed together: "Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite" (1Ch 11:44).

A Levitical musician and doorkeeper

When David appoints Levites to lead worship around the ark, Jeiel appears in the second-degree division as a doorkeeper: "and with them their brothers of the second degree, Zechariah, son, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers" (1Ch 15:18).

He is then assigned to the harps tuned to the Sheminith: "and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps set to the Sheminith, to lead" (1Ch 15:21).

In the standing musical service Asaph organizes before the ark, the name Jeiel appears twice — read by the umbrella as a single chorister, though the verse lists the name in two positions: "Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud" (1Ch 16:5).

Ancestor of Jahaziel the prophet

A Levite Jeiel of the line of Asaph is recalled four generations back when the Spirit of Yahweh comes on his great-grandson Jahaziel to encourage Judah against the invading coalition under Jehoshaphat: "Then on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of Yahweh in the midst of the assembly" (2Ch 20:14).

Scribe under Uzziah

Jeiel the scribe keeps the muster rolls of King Uzziah's standing army: "Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains" (2Ch 26:11).

A Levite who cleansed the temple

Among the Levites Hezekiah summons to purge and reconsecrate the temple, one Jeiel is filed under the umbrella — though the UPDV reading of this verse has the spelling "Jeuel," a variant of the same Hebrew name: "and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah" (2Ch 29:13).

A chief Levite at Josiah's Passover

When Josiah keeps the great Passover, Jeiel appears among the Levitical chiefs who provide animals for the sacrifice from their own stock: "Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover-offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen" (2Ch 35:9).

A returning exile, son of Adonikam

In the company that comes up with Ezra from Babylon, the family of Adonikam is the last to send its men, and Jeiel is named — UPDV again preserves the spelling "Jeuel" here: "And of the sons of Adonikam, [who were] the last; and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah; and with them threescore males" (Ezr 8:13).

A son of Nebo who had taken a foreign wife

In the closing list of those who put away foreign wives, a Jeiel is counted among the laymen of Israel — specifically among the sons of Nebo: "Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, and Joel, Benaiah" (Ezr 10:43). The verse stands in the section of Israelite laymen (Ezr 10:25-43), distinct from the priestly names in Ezr 10:18-22.