Verse 9

OF JABEZ, AND HIS PRAYER. (Ch1 4:9-20) Jabez--was, as many think, the son of Coz, or Kenaz, and is here eulogized for his sincere and fervent piety, as well, perhaps, as for some public and patriotic works which he performed. The Jewish writers affirm that he was an eminent doctor in the law, whose reputation drew so many scribes around him that a town was called by his name (Ch1 2:55); and to the piety of his character this passage bears ample testimony. The memory of the critical circumstances which marked his birth was perpetuated in his name (compare Gen 35:15); and yet, in the development of his high talents or distinguished worth in later life, his mother must have found a satisfaction and delight that amply compensated for all her early trials. His prayer which is here recorded, and which, like Jacob's, is in the form of a vow (Gen 28:20), seems to have been uttered when he was entering on an important or critical service, for the successful execution of which he placed confidence neither on his own nor his people's prowess, but looked anxiously for the aid and blessing of God. The enterprise was in all probability the expulsion of the Canaanites from the territory he occupied; and as this was a war of extermination, which God Himself had commanded, His blessing could be the more reasonably asked and expected in preserving them from all the evils to which the undertaking might expose him. In these words, "that it may not grieve me," and which might be more literally rendered, "that I may have no more sorrow," there is an allusion to the meaning of his name, Jabez, signifying "grief"; and the import of this petition is, Let me not experience the grief which my name implies, and which my sins may well produce.

Verse 10

God granted him that which he requested--Whatever was the kind of undertaking which roused his anxieties, Jabez enjoyed a remarkable degree of prosperity, and God, in this instance, proved that He was not only the hearer, but the answerer of prayer.

Verse 13

the sons of Kenaz--the grandfather of Caleb, who from that relationship is called a Kenezite (Num 32:12).

Verse 14

Joab, the father of the valley of Carashim--literally, "the father of the inhabitants of the valley"--"the valley of craftsmen," as the word denotes. They dwelt together, according to a custom which, independently of any law, extensively prevails in Eastern countries for persons of the same trade to inhabit the same street or the same quarter, and to follow the same occupation from father to son, through many generations. Their occupation was probably that of carpenters, and the valley where they lived seems to have been in the neighborhood of Jerusalem (Neh 11:35).

Verse 17

she bare Miriam--It is difficult, as the verses stand at present, to see who is meant. The following readjustment of the text clears away the obscurity: "These are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took, and she bare Miriam, and his wife Jehudijah bare Jezreel," &c.

Verse 18

Jehudijah--"the Jewess," to distinguish her from his other wife, who was an Egyptian. This passage records a very interesting fact--the marriage of an Egyptian princess to a descendant of Caleb. The marriage must have taken place in the wilderness. The barriers of a different national language and national religion kept the Hebrews separate from the Egyptians; but they did not wholly prevent intimacies, and even occasional intermarriages between private individuals of the two nations. Before such unions, however, could be sanctioned, the Egyptian party must have renounced idolatry, and this daughter of Pharaoh, as appears from her name, had become a convert to the worship of the God of Israel.

Verse 21

POSTERITY OF SHELAH. (Ch1 4:21-23) Laadah . . . the father . . . of the house of them that wrought fine linen--Here, again, is another incidental evidence that in very early times certain trades were followed by particular families among the Hebrews, apparently in hereditary succession. Their knowledge of the art of linen manufacture had been, most probably, acquired in Egypt, where the duty of bringing up families to the occupations of their forefathers was a compulsory obligation, whereas in Israel, as in many parts of Asia to this day, it was optional, though common.

Verse 22

had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem--"And these are ancient things" seems a strange rendering of a proper name; and, besides, it conveys a meaning that has no bearing on the record. The following improved translation has been suggested: "Sojourned in Moab, but returned to Beth-lehem and Adaberim-athekim. These and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gedera were potters employed by the king in his own work." Gedera or Gederoth, and Netaim, belonged to the tribe of Judah, and lay on the southeast border of the Philistines' territory (Jos 15:36; Ch2 28:18).

Verse 24

OF SIMEON. (1Ch. 4:24-43) The sons of Simeon--They are classed along with those of Judah, as their possession was partly taken out of the extensive territory of the latter (Jos 19:1). The difference in several particulars of the genealogy given here from that given in other passages is occasioned by some of the persons mentioned having more than one name [compare Gen 46:10; Exo 6:15; Num 26:12].

Verse 27

his brethren had not many children--(see Num 1:22; Num 26:14).

Verse 31

These were their cities unto the reign of David--In consequence of the sloth or cowardice of the Simeonites, some of the cities within their allotted territory were only nominally theirs. They were never taken from the Philistines until David's time, when, the Simeonites having forfeited all claim to them, he assigned them to his own tribe of Judah (Sa1 27:6).

Verse 38

increased greatly, and they went to the entrance of Gedor--Simeon having only a part of the land of Judah, they were forced to seek accommodation elsewhere; but their establishment in the new and fertile pastures of Gederah was soon broken up; for, being attacked by a band of nomad plunderers, they were driven from place to place till some of them effected by force a settlement on Mount Seir. Next: 1 Chronicles Chapter 5

Verse 1

The sons of Judah: Pharez,.... The posterity of Judah in the line of Pharez, for he only is mentioned: Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. Hezron was the son of Pharez, and Carmi is supposed to be Chelubai, or Caleb, the son of Hezron; and Hur the son of Caleb; and Shobal was the son of the second Caleb the son of Hur; see Ch1 2:5.

Verse 2

And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath,.... Reaiah is the same with Haroeh, Ch1 2:52 the names are of the same signification: and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites; who inhabited Zoreah, as the Targum, at least part of it; see Ch1 2:53.

Verse 3

And these were of the father of Etam,.... Or of the prince of Etam: or, as the Targum, these are princes that dwelt in Etam, a place not far from Zorah, Jdg 15:8 and is mentioned with Bethlehem and Tekoa in the tribe of Judah, Ch2 11:6, namely, which follow: Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash; these were the sons of the governor of Etam: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi; who, perhaps, was a person of great note in those days, though now unknown; indeed, a Jewish chronologer (w) tells us, that the mother of Samson was Hazalelponith, of the tribe of Judah. (w) Juchasin, fol. 10. 2.

Verse 4

And Penuel the father of Gedor,.... The prince of that place, according to some, and the same with Hareph, Ch1 2:51, and Ezer the father of Hushah: thought to be the same with Shuah, Ch1 4:11, these are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah: Caleb's wife, Ch1 2:19 the Targum adds, the same with Miriam; and so other Jewish writers (x) say, Miriam had two names, and one was Ephratah; though Josephus makes (y) Hur to be her husband, and not her son, as here: who was the father of Bethlehem; of the inhabitants of that city, at least part of them, or prince of that place, as his grandson Salma also was, Ch1 2:51. (x) Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 90. 4. Yalkut in 1 Chron. ii. 19. (y) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 2.

