1 Chronicles 4: The Prayer of Jabez
Amid the clans of Judah and Simeon, one obscure man cries out to God for blessing and protection, and the Lord grants his request.
1 Chronicles 4 (WEB)
1 The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.
2 Reaiah 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.
3 These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi;
4 and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.
5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.
7 The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
8 Hakkoz became the father of Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers: and his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with sorrow.”
10 Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow!” God granted him that which he requested.
11 Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.
12 Eshton became the father of Beth Rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These are the men of Recah.
13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel, and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath.
14 Meonothai became the father of Ophrah: and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge Harashim; for they were craftsmen.
15 The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the sons of Elah; and Kenaz.
16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she bore Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18 His wife the Jewess bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.
19 The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben Zoheth.
21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;
22 and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. The records are ancient.
23 These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah: there they lived with the king for his work.
24 The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn’t have many children, neither did all their family multiply like the children of Judah.
28 They lived at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,
29 and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30 and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31 and at Beth Marcaboth, and Hazar Susim, and at Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities to the reign of David.
32 Their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33 and all their villages that were around the same cities, to Baal. These were their habitations, and they have their genealogy.
34 Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,
35 and Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36 and Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,
37 and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—
38 these mentioned by name were princes in their families: and their fathers’ houses increased greatly.
39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40 They found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for those who lived there before were of Ham.
41 These written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and struck their tents, and the Meunim who were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place; because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42 Some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
43 They struck the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day.
1 Chronicles 4 (KJV)
1 The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.
2 And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.
3 And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi:
4 And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Beth–lehem.
5 And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.
7 And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.
8 And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
11 And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.
12 And Eshton begat Beth–rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir–nahash. These are the men of Rechah.
13 And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath.
14 And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen.
15 And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz.
16 And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.
17 And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18 And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took.
19 And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.
20 And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben–hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Ben–zoheth.
21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,
22 And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubi–lehem. And these are ancient things.
23 These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.
24 The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:
25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26 And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.
27 And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.
28 And they dwelt at Beer–sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar–shual,
29 And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30 And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31 And at Beth–marcaboth, and Hazar–susim, and at Beth–birei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32 And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:
33 And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.
34 And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,
35 And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36 And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,
37 And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah;
38 These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly.
39 And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40 And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.
41 And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42 And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
43 And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.
1 Chronicles 4 (ASV)
1 The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.
2 And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.
3 And these were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi;
4 and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephrathah, the father of Beth-lehem.
5 And Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 And Naarah bare him Ahuzzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.
7 And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
8 And Hakkoz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
9 And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested.
11 And Chelub the brother of Shuhah begat Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.
12 And Eshton begat Beth-rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah.
13 And the sons of Kenaz: Othniel, and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel: Hathath.
14 And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab the father of Ge-harashim; for they were craftsmen.
15 And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the sons of Elah; and Kenaz.
16 And the sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 And the sons of Ezrah: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18 And his wife the Jewess bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.
19 And the sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 And the sons of Shimon: Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben-zoheth.
21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;
22 and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. And the records are ancient.
23 These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah: there they dwelt with the king for his work.
24 The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26 And the sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.
27 And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply like to the children of Judah.
28 And they dwelt at Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-shual,
29 and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30 and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31 and at Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susim, and at Beth-biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32 And their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33 and all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and they have their genealogy.
34 And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,
35 and Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36 and Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,
37 and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—
38 these mentioned by name were princes in their families: and their fathers’ houses increased greatly.
39 And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40 And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they that dwelt there aforetime were of Ham.
41 And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the Meunim that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their stead; because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42 And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
43 And they smote the remnant of the Amalekites that escaped, and have dwelt there unto this day.
Summary
The genealogy continues with more families of Judah, listing clans, craftsmen, potters, and towns, including the descendants of Hur and the workers in fine linen. In the midst of these names the Chronicler pauses over one man, Jabez, who was more honorable than his brothers, though his mother named him Jabez because she bore him in sorrow. Jabez calls on the God of Israel with a remarkable prayer, asking God to bless him, enlarge his border, keep his hand upon him, and keep him from evil so that it would not bring him sorrow. The text simply records that God granted him what he requested. The chapter then turns to the tribe of Simeon, whose territory lay within Judah's, listing their families, their cities, and their expansion to find pasture for their flocks, including a victory in the days of Hezekiah and a remnant who struck down the Amalekites at Mount Seir. Set among so many bare names, Jabez stands out as a window into the heart of the whole genealogy: a real person who prayed, was heard, and was remembered, reminding the reader that behind every name is a life that could call upon God.
Key Figures
- Jabez — An otherwise unknown man of Judah, more honorable than his brothers, whose bold prayer for blessing and protection God answered.
- The clans of Judah — Families, craftsmen, and townsfolk descended from Judah, including potters and workers in fine linen who served the king.
- The tribe of Simeon — A tribe settled within Judah's territory, whose families expanded in search of pasture and won victories over their enemies.
- The God of Israel — The Lord on whom Jabez calls and who grants his request, the hearer of prayer woven quietly into the long lists of names.
Key Verse
1 Chronicles 4:10 (WEB)
Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow!” God granted him that which he requested.
Lessons Learned
- Behind every name in a genealogy is a real person who could call upon the living God.
- God invites his people to ask boldly for his blessing, presence, and protection.
- A painful beginning, like the sorrow in Jabez's name, need not define a person before God.
- The Lord delights to hear and answer the prayers of those who turn to him in faith.
- God hears bold, dependent prayer. Jabez asks God to “bless me indeed, and enlarge my border” (1 Chronicles 4:10, WEB), and the simple record stands: God granted his request.
- Honor comes from God, not circumstance. Though named for sorrow, Jabez “was more honorable than his brothers” (1 Chronicles 4:9, WEB); his standing rested on his relationship with God, not his beginnings.
- We may ask for God's presence and protection. Jabez longs that God's “hand might be with me” and that God would “keep me from evil” (1 Chronicles 4:10, WEB), the truest blessings we can seek.
- God remembers the obscure. Among hundreds of names, one praying man is singled out (1 Chronicles 4:9-10, WEB), showing the Lord notices and records the faith of the otherwise forgotten.
- Why do you think the Chronicler pauses over Jabez in the middle of a long list of names?
- What does Jabez actually ask God for, and what does each request reveal about his heart?
- How does the meaning of Jabez's name make his honor and his prayer more striking?
- What does it mean that God simply “granted him that which he requested”?
- Which part of Jabez's prayer most resembles what you long to ask God for, and what might it look like to pray it in faith this week?
- By spotlighting Jabez, the Chronicler reminds us that genealogies are not mere lists but a record of real people. He invites us to slow down and see that any of these names could have been, like Jabez, a person of prayer whom God heard and honored.
- Jabez asks for blessing, for enlarged borders, for God's hand to be with him, and for protection from evil and sorrow. Together these reveal a heart that depends wholly on God for prosperity, presence, and protection rather than on its own strength.
- His name means sorrow, hinting at a hard, painful start. That a man marked by sorrow becomes honorable and prays so boldly shows that our beginnings do not bind us; God can rewrite a story that began in grief.
- The plain statement that God granted his request underscores that this prayer was heard and answered. It encourages readers that God genuinely responds to those who call on him, without fanfare but with real faithfulness.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to identify which longing—blessing, God's presence, or protection—resonates most, and to voice it to God in honest dependence. As leader, keep the focus on seeking God himself, not merely his gifts.