1 Chronicles4
World English Bible · Public Domain
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.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Chronicles 4.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Genealogies. (1-43).
vv1-43
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.
Key Words
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יְהוּדָה: Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
פֶּרֶץ: Perets, the name of two Israelites
חֶצְרוֹן: Chetsron, the name of a place in Palestine; also of two Israelites
כַּרְמִי: Karmi, the name of three Israelites
חוּר: Chur, the name of four Israelites and one Midianite
שׁוֹבָל: Shobal, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites
רְאָיָה: Reajah, the name of three Israelites
יָלַד: to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
יַחַת: Jachath, the name of four Israelites
Cross References
1 Chronicles 4Name given in remembrance of maternal sorrow during birth, matching Rachel naming Ben-oni.
Supported by JFB
Identifies Othniel's descent from Kenaz and Caleb's family line.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Verifies Hur as the firstborn of Ephratah and father of Bethlehem.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies the valley of craftsmen near Jerusalem, matching the ancestral trade of Joab.
Supported by JFB
Connects the remnant of the Amalekites to those who escaped Saul's earlier destruction.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Links the families of the Zorathites back to Shobal's line.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Biblical origin of bearing children in sorrow, directly alluded to in Jabez's name.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Another historical name given because of tragedy or grief in the family.
Supported by JFB
Lists the sons of Simeon, matching Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels finding a quiet, secure land previously inhabited by tranquil, unsuspecting residents.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Traces Ashur, the father of Tekoa, within the families of Judah.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Caleb the son of Jephunneh's inheritance and Kenizzite family connection.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The divine command to blot out the memory of Amalek, fulfilled here.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies Hezron as a son of Pharez, tracing Judah's early line.
Supported by Matthew Poole