Verse 5

And Ashur the father of Tekoa,.... A son of Hezron by Abiah, Ch1 2:24. had two wives, Helah and Naarah; as Lamech had, polygamy not being reckoned unlawful in those times.

Verse 6

And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari,.... Of whom we have no account elsewhere: these were the sons of Naarah; the second wife of Ashur.

Verse 7

And the sons of Helah,.... The other wife: were Zereth, and Zoar, and Ethnan: nowhere else mentioned.

Verse 8

And Coz,.... Another son of Helah, and brother of the before mentioned: begat Anub, and Zobebah; of whom we nowhere else read: and the families of Aharhel, the son of Harum; these were of the posterity of Coz; the Targum is, "and the family of Aharhel, this is Hur, the firstborn of Miriam;''which is not at all probable.

Verse 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 Sa1 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 (z), is not probable, and besides is after spoken of distinct from him, Ch1 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. (z) T. Bab. Temurah, fol. 16. 1.

Verse 10

And Jabez called on the God of Israel,.... Or prayed to him, as the Targum; though some understand it as a vow, promising what he would do if God would do thus and thus for him; the Syriac and Arabic versions read in the third person, taking it to be what others, his parents and friends, wished for him: let him bless thee,.... but they are doubtless his own words, and a supplication of his to the Lord: saying, oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed; the Targum adds, with children; but he no doubt prayed for greater blessings than any outward or temporal ones are, even spiritual blessings, covenant blessings, the sure mercies of David, which are solid, substantial, durable, and irreversible: and enlarge my coast; the Targum is,"multiply my borders with disciples.''It may be understood of an enlargement of the borders of his country, by expelling the Canaanites that might dwell in it, and of an increase of his worldly substance for good ends and purposes; or rather of a spiritual enlargement by deliverance from spiritual enemies, and of grace as to exercise; and particularly of spiritual light and knowledge, and of the affections and desires of the soul after divine things, see Psa 4:1. and that thine hand might be with me; the Targum adds, in business, prospering and succeeding him; the sense may be, that his hand of providence might be with him to protect him, of grace and love to comfort and help him in every time of need, of wisdom to direct him, and of power to keep him: and that thou wouldest keep me from evil; from the evil of affliction, and especially from the evil of sin, and from the evil one, Satan, and from all evil men and evil company; the Targum is,"and make me companions such as I am:''that it may not grieve me; alluding to his name Jabez, which he had from the sorrow and grief of his mother; and nothing is more grieving to a good man than the evil of sin, so contrary to the nature and will of God, being committed against a God of infinite love, grace, and mercy, whereby the name, ways, and truths of Christ are dishonoured, and the Spirit of God grieved, and saints are bereaved of much comfort; and therefore desire to be kept from it, knowing they cannot keep themselves, but the Lord can and will, at least from the tyranny of it, and destruction by it: the Targum is,"lest the evil figment (or corruption of nature) should move or provoke me:" and God granted him that which he requested; as he does whatever is asked in faith, according to his will, and will make for his glory, and the good of his people; see Jo1 5:14.

Verse 11

And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir,.... If Shuah is the same with Hushah, Ch1 4:4, then Chelub was the son of Ezer: which was the father of Eshton; not the prince of a place called Eshton, as Vatablus; for it is the name of a man, the son of Mehir, and who in the next verse is said to beget sons.

Verse 12

And Eshton begat Bethrapha,.... Or the family of Rapha: and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash; or the city of Nahash; Tehinnah seems to have been the prince or governor of a city, so called: these are the men of Rechah; these sons of Eshton dwelt in a place called Rechah; the Targum, without any reason, says, these are the men of the great sanhedrim.

Verse 13

And the sons of Kenaz,.... Who was either the son of Chelub, or of Eshton: Othniel, and Seraiah; the first of these is he who is mentioned, Jos 15:17 and was the first judge in Israel: and the son of Othniel, Hathath; and the next mentioned.

Verse 14

And Meonothai,.... Another son of Othniel: begat Ophrah; and Seraiah, the brother of Othniel, begat Joab; not David's general, but another of the same name, who lived long before him, see Ch1 2:54. the father of the valley of Charashim: of the inhabitants of the valley, or the prince of them, called the valley of craftsmen, Neh 11:35 the reason of which is here given: for they were craftsmen; that dwelt in it, carpenters and smiths, both which the word signifies, men that wrought in stone, wood, and iron.

Verse 15

And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh,.... Jephunneh is not the same with Hezron, as the Targum, but another son of Kenaz, hence called the Kenezite, Jos 14:6 and brother of Othniel; and Caleb his son is the same that was sent one of the spies of the land of Canaan by Moses, see Num 13:6. his sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam; of whom we nowhere else read: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz; another Kenaz, or rather it should be read Uknaz; so Jarchi and Kimchi.

Verse 16

And the sons of Jehaleleel,.... Who probably was the son of Uknaz: Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel; there were two cities in the tribe of Judah of the name of Ziph, Jos 15:24, which might be called from these men, or from Ziph in Ch1 2:42.

Verse 17

And the sons of Ezra,.... Who was perhaps the son of Asareel, last mentioned: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; only one of them, Mered, is after mentioned: and she bare Miriam; which is not the name of a woman, but of a man, as Kimchi observes; and, according to him, his mother was the wife of Mered, which he gathers from the next verse; though she seems to be the wife of Ezra, who bare him other sons: and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa; a prince of a city in the tribe of Judah, so called, Jos 15:50.

Verse 18

And his wife Jehudijah,.... Another wife of Ezra; or, according to Kimchi, of Mered; a Jewess, as the word is by some rendered, to distinguish her from another wife, an Egyptian, in the latter part of the verse: bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah; who were princes, as Jarchi seems rightly to observe; of several cities of these names in the tribe of Judah, as of Gedor, see Jos 15:58, of Socoh, Jos 15:35, of Zanoah, Jos 15:34, the Targum interprets the names of all these men of Moses, whom Pharaoh's daughter brought up; and so other Jewish writers (a), into which mistake they were led by what follows: and these are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took; that is, to wife; this Mered was one of the sons of Ezra, Ch1 4:17 the Targum, and other Jewish writers (b), say this was Caleb, called Mered, because he rebelled against the counsel of the spies; but this contradicts their other notion of Jehudijah, or Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter, whom he married, the one who brought up Moses, since Moses was elder than Caleb; but Bithiah, whom Mered married, was not a daughter of Pharaoh king of Egypt, but of an Israelite of this name; her sons are supposed to be those in the latter part of Ch1 4:17. (a) T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 13. 1. Vajikra Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 146. 3. (b) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 19. 2. & Megillah, fol. 13. 1.

