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1 The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2 Reaiah, son of Shobal, was the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.
3 These were the sons*“Sons”: the Hebrew text reads “father,” but some Septuagint manuscripts and the Vulgate read “sons.” of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was called Hazzelelponi. 4 Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, Ephrathah's firstborn and father†“Father”: probably in the sense of “founder.” of Bethlehem.
5 Ashhur was the father of Tekoa and had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 Naarah was the mother of 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 and Hazzobebah and of the families of Aharhel, son of Harum.
9 Jabez was more faithful to God‡“More faithful to God”: literally, “more honorable,” but this does not carry the meaning of a better relationship to God. than his brothers. His mother had given him the name Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10 Jabez begged the God of Israel, “Please bless me and expand my borders!§“Expand my borders”: or, “enlarge my territory.” While this may be seen as simply a request for greater land ownership, it is perhaps better to understand this request that God would expand all that Jabez had, including spiritual aspects. Be with me and keep me safe from harm so I won't have pain.”*“Pain”: part of the prayer is a desire that despite the name his mother gave him that he would not thereby be cursed to suffer pain. And God gave him what he asked for.
11 Kelub, Shuhah's brother, was the father of Mehir, who in turn was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father†“Father”: probably in the sense of “founder.” Ir Nahash means “city of the serpent.” of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Recah.‡“Recah.” Some manuscripts read “Recab,” in which case this would refer to those mentioned in 2:55.
13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah.
The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.§“Meonothai”: some Septuagint manuscripts and the Vulgate. The current Hebrew text does not have the word, probably lost because it occurs as the first word of the next verse. 14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father*“Father”: probably in the sense of “founder.” Ge Harashim means “valley of craftsmen.” of Ge Harashim, so called because craftsmen lived there.
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 wife of Mered†“Mered”: assumed from the context of the following verse. was the mother of Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.‡“Father”: in the sense of “founder” of the town of that name. 18 (Another wife who came from Judah was the mother of Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.§“Father”: each refers to the “founder” of the respective towns. See Joshua 15.) These were the sons of Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter, whom Mered had married.*Presumably referring back to the sons mentioned in the preceding verse.
19 The sons of Hodiah's wife, Nathan's sister: one son was the father of Keilah the Garmite, and another the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.
The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.
21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er, who was the father of Lecah, Laadah, who was the father of Mareshah, the families of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, 22 Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These are old records.) 23 They were potters, inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah, who lived there and worked for the king.
24 The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul. 25 Shallum was the son of Shaul, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son.
26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, and Shimei his son.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their tribe was not as large as that of Judah. 28 They lived in Beersheba, 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 David became king. 32 They also lived in Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan—a total of five towns, 33 along with all the surrounding villages as far as Baal.†See Joshua 19:8. These were the places where they lived and they recorded their genealogy.
34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah (son of Amaziah), 35 Joel, Jehu (son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel), 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 and Ziza (son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah).
38 These were the names of the leaders of their families whose lineage increased significantly. 39 They went far as the border of Gedor on the east side of the valley to look for pasture for their flocks. 40 They found good pastureland there, and the area was open, quiet, and peaceful, for those who used to live there were Ham's descendants.‡“Ham's descendants”: in other words, the former Canaanite inhabitants.
41 In the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah, the leaders listed above by name came and attacked these descendants of Ham where they lived, along with the Meunites there and totally destroyed them, as is clear to this very day. Then they settled there, because there was pastureland for their flocks. 42 Some of these Simeonites invaded Mount Seir—five hundred men led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. 43 They destroyed the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. They have lived there to this very day.

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*4:3 “Sons”: the Hebrew text reads “father,” but some Septuagint manuscripts and the Vulgate read “sons.”

†4:4 “Father”: probably in the sense of “founder.”

‡4:9 “More faithful to God”: literally, “more honorable,” but this does not carry the meaning of a better relationship to God.

§4:10 “Expand my borders”: or, “enlarge my territory.” While this may be seen as simply a request for greater land ownership, it is perhaps better to understand this request that God would expand all that Jabez had, including spiritual aspects.

*4:10 “Pain”: part of the prayer is a desire that despite the name his mother gave him that he would not thereby be cursed to suffer pain.

†4:12 “Father”: probably in the sense of “founder.” Ir Nahash means “city of the serpent.”

‡4:12 “Recah.” Some manuscripts read “Recab,” in which case this would refer to those mentioned in 2:55.

§4:13 “Meonothai”: some Septuagint manuscripts and the Vulgate. The current Hebrew text does not have the word, probably lost because it occurs as the first word of the next verse.

*4:14 “Father”: probably in the sense of “founder.” Ge Harashim means “valley of craftsmen.”

†4:17 “Mered”: assumed from the context of the following verse.

‡4:17 “Father”: in the sense of “founder” of the town of that name.

§4:18 “Father”: each refers to the “founder” of the respective towns. See Joshua 15.

*4:18 Presumably referring back to the sons mentioned in the preceding verse.

†4:33 See Joshua 19:8.

‡4:40 “Ham's descendants”: in other words, the former Canaanite inhabitants.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher