Igal

Igal (meaning redeemed or avenger) is the name of two biblical figures. (1.) The son of Joseph of the tribe of Issachar, sent as one of the twelve spies to survey the land of Canaan under Moses (Numbers 13:7). He was among the ten who brought back a discouraging report, arguing that Israel could not overcome the Canaanites. (2.) One of David's thirty mighty warriors, described as the son of Nathan of Zobah (2 Samuel 23:36), also listed as Joel the brother of Nathan in 1 Chronicles 11:38 — a textual discrepancy possibly due to scribal error in transmission.

A third person named Igal appears in 1 Chronicles 3:22 among the descendants of Zerubbabel in the post-exilic Davidic line. The name's meaning of redemption or vindication carries theological resonance in the context of Israel's covenant hope, though neither the spy nor the warrior receives extended narrative beyond his listing in these records.