Verse 19

And the sons of his wife Hodiah,.... Another wife of Mered. Hillerus (c) takes her to be the same with Jehudijah, Ch1 4:18, though some (d) take Hodiah to be the name of a man, and read the words, "and the sons of the wife of Hodiah"; which wife of Hodiah was the sister of Naham; or rather Achotnaham, we render the sister of Naham, is the name of the first son of Hodiah, as some think (e): the father of Keilah the Garmite; prince of the city of Keilah, in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:44 who sprung from the family of Garmi: and Eshtemoa the Maachathite; the father or prince of the inhabitants of Eshtemoa, another city in the same tribe, see Ch1 4:17 who sprung from Maachah, see Ch1 2:48. (c) Onomastic. Sacr. p. 836. (d) Michaelis in loc. (e) Beckii Not. in Targ. 1 Chron. iv. 19.

Verse 20

And the sons of Shimon,.... Perhaps another son of Mered by his last wife, or the same with Shammai, Ch1 4:17 were Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon; nowhere else mentioned: and the sons of Ishi: who it may be was the brother of Shimon or Tilon: were Zoheth, and Benzoheth; of whom we know no more than their names.

Verse 21

The sons of Shelah, the son of Judah, were,.... The genealogy of the posterity of Judah, in the lines of Pharez and Zerah, being given, and very largely in that of the former, because of the honour of David, and his kingdom, which sprang from thence, as Jarchi observes, and also the King Messiah, the writer returns to give an account of his posterity by Shelah, a son he had by the daughter of Shuah, Gen 38:2 and the only one that had children: which were as follow: Er the father of Lecah: prince of a city of this name in the tribe of Judah; Shelah gave him the name of Er, in memory of his brother, Gen 38:3, and Laadah the father of Mareshah; prince of a city of this name in the same tribe, Jos 15:44. and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea; which last clause explains what house these families were of, which sprang from Shelah, and were employed in making fine linen; the Targum adds, for the garments of kings and priests, or for the curtains of the tabernacle, as Jarchi; for not with the Egyptians and Greeks only fine linen was made, but among the Hebrews, as Pausanias (f) testifies. (f) Eliac. 1. sive, l. 5. p. 294.

Verse 22

And Jokim,.... The Vulgate Latin version is: and he that made the sun to stand: as if Joshua was meant; and in the Talmud it is (g) said Jokim, this is Joshua, who confirmed the oath to the Gibeonites; and the Targum here is, "and the prophets of the scribes that sprang from the posterity of Joshua;''but Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, and not of Judah; though some interpret it of Elimelech, as Lyra observes (h), of whom the fable is, that the sun stood still at his prayers, as it did in Joshua's time, to convert the men of Bethlehem; but Jokim is no doubt the proper name of some famous man or family that descended from Shelah: and the men of Chozeba: which signifies a lie; and the Targum interprets it of the Gibeonites, who lied to Joshua; but those were Canaanites, and not of the posterity of Shelah, and tribe of Judah; Chezib, or Achzib, a city in the tribe of Judah, very probably is meant, as Kimchi, the very place where Shelah was born, Gen 38:5 and where dwelt some of his posterity: and Joash and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab; some render the word, "which married in Moab"; and so the Targum interprets it of Mahlon and Chilion, who took wives of the daughters of Moab; but rather it is to be understood of some who were governors in Moab in the times of David, when Moab was subdued by him, Sa2 8:2 or however were such, who, at one time or another, made war with Moab, and overcame them: and Jashubilehem: which the Targumist understands of Boaz, prince of the wise men of the school of Bethlehem, and the Talmudists (i) of Ruth, that dwelt in Bethlehem; and may be interpreted of some of the inhabitants of that place which sprang from Shelah; or rather is the name of a single man, famous in his time, though not now known: and these are ancient things; an account of persons that lived in ancient times, and which the writer of this book gives not on his own knowledge, but by tradition, or rather by inspiration. (g) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 2. (h) So Heb. in Hieron. Trad. Heb. in Paralip. fol. 81. M. (i) Ut supra. (T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 2.)

Verse 23

These were the potters,.... Or are the potters; the posterity of those men, who were so famous in their day, are now of mean employments: some of them made earthen pots; and some of them dwelt among plants and hedges; or were employed in planting gardens and orchards, and making fences for them; or, as others think, "dwelt in Netaim and Gadara", cities in the tribe of Judah: there they dwelt with the king for his work; to make pots, plant gardens, and set hedges for him; either for the king of Judah, or it may be for the king of Babylon, where they were carried captive, and now chose to remain, doing those servile works for the king, without the city, in the fields.

Verse 24

The sons of Simeon,.... The account of whom, next to the tribe of Judah, is given before Reuben, because its inheritance lay in the tribe of Judah, Jos 19:1 his sons were Nemuel, the same with Jemuel, Gen 46:10. and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; who, in the place referred to, is said to be the son of a Canaanitish woman; and Jarib and Zerah are the same with Jachin and Zohar there: and Obed is here omitted, it may be because he died without issue; see Num 26:12.

Verse 25

Shallum his son,.... The son of Shaul, and Mibsam was the son of Shallum, and Mishma the son of Mibsam. Shallum his son,.... The son of Shaul, and Mibsam was the son of Shallum, and Mishma the son of Mibsam. 1 Chronicles 4:26 ch1 4:26 ch1 4:26 ch1 4:26And the sons of Mishma,.... These were Hamuel, Zacchur, and Shimei.

Verse 26

And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters,.... None of which are mentioned by name: but his brethren had not many children: Hamuel and Zacchur: neither did all their family multiply like to the children of Judah: to show the fruitfulness and great increase of which tribe, the genealogical account of it, in this and the two preceding chapters, is given.

Verse 27

And they dwelt at Beersheba,.... posterity of Simeon; and this and the other places of their habitation are mentioned in the same order, and with very little variation of names to the end of Ch1 4:31, as in Jos 19:2 and here, at Ch1 4:31 it is added: these were their cities unto the reign of David; when, according to Kimchi, and other Jewish writers, he expelled them from thence, and restored them to the tribe of Judah.

Verse 28

And their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities. There are but four mentioned in Jos 19:7 one might be added since, or new built, namely, Tochen; these, according to Kimchi, were all that remained for them to dwell in, in the times of David; and therefore they were obliged to seek out for new settlements for themselves and flocks, as in Ch1 4:39, &c. , &c. 1 Chronicles 4:33 ch1 4:33 ch1 4:33 ch1 4:33And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal,.... The same with Baalathbeer, Jos 19:8. these were their habitations, and their genealogy; as before described, until the times of David.

