1 Chronicles 4

1 The sons of Yehudah: Peretz, Hetzron, and Karmi, and Hur, and Shoval.
2 Re'ayah the son of Shoval became the father of Yachat; and Yachat became the father of Achumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Tzor`ati.
3 These were [the sons of] the father of `Etam: Yizre`el, and Yishma, and Yidbash; and the name of their sister was Hatztzelel-Poni;
4 and Penu'el the father of Gedor, and Etzer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Efratah, the father of Beit-Lechem.
5 Ashshur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Hel'ah and Na`arah.
6 Na`arah bore him Achuzzam, and Hefer, and Timni, and Achashtari. These were the sons of Na`arah.
7 The sons of Hel'ah were Tzeret, Tzochar, and Etnan.
8 Kotz became the father of `Anuv, and Tzovevah, and the families of Acharchel the son of Harum.
9 Ya`betz was more honorable than his brothers: and his mother named him Ya`betz, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow.
10 Ya`betz called on the God of Yisra'el, 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 Kelub the brother of Shuchah became the father of Mechir, who was the father of Eshton.
12 Eshton became the father of Beit-Rafa, and Pase'ach, and Techinnah the father of Ir-Nachash. These are the men of Rekhah.
13 The sons of Kenaz: `Otni'el, and Serayah. The sons of `Otni'el: Hatat.
14 Me`onotai became the father of Ofrat: and Serayah became the father of Yo'av the father of Ge-Harashim; for they were craftsmen.
15 The sons of Kalev the son of Yefunneh: Iru, Elah, and Na`am; and the sons of Elah; and Kenaz.
16 The sons of Yehallel'el: Zif, and Zifah, Tiryah, and Asar'el.
17 The sons of Ezrah: Yeter, and Mered, and `Efer, and Yalon; and she bore Miryam, and Shammai, and Yishbach the father of Eshtemoa.
18 His wife Yehudiyah bore Yered the father of Gedor, and Hever the father of Sokho, and Yekuti'el the father of Zanoach. These are the sons of Bityah the daughter of Par`oh, whom Mered took.
19 The sons of the wife of Hodiyah, the sister of Nacham, were the father of Ke`ilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Ma`akhatite.
20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Yish`i: Zochet, and Ben-Zochet.
21 The sons of Shelah, the son of Yehudah: `Er the father of Lekha, and La`adah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;
22 and Yokim, and the men of Kozeva, and Yo'ash, and Saraf, who had dominion in Mo'av, and Yashuvi-Lechem. 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 Shim`on: Nemu'el, and Yamin, Yariv, Zerach, Sha'ul;
25 Shallum his son, Mivsam his son, Mishma his son.
26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zakkur his son, Shim`i his son.
27 Shim`i had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn't have many children, neither did all their family multiply like the children of Yehudah.
28 They lived at Be'er-Sheva, and Moladah, and Hatzar-Shu`al,
29 and at Bilhah, and at `Etzem, and at Tolad,
30 and at Betu'el, and at Hormah, and at Tziklag,
31 and at Beit-Markavot, and Hatzar-Susim, and at Beit-Bir'i, and at Sha`arayim. These were their cities to the reign of David.
32 Their villages were `Etam, and `Ayin, Rimmon, and Tokhen, and `Ashan, five cities;
33 and all their villages that were round about the same cities, to Ba`al. These were their habitations, and they have their genealogy.
34 Meshovav, and Yamlekh, and Yoshah the son of Amatzyah,
35 and Yo'el, and Yehu the son of Yoshivyah, the son of Serayah, the son of `Asi'el,
36 and Elyo`enai, and Ya`akovah, and Yeshochayah, and `Asayah, and `Adi'el, and Yesimi'el, and Benayah,
37 and Ziza the son of Shif`i, the son of Allon, the son of Yedayah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemayah
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 Hizkiyahu king of Yehudah, and struck their tents, and the Me`unim 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 Shim`on, five hundred men, went to Mount Se`ir, having for their captains Pelatyah, and Ne`aryah, and Refayah, and `Uzzi'el, the sons of Yish`i.
43 They struck the remnant of the `Amaleki who escaped, and have lived there to this day.

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.

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

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.