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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

1 Chronicles 4:9

And Jabes was more honourable than any of his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabes, saying: Because I bore him with sorrow.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jabez;   Religion;   Thompson Chain Reference - Children;   Home;   Named, Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Children;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jabez;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Jabez;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jabez ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ja'bez;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chronicles, Books of;   Jabez;   Zobebah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anagram;   Jabez;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Jabez was more honored than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez and said, “I gave birth to him in pain.”
Hebrew Names Version
Ya`betz was more honorable than his brothers: and his mother named him Ya`betz, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow.
King James Version
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
English Standard Version
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
New Century Version
There was a man named Jabez, who was respected more than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because she said, "I was in much pain when I gave birth to him."
New English Translation
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."
Amplified Bible
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; but his mother named him Jabez, saying, "Because I gave birth to him in pain."
New American Standard Bible
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, "Because I gave birth to him in pain."
World English Bible
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers: and his mother named him Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Iabez was more honourable then his brethren: and his mother called his name Iabez, saying, Because I bare him in sorowe.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain."
Berean Standard Bible
Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
Contemporary English Version
Jabez was a man who got his name because of the pain he caused his mother during birth. But he was still the most respected son in his family.
Complete Jewish Bible
Ya‘betz was honored more than his brothers; his mother called him Ya‘betz, she explained, "because I bore him in pain ."
Darby Translation
And Jabez was more honoured than his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with pain.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jabez was a very good man, who was better than his brothers. His mother said, "I have named him Jabez because I was in much pain when I had him."
George Lamsa Translation
And one of them was dear to his father and to his mother, so they called his name Our Eyes.
Good News Translation
There was a man named Jabez, who was the most respected member of his family. His mother had given him the name Jabez, because his birth had been very painful.
Lexham English Bible
And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
Literal Translation
And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bore with sorrow.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iaebes was more honorable then his brethre, and his mother called him Iaebes, for she sayde: I haue borne him with trouble.
American Standard Version
And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
Bible in Basic English
And Jabez was honoured more than his brothers; but his mother had given him the name Jabez, saying, Because I gave birth to him with sorrow.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iabes was more honorable then his brethren: And his mother called his name Iabes, saying: because I bare him with sorowe.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying: 'Because I bore him with pain.'
King James Version (1611)
And Iabez was more honourable then his brethren: and his mother called his name Iabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Igabes was more famous than his brethren; and his mother called his name Igabes, saying, I have born as a sorrowful one.
English Revised Version
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Jabes was noble byfor alle hise britheren; and his modir clepide his name Jabes, and seide, For Y childide hym in sorewe.
Update Bible Version
And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers: and his mother named him Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow.
New King James Version
Now Jabez [fn] was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
New Living Translation
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.
New Life Bible
Jabez was more a man of honor than his brothers. His mother gave him the name Jabez, saying, "Because I gave birth to him in pain."
New Revised Standard
Jabez was honored more than his brothers; and his mother named him Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now it came to pass that Jabez was more honourable than his brethren, - but, his mother, had called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with pain.
Revised Standard Version
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
Young's Literal Translation
And Jabez is honoured above his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, `Because I have brought forth with grief.'
THE MESSAGE
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!" Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: "Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don't let evil hurt me." God gave him what he asked.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain."

Contextual Overview

1 The sons of Juda: Phares, Hesron, and Charmi and Hur, and Sobal. 2 And Raia the son of Sobal begot 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, and 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

more: Genesis 34:19, Isaiah 43:4, Acts 17:11

Jabez: i.e. Sorrowful

I bare him: 1 Chronicles 7:23, Genesis 3:16, Genesis 35:18, 1 Samuel 4:21

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 2:55 - Jabez Proverbs 23:25 - and she

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings.
Genesis 4:9
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered: I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?
Genesis 4:11
Now therefore cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth and received the blood of thy brother at thy hand.
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon.
Genesis 4:14
Behold thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face I shall be hid, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: every one therefore that findeth me, shall kill me.
Genesis 37:32
Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son’s coat, or not.
Psalms 9:12
(9-13) For requiring their blood, he hath remembered them: he hath not forgotten the cry of the poor.
Proverbs 28:13
He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy.
John 8:44
You are of your father the devil: and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning: and he stood not in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 z, 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.

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

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is remarkable that Jabez should be introduced without description, or patronymic, as if a well-known personage. We can only suppose that he was known to those for whom Chronicles was written, either by tradition, or by writings which have perished. In 1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez alludes to his name, “sorrowful” (margin): “Grant that the grief implied in my name may not come upon me!”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Chronicles 4:9. And Jabez was more honourable — This whole account is variously understood by some of the principal versions. I shall subjoin a translation of each.

SEPTUAGINT. - "And Igabes was more glorious than his brethren; and his mother called his name Igabes, saying, I have brought thee forth as Gabes. And Igabes invoked the God of Israel, saying, If in blessing thou wilt bless me, and enlarge my borders, and thy hand be with me, and wilt give me understanding not to depress me: and God brought about all that he requested."

SYRIAC. - "And one of these was dear to his father and to his mother; and he called his name [Syriac] ainai, MY EYE. And he said to him, In blessing may the Lord bless thee, and enlarge thy boundary; and may his hand be with thee; and may he preserve thee from evil, that it may not rule over thee; and may he give to thee whatsoever thou shalt request of him!"

ARABIC. - "And this one (Hastahar or Harum) was beloved of his father and his mother: and they called his name [Arabic] aina, MY EYE; and they said unto him, May the Lord bless thee, and multiply thy people, and may his hand be present with thee, because thou wast born in Beth-lehem!"

These two latter versions seem to have copied each other, and the Vulgate is nearly, like ours, a literal rendering of the Hebrew; but the Chaldee is widely different from all the rest:-

CHALDEE. - "And Jabets also, he is Othniel, honourable and skilled in the law beyond his brethren, whose mother called his name Jabets, because she had borne him with sorrow. And Jabets prayed to the God of Israel, saying, O that in blessing thou wouldest bless me with children, and enlarge my borders with disciples; and that thy hand may be with me in business, that thou mayest make me like to my companions, that evil concupiscence may the less grieve me! And the Lord granted that which he prayed for."

Of this honourable person we know nothing but what is here mentioned, nor does the name occur in any other part of Scripture except in 1 Chronicles 2:55, where it appears to be the name of a place, but is understood by the Chaldee to be the name of a person, as here. Though I have noticed this particularly in the note on that place, yet I think it right to add the Chaldee here, that all that concerns this worthy person may be seen at one view:-

1 Chronicles 2:55: "The families of the Rechabites, the son of Eliezer, the son of Moses, the disciples of Jabets; he was Othniel, the son of Kenaz. And he was called Jabets, יעבץ Yabets, because in his counsel [בעיצתיה beytsatih, from יעץ yaats, he counselled, advised, c.] he instituted a school for disciples. They were called Tirathim, תרעתים, because in their hymns their voices were like trumpets, [from רע ra, to sound like a trumpet see Numbers 10:9; 2 Chronicles 13:12,] and Shimathim, שמעתים, because in hearing, they lifted up their faces, i.e. in prayer, [from שמע shama, he heard, hearkened,] and Suchathim, שוכתים, because they were overshadowed with the spirit of prophecy, [from שך sach, a tabernacle, or extended covering.]" For farther particulars, see at the end of this chapter. 1 Chronicles 4:43.


 
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