Jabez
“Sorrow or he causes pain”
Summary
A man of Judah known for his remarkable prayer and the faith by which God granted his requests, as well as a town inhabited by families of scribes.
☩The Man Jabez
Jabez appears suddenly in the genealogies of Judah with a remarkable account inserted among bare pedigrees. His mother named him Jabez, saying, 'Because I bore him with sorrow,' the name being a play on the Hebrew word for pain. Despite his ominous name, Jabez was described as 'more honorable than his brethren.' The Targum identifies Jabez with Othniel, though this cannot be verified.
☩The Prayer of Jabez
The prayer of Jabez stands as a model of comprehensive and faithful petition. He called upon 'the God of Israel,' invoking the same God with whom Jacob wrestled. His fourfold request asked that God would: bless him indeed, enlarge his territory, let God's hand be with him, and keep him from evil that it might not grieve him. The prayer demonstrates remarkable faith, asking not merely for earthly goods but for divine blessing, spiritual expansion, divine presence, and protection from evil. God granted his request, demonstrating that 'the sorrow implied by his ominous name was averted by prayer.' The prayer was likely offered at the beginning of his adult life and serves as an admirable model for youths.
☩The Place Jabez
A town named Jabez was inhabited by several families of scribes descended from the Kenites and allied to the Rechabites. The location is not precisely identified but appears to have been within the territory of Judah, possibly near Kirjath-jearim. The town may have been named after or settled by the descendants of the honorable Jabez.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Jabez," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Jabez," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Jabez (1)," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Jabez," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).