Verse 32

And Meshobab, and Jamlech,.... These, with those that follow to the end of Ch1 4:37 were famous men in the tribe of Simeon, of rank and dignity, and eminent for courage and valour, as the latter part of the chapter testifies, though they are nowhere else taken notice of. Jamlech, as Fabritius (k) observes, is not very different from Jamblichus, the name of a famous Platonic philosopher. (k) Bibliothec. Gr. l. 4. c. 28. p. 294.

Verse 33

These mentioned by their names were princes in their families,.... The principal men of them, heads of their fathers' houses: and the house of their fathers increased greatly; by them, so that they were obliged to seek out for new habitations, as follows.

Verse 34

And they went to the entrance of Gedor,.... There was a city of this name in the tribe of Judah, Ch1 4:18 but this seems to be further off, and perhaps is the same with Gedaris, mentioned by Strabo (l) along with Azotus and Askelon, cities that belonged to the Philistines; since it was inhabited by the posterity of Ham, of whom the Philistines were, as in the following verse: even unto the east side of the valley; which was near to Gedor, and a suitable place: to seek pasture for their flocks; their sheep and goats. (l) Geograph. l. 16. p. 522.

Verse 38

And they found fat pasture and good,.... In or near the valley of Gedor: and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; there was room enough for them and their flocks, and they had no enemies on either side to disturb them: for they of Ham had dwelt there of old; either the Canaanites who descended from Canaan the son of Ham, and had never been expelled from thence; or the Philistines, who were a colony of the Egyptians, the posterity of Ham; and these inhabitants being of this cursed race, the Simeonites scrupled not to dispossess them.

Verse 39

And these written by name,.... Before in Ch1 4:34, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; as Dr. Lightfoot (m) thinks, not within the first fourteen years of his reign, when the Syrian army was abroad, and none dost peep out, but in his last fifteen years, when the army was destroyed and gone: and smote their tents; the tents of those who dwelt there for the sake of feeding their flocks, and whose pasturage the Simeonites wanted: and the habitations that were found there; or the Meunaim or Maonites, which the Septuagint Version here calls Mineans, a people sometimes mentioned along with the Philistines, and others: see Jdg 10:11. and destroyed them utterly unto this day: to the writing of this book; they had not then recovered their possessions: and dwelt in their room, because there was pasture there for their flocks; which was the thing they were in search of. (m) Works, vol. 1. p. 111.

Verse 40

And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir,.... In the land of Edom: having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi; these four captains are said, by the ancient Rabbins, to be of the tribe of Manasseh, as Kimchi observes; see Ch1 5:24 but as the five hundred they were at the head of were of the sons of Simeon, the captains, no doubt, were of the same race.

Verse 41

And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped,.... That escaped the sword of Saul; though, according to the Jews (n), 100,000 of them were slain by him in one day; and of the sword of David, though he is said not to leave man or woman alive, Sa1 27:8. and dwelt there unto this day; in the cities of the Amalekites, even of the posterity of the above; who were some of the remnant of Israel, that were not carried away by the king of Assyria, and who dwelt here after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, even in the times of Ezra, the writer of this book; see Ch2 34:9. (n) Midrash Esther, fol. 93. 4. Next: 1 Chronicles Chapter 5

Verse 1

The sons of Judah: Pharez,.... The posterity of Judah in the line of Pharez, for he only is mentioned: Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. Hezron was the son of Pharez, and Carmi is supposed to be Chelubai, or Caleb, the son of Hezron; and Hur the son of Caleb; and Shobal was the son of the second Caleb the son of Hur; see Ch1 2:5.

Verse 2

And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath,.... Reaiah is the same with Haroeh, Ch1 2:52 the names are of the same signification: and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites; who inhabited Zoreah, as the Targum, at least part of it; see Ch1 2:53.

Verse 3

And these were of the father of Etam,.... Or of the prince of Etam: or, as the Targum, these are princes that dwelt in Etam, a place not far from Zorah, Jdg 15:8 and is mentioned with Bethlehem and Tekoa in the tribe of Judah, Ch2 11:6, namely, which follow: Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash; these were the sons of the governor of Etam: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi; who, perhaps, was a person of great note in those days, though now unknown; indeed, a Jewish chronologer (w) tells us, that the mother of Samson was Hazalelponith, of the tribe of Judah. (w) Juchasin, fol. 10. 2.

Verse 4

And Penuel the father of Gedor,.... The prince of that place, according to some, and the same with Hareph, Ch1 2:51, and Ezer the father of Hushah: thought to be the same with Shuah, Ch1 4:11, these are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah: Caleb's wife, Ch1 2:19 the Targum adds, the same with Miriam; and so other Jewish writers (x) say, Miriam had two names, and one was Ephratah; though Josephus makes (y) Hur to be her husband, and not her son, as here: who was the father of Bethlehem; of the inhabitants of that city, at least part of them, or prince of that place, as his grandson Salma also was, Ch1 2:51. (x) Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 90. 4. Yalkut in 1 Chron. ii. 19. (y) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 2.

Verse 5

And Ashur the father of Tekoa,.... A son of Hezron by Abiah, Ch1 2:24. had two wives, Helah and Naarah; as Lamech had, polygamy not being reckoned unlawful in those times.

Verse 6

And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari,.... Of whom we have no account elsewhere: these were the sons of Naarah; the second wife of Ashur.

Verse 7

And the sons of Helah,.... The other wife: were Zereth, and Zoar, and Ethnan: nowhere else mentioned.

Verse 8

And Coz,.... Another son of Helah, and brother of the before mentioned: begat Anub, and Zobebah; of whom we nowhere else read: and the families of Aharhel, the son of Harum; these were of the posterity of Coz; the Targum is, "and the family of Aharhel, this is Hur, the firstborn of Miriam;''which is not at all probable.

Verse 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 Sa1 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 (z), is not probable, and besides is after spoken of distinct from him, Ch1 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. (z) T. Bab. Temurah, fol. 16. 1.

