1 Chronicles 4

Other Clans of Judah

1 The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Karmi, Hur and Shobal.
2 Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath 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. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi.
4 Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and father[b] of Bethlehem.
5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.
7 The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,[c] saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”
10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
11 Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.
12 Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash.[d] These were the men of Rekah.
13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.[e]
14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge Harashim.[f] It was called this because its people were skilled workers.
15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.
16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.
17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives gave birth to Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18 (His wife from the tribe of Judah gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soko, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.
19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maakathite.
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 Lekah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea,
22 Jokim, the men of Kozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.)
23 They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king.

Simeon

24 The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul;
25 Shallum was Shaul’s son, Mibsam his son and Mishma his son.
26 The descendants of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zakkur his son and Shimei his son.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah.
28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual,
29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,
30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,
31 Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David.
32 Their surrounding villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token and Ashan—five towns—
33 and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath.[g] These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record.
34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,
35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36 also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,
37 and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.
38 The men listed above by name were leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly,
39 and they went to the outskirts of Gedor to the east of the valley in search of pasture for their flocks.
40 They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet. Some Hamites had lived there formerly.
41 The men whose names were listed came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings and also the Meunites who were there and completely destroyed[h] them, as is evident 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, invaded the hill country of Seir.
43 They killed the remaining 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.

Cross References 26

  • 1. S Genesis 29:35; Genesis 46:12; S 1 Chronicles 2:3
  • 2. Numbers 26:21
  • 3. 1 Chronicles 2:50
  • 4. Ruth 1:19
  • 5. 1 Chronicles 2:24
  • 6. S Joshua 15:17
  • 7. S Exodus 15:20
  • 8. S Joshua 15:34
  • 9. S Joshua 15:44
  • 10. S Deuteronomy 3:14
  • 11. S Genesis 38:5
  • 12. S Genesis 29:33
  • 13. Numbers 26:12
  • 14. S Genesis 21:14
  • 15. S Joshua 15:26
  • 16. S Joshua 15:29
  • 17. S Numbers 14:45
  • 18. S Joshua 15:31
  • 19. S Joshua 15:36
  • 20. S Numbers 34:11
  • 21. S Joshua 15:42
  • 22. S Joshua 15:58
  • 23. Judges 18:7-10
  • 24. 2 Chronicles 20:1; 2 Chronicles 26:7
  • 25. S Genesis 14:6
  • 26. S Genesis 14:7; 1 Samuel 15:8; 1 Samuel 30:17; 2 Samuel 8:12; Esther 3:1; Esther 9:16

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Vulgate); Hebrew "father"
  • [b]. "Father" may mean "civic leader" or "military leader" ; also in verses 12, 14, 17, 18 and possibly elsewhere.
  • [c]. "Jabez" sounds like the Hebrew for "pain."
  • [d]. Or "of the city of Nahash"
  • [e]. Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; Hebrew does not have "and Meonothai."
  • [f]. "Ge Harashim" means "valley of skilled workers."
  • [g]. Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Joshua 19:8); Hebrew "Baal"
  • [h]. The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

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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