In brief
Jabez is a man of the tribe of Judah mentioned in the middle of the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 4. Only two verses are devoted to him: his mother gave him a name linked to pain, yet he was more honorable than his brothers. He called on the God of Israel to be blessed, protected and kept from harm, and God granted his request. He is remembered for a simple, trusting prayer born of a painful beginning.
What does the name Jabez mean?
The Bible itself explains the name: his mother called him Jabez, saying that she bore him in pain (1 Chronicles 4:9). In Hebrew the name is generally linked to the word for pain or sorrow, through a play on sounds. The text does not name his father or give the exact period of his life.
The story of Jabez
A name in the middle of Judah's genealogies
1 Chronicles 4:1-8Chapter 4 of Chronicles lists the families descended from Judah: Perez, Hezron, Hur and many others. This list of names, often read quickly, reminds us that God knows every family of his people. In the middle of this list the account suddenly stops at one man, as if to stress that his life deserves our attention.
Born in pain, more honorable than his brothers
1 Chronicles 4:9The text says that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. Yet his birth was marked by his mother's suffering, and she gave him a name recalling that pain. The Bible does not say what this honor consisted of, but it shows that a difficult beginning does not prevent a life honored before God and before people.
A prayer addressed to the God of Israel
1 Chronicles 4:10Jabez called on the God of Israel. He asked for four things: to be blessed, to have his territory enlarged, to have God's hand with him, and to be kept from harm so that he would not suffer. His prayer is not addressed to a local deity but to the God of the covenant, who promised to bless his people.
God grants his request
1 Chronicles 4:10The account ends with a brief sentence: God granted what he asked. The chronicler does not describe how the answer came. He stresses God's faithfulness, who hears the one who cries out to him in faith, and then the genealogy resumes its course with the descendants of Kelub.
What Jabez teaches us
- A start marked by pain does not define the future of the one who turns to God.
- The prayer of Jabez shows that we can ask God for his blessing and protection with simplicity and trust.
- Asking for God's hand to be with us matters more than asking for goods or territory.
- God listens to the prayer of those whose name seems lost in the middle of a long list.
Key verses
The verse explains the name Jabez by the pain of his birth, while stating that he was more honorable than his brothers. The suffering of the beginning did not have the last word.
His prayer fits in one sentence: blessing, enlarged borders, God's hand with him, protection from harm. The conclusion that God granted what he asked underlines God's faithfulness.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Jabez mean?
His mother gave him this name, saying that she bore him in pain (1 Chronicles 4:9). In Hebrew, Jabez is generally linked to the word for pain or sorrow. The name therefore recalled the difficult circumstances of his birth.
What does Jabez ask for in his prayer?
He asks the God of Israel to bless him, to enlarge his territory, to let his hand be with him and to keep him from harm so that he would not suffer (1 Chronicles 4:10). It is not a magic formula but a trusting request addressed to the God of the covenant, who answered it.
Where can I find the story of Jabez in the Bible?
His whole story fits in two verses, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, in the middle of the genealogies of the tribe of Judah. No other passage of the Bible speaks of him, which makes his prayer all the more remarkable.