1 Tawarikh 4:1-12

Judah’s Descendants

4:1 The descendants of Judah:

Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

4:2 Reaiah the son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

4:3 These were the sons of Etam:

Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was Hazzelelponi.

4:4 Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem.

4:5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 4:6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 4:7 The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, 4:8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the clans of Aharhel the son of Harum.

4:9 Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, for she said, “I experienced pain when I gave birth to him.” ¹  4:10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only ²  you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!” ³  God answered his prayer. ⁴ 

4:11 Kelub, the brother of Shuhah, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 4:12 Eshton was the father of Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir Nahash. ⁵  These were the men of Recah.

[4:9]  ¹ tn In Hebrew the name יַעְבֵּץ (ya’bets, “Jabez”) sounds like the noun עֹצֶב (’otsev) which means “pain.”

[4:10]  ² tn On the use of אִם (’im, “if”) here, see HALOT 60 s.v.

[4:10]  ³ tn Heb “and act from [i.e., so as to prevent] harm so that I might not be in pain.”

[4:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “and God brought about what he had asked.”

[4:12]  ⁵ tn Or “of the city of Nahash.”