1 Chronicles 4

The Descendants of Judah

1 The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2 Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

3 These were the sons ^[a] of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And their sister was named Hazzelelponi.

4 Penuel was the father ^[b] of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem.

5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

6 Naarah bore to him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.

7 The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, ^[c] Ethnan,

8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Zobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

The Prayer of Jabez

9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, ^[d] saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”

10 And Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only You would bless me and enlarge my territory! May Your hand be with me and keep me from harm, so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted the request of Jabez.

More Descendants of Judah

11 Chelub the brother of Shuhah was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

12 Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, of Paseah, and of Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah.

13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. ^[e]

14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of those living in Ge-harashim, which was given this name because its people were craftsmen. ^[f]

15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son ^[g] of Elah: Kenaz.

16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth ^[h] to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

18 These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah. ^[i] Mered also took a Judean ^[j] wife, who gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.

19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maacathite. ^[k]

20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea,

22 Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi-lehem. (These names are from ancient records.)

23 These were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king.

The Descendants of Simeon

24 The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, ^[l] and Shaul.

25 The sons of Shaul: Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma.

26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei.

27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah.

28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual,

29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.

32 And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns—

33 and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. ^[m] These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record:

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 men listed by name were the leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly,

39 and they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, in search of pasture for their flocks.

40 There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.

41 These who were noted by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings as well as the Meunites who were there, devoting them to destruction ^[n] even to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks.

42 And five hundred of these Simeonites led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to Mount Seir

43 and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX (see also Vulgate); Hebrew These were of the father
• [b]. Or the founder; also in verses 5, 12, 14, 17, 18, and possibly elsewhere
• [c]. Alternate MT reading; the other alternate (see also Vulgate) reads Izhar.
• [d]. Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain or distress.
• [e]. Vulgate and some LXX; Hebrew does not include and Meonothai.
• [f]. Literally Ge-harashim, for they were craftsmen. The Hebrew Ge-harashim means valley of craftsmen.
• [g]. Hebrew sons
• [h]. Literally she gave birth
• [i]. This statement is at the end of verse 18 in the Hebrew.
• [j]. Or Judahite
• [k]. Or were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite
• [l]. Zerah is a variant of Zohar; see Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15.
• [m]. Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts (see also Joshua 19:8) Baalath
• [n]. Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

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.