Verse 10

And Jabez called on the God of Israel,.... Or prayed to him, as the Targum; though some understand it as a vow, promising what he would do if God would do thus and thus for him; the Syriac and Arabic versions read in the third person, taking it to be what others, his parents and friends, wished for him: let him bless thee,.... but they are doubtless his own words, and a supplication of his to the Lord: saying, oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed; the Targum adds, with children; but he no doubt prayed for greater blessings than any outward or temporal ones are, even spiritual blessings, covenant blessings, the sure mercies of David, which are solid, substantial, durable, and irreversible: and enlarge my coast; the Targum is,"multiply my borders with disciples.''It may be understood of an enlargement of the borders of his country, by expelling the Canaanites that might dwell in it, and of an increase of his worldly substance for good ends and purposes; or rather of a spiritual enlargement by deliverance from spiritual enemies, and of grace as to exercise; and particularly of spiritual light and knowledge, and of the affections and desires of the soul after divine things, see Psa 4:1. and that thine hand might be with me; the Targum adds, in business, prospering and succeeding him; the sense may be, that his hand of providence might be with him to protect him, of grace and love to comfort and help him in every time of need, of wisdom to direct him, and of power to keep him: and that thou wouldest keep me from evil; from the evil of affliction, and especially from the evil of sin, and from the evil one, Satan, and from all evil men and evil company; the Targum is,"and make me companions such as I am:''that it may not grieve me; alluding to his name Jabez, which he had from the sorrow and grief of his mother; and nothing is more grieving to a good man than the evil of sin, so contrary to the nature and will of God, being committed against a God of infinite love, grace, and mercy, whereby the name, ways, and truths of Christ are dishonoured, and the Spirit of God grieved, and saints are bereaved of much comfort; and therefore desire to be kept from it, knowing they cannot keep themselves, but the Lord can and will, at least from the tyranny of it, and destruction by it: the Targum is,"lest the evil figment (or corruption of nature) should move or provoke me:" and God granted him that which he requested; as he does whatever is asked in faith, according to his will, and will make for his glory, and the good of his people; see Jo1 5:14.

Verse 11

And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir,.... If Shuah is the same with Hushah, Ch1 4:4, then Chelub was the son of Ezer: which was the father of Eshton; not the prince of a place called Eshton, as Vatablus; for it is the name of a man, the son of Mehir, and who in the next verse is said to beget sons.

Verse 12

And Eshton begat Bethrapha,.... Or the family of Rapha: and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash; or the city of Nahash; Tehinnah seems to have been the prince or governor of a city, so called: these are the men of Rechah; these sons of Eshton dwelt in a place called Rechah; the Targum, without any reason, says, these are the men of the great sanhedrim.

Verse 13

And the sons of Kenaz,.... Who was either the son of Chelub, or of Eshton: Othniel, and Seraiah; the first of these is he who is mentioned, Jos 15:17 and was the first judge in Israel: and the son of Othniel, Hathath; and the next mentioned.

Verse 14

And Meonothai,.... Another son of Othniel: begat Ophrah; and Seraiah, the brother of Othniel, begat Joab; not David's general, but another of the same name, who lived long before him, see Ch1 2:54. the father of the valley of Charashim: of the inhabitants of the valley, or the prince of them, called the valley of craftsmen, Neh 11:35 the reason of which is here given: for they were craftsmen; that dwelt in it, carpenters and smiths, both which the word signifies, men that wrought in stone, wood, and iron.

Verse 15

And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh,.... Jephunneh is not the same with Hezron, as the Targum, but another son of Kenaz, hence called the Kenezite, Jos 14:6 and brother of Othniel; and Caleb his son is the same that was sent one of the spies of the land of Canaan by Moses, see Num 13:6. his sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam; of whom we nowhere else read: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz; another Kenaz, or rather it should be read Uknaz; so Jarchi and Kimchi.

Verse 16

And the sons of Jehaleleel,.... Who probably was the son of Uknaz: Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel; there were two cities in the tribe of Judah of the name of Ziph, Jos 15:24, which might be called from these men, or from Ziph in Ch1 2:42.

Verse 17

And the sons of Ezra,.... Who was perhaps the son of Asareel, last mentioned: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; only one of them, Mered, is after mentioned: and she bare Miriam; which is not the name of a woman, but of a man, as Kimchi observes; and, according to him, his mother was the wife of Mered, which he gathers from the next verse; though she seems to be the wife of Ezra, who bare him other sons: and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa; a prince of a city in the tribe of Judah, so called, Jos 15:50.

Verse 18

And his wife Jehudijah,.... Another wife of Ezra; or, according to Kimchi, of Mered; a Jewess, as the word is by some rendered, to distinguish her from another wife, an Egyptian, in the latter part of the verse: bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah; who were princes, as Jarchi seems rightly to observe; of several cities of these names in the tribe of Judah, as of Gedor, see Jos 15:58, of Socoh, Jos 15:35, of Zanoah, Jos 15:34, the Targum interprets the names of all these men of Moses, whom Pharaoh's daughter brought up; and so other Jewish writers (a), into which mistake they were led by what follows: and these are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took; that is, to wife; this Mered was one of the sons of Ezra, Ch1 4:17 the Targum, and other Jewish writers (b), say this was Caleb, called Mered, because he rebelled against the counsel of the spies; but this contradicts their other notion of Jehudijah, or Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter, whom he married, the one who brought up Moses, since Moses was elder than Caleb; but Bithiah, whom Mered married, was not a daughter of Pharaoh king of Egypt, but of an Israelite of this name; her sons are supposed to be those in the latter part of Ch1 4:17. (a) T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 13. 1. Vajikra Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 146. 3. (b) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 19. 2. & Megillah, fol. 13. 1.

Verse 19

And the sons of his wife Hodiah,.... Another wife of Mered. Hillerus (c) takes her to be the same with Jehudijah, Ch1 4:18, though some (d) take Hodiah to be the name of a man, and read the words, "and the sons of the wife of Hodiah"; which wife of Hodiah was the sister of Naham; or rather Achotnaham, we render the sister of Naham, is the name of the first son of Hodiah, as some think (e): the father of Keilah the Garmite; prince of the city of Keilah, in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:44 who sprung from the family of Garmi: and Eshtemoa the Maachathite; the father or prince of the inhabitants of Eshtemoa, another city in the same tribe, see Ch1 4:17 who sprung from Maachah, see Ch1 2:48. (c) Onomastic. Sacr. p. 836. (d) Michaelis in loc. (e) Beckii Not. in Targ. 1 Chron. iv. 19.

Verse 20

And the sons of Shimon,.... Perhaps another son of Mered by his last wife, or the same with Shammai, Ch1 4:17 were Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon; nowhere else mentioned: and the sons of Ishi: who it may be was the brother of Shimon or Tilon: were Zoheth, and Benzoheth; of whom we know no more than their names.

Verse 21

The sons of Shelah, the son of Judah, were,.... The genealogy of the posterity of Judah, in the lines of Pharez and Zerah, being given, and very largely in that of the former, because of the honour of David, and his kingdom, which sprang from thence, as Jarchi observes, and also the King Messiah, the writer returns to give an account of his posterity by Shelah, a son he had by the daughter of Shuah, Gen 38:2 and the only one that had children: which were as follow: Er the father of Lecah: prince of a city of this name in the tribe of Judah; Shelah gave him the name of Er, in memory of his brother, Gen 38:3, and Laadah the father of Mareshah; prince of a city of this name in the same tribe, Jos 15:44. and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea; which last clause explains what house these families were of, which sprang from Shelah, and were employed in making fine linen; the Targum adds, for the garments of kings and priests, or for the curtains of the tabernacle, as Jarchi; for not with the Egyptians and Greeks only fine linen was made, but among the Hebrews, as Pausanias (f) testifies. (f) Eliac. 1. sive, l. 5. p. 294.

