41 The sons of Judah: Pherez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. 2 And Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath; and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zoreathites. 3 And these [were of] the father of Etam: Jizreel, and Jishma, and Jidbash; and the name of their sister was Hazlelponi; 4 and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah: these were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, [and] father of Bethlehem. 5 —And Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6 And Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Ahashtari: these were the sons of Naarah. 7 And the sons of Helah: Zereth, and Zohar, and Ethnan. 8 And Koz begot Anub, and Hazzobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. 9 And Jabez was more honoured than his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with pain. 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, Oh that thou wouldest richly bless me, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God brought about what he had requested.
11 And Chelub the brother of Shuah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 And Eshton begot Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of the city of Nahash: these were the men of Rechah. 13 —And the sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath. 14 And Meonothai begot Ophrah: and Seraiah begot Joab, the father of the valley of craftsmen; 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 Jehalleleel: Ziph and Ziphah, Tiria and Asareel. 17 —And the sons of Ezra: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she conceived [and bore] Miriam, and Shammai, and Jishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18 And his wife the Jewess bore 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 whom Mered took. 19 —And the sons of the wife of Hodijah, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite. 20 —And the sons of Shimon: Amnon and Rinnah, Ben-hanan and Tilon.—And the sons of Jishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth. 21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lechah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of byssus-workers, of the house of Ashbea,
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Chronicles 4:1-21
Chapter Contents
Genealogies.
In this chapter we have a further account of Judah, the most numerous and most famous of all the tribes; also an account of Simeon. The most remarkable person in this chapter is Jabez. We are not told upon what account Jabez was more honourable than his brethren; but we find that he was a praying man. The way to be truly great, is to seek to do God's will, and to pray earnestly. Here is the prayer he made. Jabez prayed to the living and true God, who alone can hear and answer prayer; and, in prayer he regarded him as a God in covenant with his people. He does not express his promise, but leaves it to be understood; he was afraid to promise in his own strength, and resolved to devote himself entirely to God. Lord, if thou wilt bless me and keep me, do what thou wilt with me; I will be at thy command and disposal for ever. As the text reads it, this was the language of a most ardent and affectionate desire, Oh that thou wouldest bless me! Four things Jabez prayed for. 1. That God would bless him indeed. Spiritual blessings are the best blessings: God's blessings are real things, and produce real effects. 2. That He would enlarge his coast. That God would enlarge our hearts, and so enlarge our portion in himself, and in the heavenly Canaan, ought to be our desire and prayer. 3. That God's hand might be with him. God's hand with us, to lead us, protect us, strengthen us, and to work all our works in us and for us, is a hand all-sufficient for us. 4. That he would keep him from evil, the evil of sin, the evil of trouble, all the evil designs of his enemies, that they might not hurt, nor make him a Jabez indeed, a man of sorrow. God granted that which he requested. God is ever ready to hear prayer: his ear is not now heavy.