1 Chronicles 4

Judah’s line

1 Judah's family: Perez, Hezron, Caleb, Hur, and Shobal.
2 Shobal's son Reaiah was Jahath's father, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the Zorathite clans.
3 This was Etam's family: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister's name was Hazzelelponi.
4 Penuel was Gedor's father, and Ezer was Hushah's father. This was the family of Hur the oldest son of Ephrathah, Bethlehem's father:
5 Ashhur, Tekoa's father, had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari for him. This was Naarah's family.
7 Helah's family: Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan.
8 Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, Harum's son.
9 Jabez was more honored than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I bore him in pain."
10 Jabez called on Israel's God: "If only you would greatly bless me and increase my territory. May your power go with me to keep me from trouble, so as not to cause me pain." And God granted his request.
11 Chelub, Shuhah's brother, was the father of Mehir, who was Eshton's father.
12 Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, Ir-nahash's father. These are the men of Recah.
13 Kenaz's family: Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel's family: Hathath and Meonothai.
14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab the father of Ge-harashim, so-called because they were skilled workers.
15 The family of Caleb, Jephunneh's son: Iru, Elah, and Naam. This was Kenaz's family.
16 Jehallelel's family: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 Ezrah's family: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Jether was the father of Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, Eshtemoa's father.
18 His Judean wife gave birth to Jered, Gedor's father; Heber, Soco's father; and Jekuthiel, Zanoah's father. This is the family of Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter, whom Mered married.
19 The family of his Judean wife, the sister of Naham, Keilah's father the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 Shimon's family: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. Ishi's family: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.
21 The family of Shelah, Judah's son: Er, Lecah's father; Laadah, Mareshah's father; the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea;
22 Jokim; the men of Cozeba; Joash; and Saraph, who married into Moab but returned to Bethlehem (the records are ancient).
23 They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king in his service.

Simeon’s line

24 Simeon's family: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul,
25 his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.
26 Mishma's family: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn't have many children, and none of their clans became as numerous as the Judeans.
28 They lived in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual,
29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,
30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,
31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until David became king.
32 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns—
33 as well as all their villages around these towns as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept their own family records:
34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,
35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah son of Seraiah son of Asiel,
36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,
37 and Ziza son of Shiphi son of Allon son of Jedaiah son of Shimri son of Shemaiah.
38 These mentioned by name were leaders in their clans, and their households increased greatly.
39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to find pasture for their flocks.
40 They found fertile pasture, and the land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful; the people of Ham used to live there.
41 These whose names were recorded, however, came in the days of Judah's King Hezekiah, attacked their tents and the Meunim found there, and completely destroyed them, as can be seen today. They settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42 Some of them, five hundred Simeonites, went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, Ishi's sons.
43 They struck down those who were left of the Amalekites and have lived there ever since.

1 Chronicles 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

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.

Footnotes 13

  • [a]. Cf 1 Chron 2:19; MT Carmi
  • [b]. LXX; MT father
  • [c]. Qere, LXX; Kethib Izhar
  • [d]. Heb sounds like Jabez.
  • [e]. LXX, Vulg; MT lacks Meonothai.
  • [f]. Or the valley of skilled workers
  • [g]. Cf 4:13; MT the family of Elah and Kenaz
  • [h]. LXX, Vulg; MT son
  • [i]. LXX; MT and she conceived
  • [j]. LXX; MT the wife of Hodiah
  • [k]. Or ruled over
  • [l]. Cf Tg, Vulg; MT Lehem returned
  • [m]. Qere; Kethib Meinim

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 4

In this chapter is a further account of the tribe of Judah, and of some principal families in it, 1Ch 4:1-23 and of the tribe of Simeon, their families, cities, and villages, 1Ch 4:24-38 and of the enlargement of their borders, and conquest of the Amalekites, 1Ch 4:39-43.

1 Chronicles 4 Commentaries

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