Verse 22

And Jokim,.... The Vulgate Latin version is: and he that made the sun to stand: as if Joshua was meant; and in the Talmud it is (g) said Jokim, this is Joshua, who confirmed the oath to the Gibeonites; and the Targum here is, "and the prophets of the scribes that sprang from the posterity of Joshua;''but Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, and not of Judah; though some interpret it of Elimelech, as Lyra observes (h), of whom the fable is, that the sun stood still at his prayers, as it did in Joshua's time, to convert the men of Bethlehem; but Jokim is no doubt the proper name of some famous man or family that descended from Shelah: and the men of Chozeba: which signifies a lie; and the Targum interprets it of the Gibeonites, who lied to Joshua; but those were Canaanites, and not of the posterity of Shelah, and tribe of Judah; Chezib, or Achzib, a city in the tribe of Judah, very probably is meant, as Kimchi, the very place where Shelah was born, Gen 38:5 and where dwelt some of his posterity: and Joash and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab; some render the word, "which married in Moab"; and so the Targum interprets it of Mahlon and Chilion, who took wives of the daughters of Moab; but rather it is to be understood of some who were governors in Moab in the times of David, when Moab was subdued by him, Sa2 8:2 or however were such, who, at one time or another, made war with Moab, and overcame them: and Jashubilehem: which the Targumist understands of Boaz, prince of the wise men of the school of Bethlehem, and the Talmudists (i) of Ruth, that dwelt in Bethlehem; and may be interpreted of some of the inhabitants of that place which sprang from Shelah; or rather is the name of a single man, famous in his time, though not now known: and these are ancient things; an account of persons that lived in ancient times, and which the writer of this book gives not on his own knowledge, but by tradition, or rather by inspiration. (g) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 2. (h) So Heb. in Hieron. Trad. Heb. in Paralip. fol. 81. M. (i) Ut supra. (T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 2.)

Verse 23

These were the potters,.... Or are the potters; the posterity of those men, who were so famous in their day, are now of mean employments: some of them made earthen pots; and some of them dwelt among plants and hedges; or were employed in planting gardens and orchards, and making fences for them; or, as others think, "dwelt in Netaim and Gadara", cities in the tribe of Judah: there they dwelt with the king for his work; to make pots, plant gardens, and set hedges for him; either for the king of Judah, or it may be for the king of Babylon, where they were carried captive, and now chose to remain, doing those servile works for the king, without the city, in the fields.

Verse 24

The sons of Simeon,.... The account of whom, next to the tribe of Judah, is given before Reuben, because its inheritance lay in the tribe of Judah, Jos 19:1 his sons were Nemuel, the same with Jemuel, Gen 46:10. and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; who, in the place referred to, is said to be the son of a Canaanitish woman; and Jarib and Zerah are the same with Jachin and Zohar there: and Obed is here omitted, it may be because he died without issue; see Num 26:12.

Verse 25

Shallum his son,.... The son of Shaul, and Mibsam was the son of Shallum, and Mishma the son of Mibsam. Shallum his son,.... The son of Shaul, and Mibsam was the son of Shallum, and Mishma the son of Mibsam. 1 Chronicles 4:26 ch1 4:26 ch1 4:26 ch1 4:26And the sons of Mishma,.... These were Hamuel, Zacchur, and Shimei.

Verse 26

And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters,.... None of which are mentioned by name: but his brethren had not many children: Hamuel and Zacchur: neither did all their family multiply like to the children of Judah: to show the fruitfulness and great increase of which tribe, the genealogical account of it, in this and the two preceding chapters, is given.

Verse 27

And they dwelt at Beersheba,.... posterity of Simeon; and this and the other places of their habitation are mentioned in the same order, and with very little variation of names to the end of Ch1 4:31, as in Jos 19:2 and here, at Ch1 4:31 it is added: these were their cities unto the reign of David; when, according to Kimchi, and other Jewish writers, he expelled them from thence, and restored them to the tribe of Judah.

Verse 28

And their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities. There are but four mentioned in Jos 19:7 one might be added since, or new built, namely, Tochen; these, according to Kimchi, were all that remained for them to dwell in, in the times of David; and therefore they were obliged to seek out for new settlements for themselves and flocks, as in Ch1 4:39, &c. , &c. 1 Chronicles 4:33 ch1 4:33 ch1 4:33 ch1 4:33And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal,.... The same with Baalathbeer, Jos 19:8. these were their habitations, and their genealogy; as before described, until the times of David.

Verse 32

And Meshobab, and Jamlech,.... These, with those that follow to the end of Ch1 4:37 were famous men in the tribe of Simeon, of rank and dignity, and eminent for courage and valour, as the latter part of the chapter testifies, though they are nowhere else taken notice of. Jamlech, as Fabritius (k) observes, is not very different from Jamblichus, the name of a famous Platonic philosopher. (k) Bibliothec. Gr. l. 4. c. 28. p. 294.

Verse 33

These mentioned by their names were princes in their families,.... The principal men of them, heads of their fathers' houses: and the house of their fathers increased greatly; by them, so that they were obliged to seek out for new habitations, as follows.

Verse 34

And they went to the entrance of Gedor,.... There was a city of this name in the tribe of Judah, Ch1 4:18 but this seems to be further off, and perhaps is the same with Gedaris, mentioned by Strabo (l) along with Azotus and Askelon, cities that belonged to the Philistines; since it was inhabited by the posterity of Ham, of whom the Philistines were, as in the following verse: even unto the east side of the valley; which was near to Gedor, and a suitable place: to seek pasture for their flocks; their sheep and goats. (l) Geograph. l. 16. p. 522.

Verse 38

And they found fat pasture and good,.... In or near the valley of Gedor: and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; there was room enough for them and their flocks, and they had no enemies on either side to disturb them: for they of Ham had dwelt there of old; either the Canaanites who descended from Canaan the son of Ham, and had never been expelled from thence; or the Philistines, who were a colony of the Egyptians, the posterity of Ham; and these inhabitants being of this cursed race, the Simeonites scrupled not to dispossess them.

Verse 39

And these written by name,.... Before in Ch1 4:34, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; as Dr. Lightfoot (m) thinks, not within the first fourteen years of his reign, when the Syrian army was abroad, and none dost peep out, but in his last fifteen years, when the army was destroyed and gone: and smote their tents; the tents of those who dwelt there for the sake of feeding their flocks, and whose pasturage the Simeonites wanted: and the habitations that were found there; or the Meunaim or Maonites, which the Septuagint Version here calls Mineans, a people sometimes mentioned along with the Philistines, and others: see Jdg 10:11. and destroyed them utterly unto this day: to the writing of this book; they had not then recovered their possessions: and dwelt in their room, because there was pasture there for their flocks; which was the thing they were in search of. (m) Works, vol. 1. p. 111.

