1 Chronicles 4:1–23
4 The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2 4:2Reaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. 3 4:3These were the sons 1 of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi, 4 4:4and Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. 5 4:5Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah; 6 4:6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7 4:7The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. 8 4:8Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. 9 4:9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 2 10 4:10Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm 3 so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. 11 4:11Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. 12 4:12Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. 13 4:13The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. 4 14 4:14Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, 5 so-called because they were craftsmen. 15 4:15The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son 6 of Elah: Kenaz. 16 4:16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17 4:17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married; 7 and she conceived and bore 8 Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18 4:18And his Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19 4:19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20 4:20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. 21 4:21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22 4:22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to Lehem 9 (now the records 10 are ancient). 23 4:23These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king’s service.
1 Septuagint (compare Vulgate); Hebrew father
2 Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain
3 Or evil
4 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks Meonothai
5 Ge-harashim means valley of craftsmen
6 Hebrew sons
7 The clause These are . . . married is transposed from verse 18
8 Hebrew lacks and bore
9 Vulgate (compare Septuagint); Hebrew and Jashubi-lahem
10 Or matters
Section Outline
Response
The concluding section of “the sons of Judah” demonstrates again openness to all who are prepared to be identified with God’s people. After the preceding focus on the Davidic line, which will find its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the recognition of a great diversity of named people and families is important. Later chapters will turn to religious leaders, but here the specification of “craftsmen,” “linen workers,” and “potters” is a reminder of the variety of gifts that enable the well functioning of a community (1 Corinthians 12).
The bright light of Jabez’s prayer and God’s answer encourages all who may feel bound by past circumstances that somehow determine their fate. This may include a name or label that has been given (“loser,” “weakling,” “criminal,” “outsider”—the list is endless), or a dysfunctional family background. By turning to the Lord, Jabez becomes a forerunner of the many who turn to Christ in his earthly ministry for healing and deliverance, and of countless others since who have experienced that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).