Jeiel

Jeiel was a clan chief of the tribe of Reuben, named as "the chief" among the Reubenite relatives recorded by their clans in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 5:7. He is one of several men in the Old Testament who bear the name Jeiel and is distinct from the Levites of that name and from the father of Gibeon.

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Life and Background

Jeiel was a descendant of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, whose sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi (1 Chronicles 5:3). The Reubenite line in 1 Chronicles 5 runs down to Beerah, a leader of the Reubenites whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried into exile (1 Chronicles 5:6), and then records the relatives by their clans, beginning with Jeiel the chief and Zechariah (1 Chronicles 5:7). His father and his descendants are not named.

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Biblical Role and Ministry

The text identifies Jeiel only by his rank as chief among the clans it lists. The chapter's chronology is uneven: verse 6 reaches down to the Assyrian exile, while verse 10 records that during the days of Saul the Reubenites waged war against the Hagrites. The passage therefore does not fix Jeiel to a particular generation.

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Key Events and Actions

No actions of Jeiel himself are recorded. The list in which he stands continues with Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, and records that they settled in Aroer and as far as Nebo and Baal-meon (1 Chronicles 5:8). This genealogical listing does not elaborate on his actions or significance but situates him within the tribal history of Israel.

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Archaeological and Historical Evidence

There is no established archaeological or historical evidence directly attesting to Jeiel outside the biblical text.

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Legacy and Lessons

Jeiel's place at the head of the Reubenite clan list preserves the memory of the leadership of an Israelite tribe whose families 1 Chronicles records by name. The genealogies of Chronicles trace the whole people of Israel, not only its kings and priests.