Verse 40

And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir,.... In the land of Edom: having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi; these four captains are said, by the ancient Rabbins, to be of the tribe of Manasseh, as Kimchi observes; see Ch1 5:24 but as the five hundred they were at the head of were of the sons of Simeon, the captains, no doubt, were of the same race.

Verse 41

And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped,.... That escaped the sword of Saul; though, according to the Jews (n), 100,000 of them were slain by him in one day; and of the sword of David, though he is said not to leave man or woman alive, Sa1 27:8. and dwelt there unto this day; in the cities of the Amalekites, even of the posterity of the above; who were some of the remnant of Israel, that were not carried away by the king of Assyria, and who dwelt here after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, even in the times of Ezra, the writer of this book; see Ch2 34:9. (n) Midrash Esther, fol. 93. 4. Next: 1 Chronicles Chapter 5

Verse 1

One reason, no doubt, why Ezra is here most particular in the register of the tribe of Judah is because it was that tribe which, with its appendages, Simeon, Benjamin, and Levi, made up the kingdom of Judah, which not only long survived the other tribes in Canaan, but in process of time, now when this was written, returned out of captivity, when the generality of the other tribes were lost in the kingdom of Assyria. The most remarkable person in this paragraph is Jabez. It is not said whose son he was, nor does it appear in what age he lived; but, it should seem, he was the founder of one of the families of Aharhel, mentioned Ch1 4:8. Here is, I. The reason of his name: his mother gave him the name with this reason, Because I bore him with sorrow, Ch1 4:9. All children are borne with sorrow (for the sentence upon the woman is, In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children), but some with much more sorrow than others. Usually the sorrow in bearing is afterwards forgotten for joy that the child is born; but here it seems it was so extraordinary that it was remembered when the child came to be circumcised, and care was taken to perpetuate the remembrance of it while he lived. Perhaps the mother called Habez, as Rachel called her son Benoni, when she was dying of the sorrow. Or, if she recovered it, yet thus she recorded it, 1. That it might be a continual memorandum to herself, to be thankful to God as long as she lived for supporting her under and bringing her through that sorrow. It may be of use to be often reminded of our sorrows, that we may always have such thoughts of things as we had in the day of our affliction, and may learn to rejoice with trembling. 2. That it might likewise be a memorandum to him what this world is into which she bore him, a vale of tears, in which he must expect few days and full of trouble. The sorrow he carried in his name might help to put a seriousness upon his spirit. It might also remind him to love and honour his mother, and labour, in every thing, to be a comfort to her who brought him into the world with so much sorrow. It is piety in children thus to requite their parents, Ti1 5:4. II. The eminence of his character: He was more honourable than his brethren, qualified above them by the divine grace and dignified above them by the divine providence; they did virtuously, but he excelled them all. Now the sorrow with which his mother bore him was abundantly recompensed. That son which of all her children cost her most dear she was most happy in, and was made glad in proportion to the affliction, Psa 90:15. We are not told upon what account he was more honourable than his brethren, whether because he raised a greater estate, or was preferred to the magistracy, or signalized himself in war; we have most reason to think it was upon the account of his learning and piety, not only because these, above any thing, put honour upon a man, but because we have reason to think that in these Jabez was eminent. 1. In learning, because we find that the families of the scribes dwelt at Jabez (Ch1 2:55), a city which, it is likely, took its name from him. The Jews say that he was a famous doctor of the law and left many disciples behind him. And it should seem, by the mentioning of him so abruptly here, that his name was well known when Ezra wrote this. 2. In piety, because we find here that he was a praying man. His inclination to devotion made him truly honourable, and by prayer he obtained those blessings from God which added much to his honour. The way to be truly great is to be truly good and to pray much. III. The prayer he made, probably like Solomon's prayer for wisdom, just when he was setting out in the world. He set himself to acknowledge God in all his ways, put himself under the divine blessing and protection, and prospered accordingly. Perhaps these were the heads on which he enlarged in his daily prayers; for this purpose it was his constant practice to pray alone, and with his family, as Daniel. Some think that it was upon some particular occasion, when he was straitened and threatened by his enemies, that he prayed this prayer. Observe, 1. To whom he prayed, not to any of the gods of the Gentiles; no, he called on the God of Israel, the living and true God, who alone can hear and answer prayer, and in prayer had an eye to him as the God of Israel, a God in covenant with his people, the God with whom Jacob wrestled and prevailed and was thence called Israel. 2. What was the nature of his prayer. (1.) As the margin reads it, it was a solemn vow - If thou wilt bless me indeed, etc. and then the sense is imperfect, but may easily be filled up from Jacob's vow, or some such like - then thou shalt be my God. He did not express his promise, but left it to be understood, either because he was afraid to promise in his own strength or because he resolved to devote himself entirely to God. He does, as it were, give God a blank paper, let him write what he pleases: "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." (2.) As the text reads it, it was the language of a most ardent and affectionate desire: O that thou wouldst bless me! 3. What was the matter of his prayer. Four things he prayed for: - (1.) That God would bless him indeed: "That, blessing, thou wilt bless me, bless me greatly with manifold and abundant blessings." Perhaps he had an eye to the promise God made to Abraham (Gen 22:17), In blessing, I will bless thee. "Let that blessing of Abraham come upon me." Spiritual blessings are the best blessings, and those are blessed indeed who are blessed with them. God's blessings are real things and produce real effects. We can but wish a blessing: he commands it. Those whom he blesses are blessed indeed. (2.) That he would enlarge his coast, that he would prosper his endeavours for the increase of what fell to his lot either by work or war. 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. The prayer of Moses for this tribe of Judah was, That his own hands might be sufficient for him, Deu 33:7; but Jabez expects not that this can be the case, unless he have God's hand with him and the presence of his power. God's hand with us, to lead us, protect us, strengthen us, and to work all our works in us and for us, is indeed a hand sufficient for us, all-sufficient. (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 him, nor grieve him, nor make him a Jabez indeed, a man of sorrow: in the original there is an allusion to his name. Father in heaven, deliver me from evil. 4. What was the success of his prayer: God granted him that which he requested, prospered him remarkably, and gave him success in his undertakings, in his studies, in his worldly business, in his conflicts with the Canaanites, and so he became more honourable than his brethren. God was of old always ready to hear prayer, and his ear is not yet heavy.

