1The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. 3These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And their sister was named Hazzelelponi. 4Penuel 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. 5Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6Naarah bore to him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah. 7The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, 8and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Zobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum. 9Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10And Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only You would bless me and enlarge my territory! May Your hand be with me and keep me from harm, so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted the request of Jabez. 11Chelub the brother of Shuhah was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, of Paseah, and of Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah. 13The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. 14Meonothai was the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of those living in Ge-harashim, which was given this name because its people were craftsmen. 15The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz. 16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. 18And Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah. Mered also took a Judean wife, who gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. 21The sons of Shelah son of Judah: 22Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea, Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi-lehem. (These names are from ancient records.) 23These were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king. 24The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul. 25The sons of Shaul: Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma. 26The sons of Mishma: Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei. 27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah. 28They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. 32And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns— 33and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record: 34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel), 36Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37and Ziza son of Shiphi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah). 38These men listed by name were the leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly, 39and they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, in search of pasture for their flocks. 40There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly. 41These who were noted by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites and Meunites there in their dwellings, devoting them to destruction even to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks. 42And five hundred of these Simeonites led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to Mount Seir 43and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they have lived there to this day.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
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.