1 Chronicles 4:9

9 And Jabez was noble before all his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez, and said, For I childed him in sorrow. (And Jabez was more respected than all his brothers; and his mother called him Jabez, or He who maketh sorrow, saying, For I gave birth to him in pain.)

1 Chronicles 4:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 4:9

And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren
The Targum adds,

``and wiser in the law than his brethren;''

or he might be a man of great wealth and riches, or of great strength and courage, all which make a man honourable; or he may be so called, because a praying man, as follows, a man of devotion and religion, a man of God, see ( 1 Samuel 9:6 ) , but who he was is not easy to say, probably a son or brother of Harum, or however that belonged to one of the families of Aharhel, mentioned in the preceding verse; for that he was Othniel, as say the Targumist and other Jewish writers ^F26, is not probable, and besides is after spoken of distinct from him, ( 1 Chronicles 4:13 )

and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, because I bare him with
sorrow;
either with sorrow for her husband, being dead, or by reason of very sharp pains she endured at the birth of him; he was another Benoni.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 T. Bab. Temurah, fol. 16. 1.

1 Chronicles 4:9 In-Context

7 And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Jezoar, and Ethnan.

8 And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the kindreds of Aharhel, the son of Harum.

9 And Jabez was noble before all his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez, and said, For I childed him in sorrow. (And Jabez was more respected than all his brothers; and his mother called him Jabez, or He who maketh sorrow, saying, For I gave birth to him in pain.)

10 And Jabez called inwardly (to the) God of Israel, and said, If thou blessing shalt bless me, and shalt enlarge my terms, and if thine hand shall be with me, and thou shalt make me to be not oppressed of malice. And God gave to him that thing, that he prayed. (And Jabez inwardly called on the God of Israel, and said, If thou blessing shalt bless me, and shalt enlarge my borders, and thy hand shall be with me, and thou shalt keep me from being oppressed by malice, I shall be blessed indeed. And God gave him what he prayed for.)

11 And Chelub, the brother of Shuah, begat Mehir, that was the father of Eshton;