Verse 11

We may observe in these verses, 1. That here is a whole family of craftsmen, handicraft tradesmen, that applied themselves to all sorts of manufactures, in which they were ingenious and industrious above their neighbours, Ch1 4:14. There was a valley where they lived which was, from them, called the valley of craftsmen. Those that are craftsmen are not therefore to be looked upon as mean men. These craftsmen, though two of a trade often disagree, yet chose to live together, for the improving of arts by comparing notes, and that they might support one another's reputation. 2. That one of these married the daughter of Pharaoh (Ch1 4:18), which was the common name of the kings of Egypt. If an Israelite in Egypt before the bondage began, while Joseph's merits were yet fresh in mind, was preferred to be the king's son-in-law, it is not to be thought strange: few Israelites could, like Moses, refuse an alliance with the court. 3. That another is said to be the father of the house of those that wrought fine linen, Ch1 4:21. It is inserted in their genealogy as their honour that they were the best weavers in the kingdom, and they brought up their children, from one generation to another, to the same business, not aiming to make them gentlemen. This Laadah is said to be the father of those that wrought fine linen, as before the flood Jubal is said to be the father of musicians and Jabal of shepherds, etc. His posterity inhabited the city of Mareshah, the manufacture or staple commodity of which place was linen-cloth, with which their kings and priests were clothed. 4. That another family had had dominion in Moab, but were now in servitude in Babylon, Ch1 4:22, Ch1 4:23. (1.) It was found among the ancient things that they had the dominion in Moab. Probably in David's time, when that country was conquered, they transplanted themselves thither, and were put in places of power there, which they held for several generations; but this was a great while ago, time out of mind. (2.) Their posterity were now potters and gardeners, as is supposed in Babylon, where they dwelt with the king for his work, got a good livelihood by their industry, and therefore cared not for returning with their brethren to their own land, after the years of captivity had expired. Those that now have dominion know not what their posterity may be reduced to, nor what mean employments they may be glad to take up with. But those were unworthy the name of Israelites that would dwell among plants and hedges rather than be at the pains to return to Canaan.

Verse 24

We have here some of the genealogies of the tribe of Simeon (though it was not a tribe of great note), especially the princes of that tribe, Ch1 4:38. Of this tribe it is said that they increased greatly, but not like the children of Judah, Ch1 4:27. Those whom God increases ought to be thankful, though they see others that are more increased. Here observe, 1. The cities allotted them (Ch1 4:28), of which see Jos 19:1, etc. When it is said that they were theirs unto the reign of David (Ch1 4:31) intimation is given that when the ten tribes revolted from the house of David many of the Simeonites quitted these cities, because they lay within Judah, and seated themselves elsewhere. 2. The ground they got elsewhere. When those of this tribe that revolted from the house of David were carried captive with the rest into Assyria those that adhered to Judah were remarkably owned of God and prospered in their endeavours to enlarge their coasts. It was in the days of Hezekiah that a generation of Simeonites, whose tribe had long crouched and truckled, was animated to make these bold efforts. (1.) Some of them attacked a place in Arabia, as it should seem, called the entrance of Gedor, inhabited by the posterity of accursed Ham (Ch1 4:40), made themselves masters of it, and dwelt there. This adds to the glory of Hezekiah's pious reign, that, as his kingdom in general prospered, so did particular families. It is said that they found fat pastures, and yet the land was quiet; even when the kings of Assyria were giving disturbance to all their neighbours this land escaped their alarms. The inhabitants being shepherds, who molested none, were not themselves molested, till the Simeonites came and drove them out and succeeded them, not only in the plenty, but in the peace, of their land. Those who dwell (as we do) in a fruitful country, and whose land is wide, and quiet, and peaceable, have reason to own themselves indebted to that God who appoints the bounds of our habitation. (2.) Others of them, to the number of 500, under the command of four brethren here named, made a descent upon Mount Seir, and smote the remainder of the devoted Amalekites, and took possession of their country, Ch1 4:42, Ch1 4:43. Now the curses on Ham and Amalek had a further accomplishment, when they seemed dormant, if not dead; as had also the curse on Simeon, that he should be divided and scattered (Gen 49:7): yet to him it was turned into a blessing, for the families of Simeon, which thus transplanted themselves into those distant countries, are said to dwell there unto this day (Ch1 4:43), by which it should seem they escaped the calamities of the captivity. Providence sometimes sends those out of trouble that are designed for preservation.

Verse 1

4:1-7 The genealogy of Judah continues, with links back to 2:1-55. The connection to Hur, the ancestor of Bethlehem, is provided immediately (4:1-4; see 2:19-20, 51-55).

Verse 9

4:9-20 The exact genealogies of the remaining descendants of Judah are unknown—the Chronicler apparently had incomplete information.

4:9-10 The section on Jabez stands independently, allowing the Chronicler to explain the origin of his name; he is not mentioned previously, although Jabez was listed as the name of a town inhabited by some of the descendants of Hur’s son Salma (2:55). Jabez apparently received his name because he caused his mother pain, a fulfillment of the curse on Eve (Gen 3:16). Although his name was a curse, he was more honorable than any of his brothers, and his prayer changed the outcome of his life. The prayer is poetic; it consists of a plea for blessing followed by requests for prosperity and protection from harm. His last request might mean “keep me from causing trouble and pain.” God listened to his prayer and removed his curse.

Verse 13

4:13-15 The name Kenaz also appears as a descendant of Esau by Eliphaz (Gen 36:11); his descendants are known as the Kenizzites. The Kenizzites lived in the southern part of the land and had affiliations with Judah and Edom. Caleb son of Jephunneh was a Kenizzite (Num 32:12; Josh 14:6) and had a brother named Kenaz (Josh 15:17), whose family is listed here.

Verse 18

4:18 Through Mered’s wife Bithia, a daughter of Pharaoh, the descendants of Judah included children of Egyptian heritage.

Verse 21

4:21-23 Now that Judah’s descendants through his wife Tamar have been recorded (2:4–4:20), the descendants of Shelah, Judah’s third son through Bathshua, are listed (see 2:3; Gen 38:2, 5).

Verse 24

4:24–8:40 After completing the genealogy of Judah’s descendants (2:3–4:23), the Chronicler turns to the records for the rest of the sons of Israel (cp. 2:1-2).

4:24-43 Simeon was Jacob’s second son; his tribe’s territory was in the southern part of Judah (Josh 19:1-9).

Verse 34

4:34-43 The list of men described as leaders of Simeon’s wealthy clans (4:34-38) introduces the description of Simeon’s geographic expansion (4:38-43). The tribe’s expansion involved thirteen family leaders during the days of Hezekiah (late 700s BC) in the area of Gerar. This might have been part of Hezekiah’s military action against Philistine territories (2 Kgs 18:8).

Verse 39

4:39 Gerar: The actual territory is not certain, since Gedor (as in Hebrew) is a common name; the Greek variant Gerar would refer to a city in Philistia, to the west of Judah (Gen 10:19).

Verse 41

4:41 completely destroyed: See “Complete Destruction” Theme Note.