Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with sorrow.”
- KJV And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
- NKJV Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
- NASB Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I gave birth to him in pain.”
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jabez stands out as 'more honorable than his brothers,' though his name means 'pain' from the sorrow of his birth. It sets up the striking prayer that follows.
Overview
In the middle of a name-list, the Chronicler pauses to highlight Jabez, a man whose very name memorialized his mother's painful labor. Yet despite this discouraging start, he was esteemed above his kin. The brief portrait prepares the reader for verse 10, where his honor is shown to rest not in himself but in his dependence on the God of Israel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Sam 4:21And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed.
- Gen 35:18And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.
- Gen 3:16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
- 1 Chr 7:23And again he slept with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. So he named him Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house.
- Gen 34:19The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.
- Acts 17:11Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
- Isa 43:4Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 4:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.