Jabez's prayer interrupts the genealogical monotony with Hebrew wordplay—his name meaning "pain" contrasts sharply with his request for blessing and expanded territory.
1The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
2Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath; and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.
3These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. The name of their sister was Hazzelelponi.
4Penuel was the father of Gedor and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.
5Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.
7The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
8Hakkoz became the father of Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with sorrow.”
10Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border! May your hand be with me, and may you keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” God granted him that which he requested.
11Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.
12Eshton became the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These are the men of Recah.
13The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath.
14Meonothai became the father of Ophrah: and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge Harashim, for they were craftsmen.
15The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.
16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon; and Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18His wife the Jewess bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.
19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben Zoheth.
21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;
22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These records are ancient.
23These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work.
24The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son.
26The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.
27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn’t have many children, and all their family didn’t multiply like the children of Judah.
28They lived at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual,
29at Bilhah, at Ezem, at Tolad,
30at Bethuel, at Hormah, at Ziklag,
31at Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, at Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until David’s reign.
32Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33and all their villages that were around the same cities, as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept their genealogy.
34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah,
35Joel, Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,
37and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—
38these mentioned by name were princes in their families. Their fathers’ houses increased greatly.
39They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40They found rich, good pasture, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceful, for those who lived there before were descended from Ham.
41These written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and struck their tents and the Meunim who were found there; and they destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42Some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
43They struck the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day.
1 Chronicles 4 continues the genealogical records with detailed lineages of Judah and Simeon, two of Israel's twelve tribes. The chapter highlights various family lines, occupations, and settlements, including craftsmen, potters, and those who served the king. Most notably, it features the prayer of Jabez, who sought God's blessing and protection, demonstrating how individual faith could flourish even within these extensive family records.
Context
This chapter continues the tribal genealogies begun in chapter 2, maintaining the Chronicler's emphasis on Israel's covenant identity through detailed family records.
Key Themes
Outline
Genealogical records of Judah's descendants, highlighted by Jabez's prayer for blessing and God's favorable response. The passage emphasizes God's faithfulness to His people through family lineages.
person_contrast
Jabez's prayer interrupts the genealogical monotony with Hebrew wordplay—his name meaning "pain" contrasts sharply with his request for blessing and expanded territory.
Chronicles the descendants and territorial settlements of the tribe of Simeon, including their expansion and conquest of new lands. The passage shows God's provision of territory and prosperity for His people.
person_contrast
David appears in verse 31's territorial formula "until the reign of David," marking the only instance where his name anchors Simeonite inheritance rights rather than royal authority or covenant promises.
Jabez's prayer interrupts the genealogical monotony with Hebrew wordplay—his name meaning "pain" contrasts sharply with his request for blessing and expanded territory.
David appears in verse 31's territorial formula "until the reign of David," marking the only instance where his name anchors Simeonite inheritance rights rather than royal authority or covenant promises.
Connected passages across Scripture
These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim,
The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and…
the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it, so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife.
Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
When the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, ev…
The land had rest forty years, then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites;…
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these ar…
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