Jabez

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A place inhabited by several families of the scribes ( 1 Chronicles 2:55 ).

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Jabez'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/j/jabez.html. 1897.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. City in which the various families of the scribes dwelt.  1 Chronicles 2:55 . Not identified.

2. A descendant of Judah, said to be more honourable than his brethren. He prayed to the God of Israel that He would bless him, and enlarge his border; that God's hand might be with him, and keep him from evil that it might not grieve him. God granted that which he requested.  1 Chronicles 4:9,10 . It is a beautiful instance of individual faith, which rose to the privileges of God's earthly people, and counted on the God of Israel.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Jabez 1. A city in Judah occupied by scribes, the descendants of Caleb (  1 Chronicles 2:55 ). 2. A man of the family of Judah, noted for his ‘honourable’ character (  1 Chronicles 4:9 ff.); called Ya’bçts , which is rendered as if it stood for Ya’tsçb , ‘he causes pain.’ In his vow (  1 Chronicles 4:10 ) there is again a play upon his name.

W. Ewing.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ja'bez. (Sorrow).

1. Apparently, a place at which the families of the scribes resided, who belonged to the families of the Kenites.  1 Chronicles 2:55.

2. The name occurs again in the genealogies of Judah,  1 Chronicles 4:9-10, in a passage of remarkable detail, inserted in a genealogy again connected with Bethlehem.  1 Chronicles 4:4.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A descendant of Judah, whose high distinction among his brethren seems to have been owing to his prevalence in prayer,  1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Chronicles 2:55 2 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Yabets', יִעְבֵּוֹ , according to  1 Chronicles 4:9, Affliction, sc. to his mother, apparently by transposition from the root עָצִב ; Sept. Ι᾿Γαβής and Γαβής or Γάβης ), the name of a man and also of a place.

1. A descendant of Judah (B.C. post 1612), but of what particular family is not apparent, although we have this remarkable account of him inserted among a series of bare pedigrees: "And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow ( עֹצֶב ). And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me ( צָצְבַּי , Otsbi')! And God granted him that which he requested" ( 1 Chronicles 4:9-10). It is very doubtful whether any connection exists between this genealogy and that in  1 Chronicles 2:50-55. