1 Chronicles 4:9

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,^[a] saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”

1 Chronicles 4:9 in Other Translations

9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."

9 There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful.

9 Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, "A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!"

9 And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez [Painful], because she said that his birth was painful.

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez and said, "I gave birth to him in pain."

9 Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez. She had said, "I was in a lot of pain when he was born."

1 Chronicles 4:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 4:9

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 ( 1 Samuel 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 ^F26, is not probable, and besides is after spoken of distinct from him, ( 1 Chronicles 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 T. Bab. Temurah, fol. 16. 1.

1 Chronicles 4:9 In-Context

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, 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. "Jabez" sounds like the Hebrew for "pain."