1 Chronicles 4
New English Translation
Judah’s Descendants
4 The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
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.
3 These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was Hazzelelponi.
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.
5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7 The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, 8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the clans of Aharhel the son of Harum.
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.”[a] 10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only[b] you would greatly bless me and expand my territory.[c] May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm[d] so I might not endure pain.” God answered his prayer.[e]
11 Kelub, the brother of Shuhah, 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.[f] These were the men of Recah.
13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah.
The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.[g] 14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.
Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of those who live in the Valley of the Craftsmen,[h] for they were craftsmen.
15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam.
The son of Elah: Kenaz.[i]
16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon.
Mered’s wife Bithiah[j] gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18 (His Judahite wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered married.[k]
19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon.
The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben Zoheth.[l]
21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, 22 Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, both of whom ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (This information is from ancient records.)[m] 23 They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there and worked for the king.[n]
Simeon’s Descendants
24 The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, 25 his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.
26 The descendants of Mishma: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many sons, so their whole clan was not as numerous as the sons of Judah. 28 They lived in Beer Sheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. 32 Their settlements also included Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns, 33 along with all their settlements that surrounded these towns as far as Baal.[o] These were the places where they lived; they kept genealogical records.
34 Their clan leaders were:[p] Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel), 36 Eleoenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 Ziza son of Shipi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah). 38 These who are named above were the leaders of their clans.
Their extended families increased greatly in numbers. 39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east of the valley, looking for pasture for their sheep. 40 They found fertile and rich pasture; the land was very broad, undisturbed and peaceful. Indeed some Hamites had been living there before that. 41 The men whose names are listed came during the time of King Hezekiah of Judah and attacked the Hamites’ settlements,[q] as well as the Meunites they discovered there, and they wiped them out, as can be seen to this very day. They dispossessed them,[r] for they found pasture for their sheep there. 42 Five hundred men of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to the hill country of Seir 43 and defeated the rest of the Amalekite refugees;[s] they live there to this very day.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 4:9 tn In Hebrew the name יַעְבֵּץ (yaʿbets, “Jabez”) sounds like the noun עֹצֶב (ʿotsev) which means “pain.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:10 tn Here the word אִם (ʾim, “if only”) begins an oath formula (see HALOT 60 s.v. and GKC 151e, 159dd, 167a). A full reporting of the oath would include both the request made of God and the promise made to God (cf. Gen 28:20; Num 21:2; Judg 11:30; 1 Sam 1:11; 2 Sam 15:8; Ps 81:9-14). Jabez’ promise is not recorded here, only that God granted his request. Perhaps Jabez’ vow in return had not been preserved by tradition and so the author could not include it, or perhaps those details were simply less important to the purpose of the book. Likely the author wants to emphasize to the post-exilic community (the original audience of the book) that God answers prayer, including concerns for their borders. That God granted his request implies that Jabez was faithful to his vow, so that his destiny was different than the expectation arising from his namesake. This should challenge the audience to consider their own faithfulness to God.
- 1 Chronicles 4:10 sn It is not certain whether the person Jabez should be connected with the town Jabez mentioned in 1 Chr 2:55. If Jabez were the head of the town (“more respected than his brothers” v. 9), then the request for an enlarged territory would not be a simple request for his own benefit, but an example of a leader of character whose faithfulness to God benefits those under his leadership.
- 1 Chronicles 4:10 tc The Hebrew text is difficult. As it stands in the MT, it says “and do some harm so that I might not be hurt.” When directly modifying עָשָׂה (ʿasah; “to do”), the preposition מִן (min; “from,”) can indicate the source or type of action, hence “do some harm” (cf. Lev 4:22; 18:30). But this makes little sense in context unless we suppose with no other basis that it refers to harming enemies. There is no other example of the privative use of מִן (min) with the verb עָשָׂה (ʿasah), which would have meant “act so as to prevent” harm. And one expects it would be confusing to use מִן (min) for both the type of action done and the type of action excluded or prevented. On the basis of a parallel to Isa 26:18, BHS suggests inserting יְשׁוּעָתִי (yeshuati; “my salvation”) on the possibility that it was omitted by haplography (as “do” and “my salvation,” עָשִׂיתָ and יְשׁוּעָתִי, share similar consonants). This would mean “perform my salvation from harm.” Instead of מֵרָעָה (meraʿah; “from harm”), the LXX has γνῶσιν (gnosin; “knowledge”) which normally stands for Hebrew דַעַת (daʿat) or דֵעָה (deʿah) “knowledge; wisdom,” implying a simple confusion of dalet (ד) and resh (ר). The Greek text says “do/produce wisdom so that I will not be humiliated,” though the Hebrew behind this would be “act wisely so that I will not be grieved.” Rather than ask God to act wisely, we might suppose that the verb was first singular “may your hand be with me so that I may act wisely in order to not be grieved.” This would involve the loss of a yod at the end of the verb, which matches the verbal forms preceding it. Finally one might suppose that instead of רָעָה (raʿah; “harm”), some form of the root of רֵעָה (reʿah; “friend”) was original, meaning something like, “act from friendship…” but there is no direct parallel for this.
- 1 Chronicles 4:10 tn Heb “and God brought about what he had asked.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:12 tn Or “of the city of Nahash.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:13 tc “Meonothai” is read here by some mss of the LXX, along with the Vulgate. The name apparently was dropped from the Hebrew text by haplography. Note that the name appears at the beginning of the next verse as well.
- 1 Chronicles 4:14 tn Heb “Ge-harashim,” which could be left untranslated as a place name.
- 1 Chronicles 4:15 tn Heb “and the sons of Elah and Kenaz.” Kenaz was actually the son of Elah.
- 1 Chronicles 4:17 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “and she gave birth to,” without identifying the subject. The words “Mered’s wife Bithiah” are added in the translation for clarification. See v. 18b, which mentions “Bethiah, whom Mered married.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:18 tn Heb “took,” referring to taking in marriage.
- 1 Chronicles 4:20 tn Or “and the son of Zoheth” (NAB). The word בֶּן (ben) in Hebrew means “son [of].”
- 1 Chronicles 4:22 tn Heb “and the words are old.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:23 tn Heb “and those who lived in Netaim and Gederah; with the king in his work they lived there.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:33 tc Some LXX mss read “Baalath” (cf. Josh 19:8). This is followed by some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
- 1 Chronicles 4:34 tn The words “their clan leaders were” are added in the translation for clarification. See v. 38a, which makes this clear.
- 1 Chronicles 4:41 tn The Hebrew text reads “their tents,” apparently referring to those of the Hamites mentioned at the end of v. 40. Some prefer to emend the text to read, “the tents of Ham.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:41 tn Heb “and they lived in place of them.”
- 1 Chronicles 4:43 tn Heb “and struck down the remnant that had escaped belonging to Amalek.”
1 Chronicles 4
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
4 The sons of Juda: Phares, Hesron, and Charmi, and Hur, and Sobal.
2 And Raia the son of Sobal beget Jahath, of whom were born Ahumai, and Laad. These are the families of Sarathi.
3 And this is the posterity of Etam: Jezrahel, and Jesema, and Jedebos: and the name of their sister was Asalelphuni.
4 And Phanuel the father of Gedor, and Ezar the father of Hosa, these are the sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephratha the father of Bethlehem.
5 And Assur the father of Thecua had two wives, Halaa and Naara:
6 And Naara bore him Ozam, and Hepher, and Themani, and Ahasthari: these are the sons of Naara.
7 And the sons of Halaa, Sereth, Isaar, and Ethnan.
8 And Cos begot Anob, and Soboba, the kindred of Aharehel the son of Arum.
9 And Jabes was more honourable than any of his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabes, saying: Because I bore him with sorrow.
10 And Jabes called upon the God of Israel, saying: If blessing thou wilt bless me, and wilt enlarge my borders, and thy hand be with me, and thou save me from being oppressed by evil. And God granted him the things he prayed for.
11 And Caleb the brother of Sua beget Mahir, who was the father of Esthon.
12 And Esthon beget Bethrapha, and Phesse, and Tehinna father of the city of Naas: these are the men of Recha.
13 And the sons of Cenez were Othoniel, and Saraia. And the sons of Othoniel, Hathath, and Maonathi.
14 Maonathi beget Ophra, and Saraia begot Joab the father of the Valley of artificers: for artificers were there.
15 And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephone, were Hir, and Ela, and Naham. And the sons of Ela: Cenez.
16 The sons also of Jaleleel: Ziph, and Zipha, Thiria, and Asrael.
17 And the sons of Esra, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon, and he beget Mariam, and Sammai, and Jesba the father of Esthamo.
18 And his wife Judaia, bore Jared the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Icuthiel the father of Zanoe. And these are the sons of Bethia the daughter of Pharao, whom Mered took to wife.
19 And the sons of his wife Odaia the sister of Naham the father of Celia, Garmi, and Esthamo, who was of Machathi.
20 The sons also of Simon, Amnon, and Rinna the son of Hanan, and Thilon. And the sons of Jesi Zoheth, and Benzoheth.
21 The sons of Sela the son of Juda: Her the father of Lecha, and Laada the father of Maresa, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen in the House of oath.
22 And he that made the sun to stand, and the men of Lying, and Secure, and Burning, who were princes in Moab, and who returned into Lahem. Now these are things of old.
23 These are the potters, and they dwelt in Plantations, and Hedges, with the king for his works, and they abode there.
24 The sons of Simeon: Namuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zara, Saul:
25 Sellum his son, Mapsam his son, Masma his son.
26 The sons of Masma: Hamuel his son, Zachur his son, Semei his son.
27 The sons of Semei were sixteen, and six daughters: but his brethren had not many sons, and the whole kindred could not reach to the sum of the children of Juda.
28 And they dwelt in Bersabee, and Molada, and Hasarsuhal,
29 And in Bala, and in Asom, and in Tholad,
30 And in Bathuel, and in Horma, and in Siceleg,
31 And in Bethmarchaboth, and in Hasarsusim, and in Bethberai, and in Saarim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32 Their towns also were Etam, and Aen, Remmon, and Thochen, and Asan, five cities.
33 And all their villages round about these cities as far as Baal. This was their habitation, and the distribution of their dwellings.
34 And Mosabab and Jemlech, and Josa, the son of Amasias,
35 And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josabia the son of Saraia, the son of Asiel,
36 And Elioenai, and Jacoba, and Isuhaia, and Asaia, and Adiel, and Ismiel, and Banaia,
37 Ziza also the son of Sephei the son of Allon the son of Idaia the son of Semri the son of Samaia.
38 These were named princes in their kindreds, and in the houses of their families were multiplied exceedingly.
39 And they went forth to enter into Gador as far as to the east side of the valley, to seek pastures for their flocks.
40 And they found fat pastures, and very good, and a country spacious, and quiet, and fruitful, in which some of the race of Cham had dwelt before.
41 And these whose names are written above, came in the days of Ezechias king of Juda: and they beat down their tents, and slew the inhabitants that were found there, and utterly destroyed them unto this day: and they dwelt in their place, because they found there fat pastures.
42 Some also of the children of Simeon, five hundred men, went into mount Seir, having for their captains Phaltias and Naaria and Raphaia and Oziel the sons of Jesi:
43 And they slew the remnant of the Amalecites, who had been able to escape, and they dwelt there in their stead unto this day.
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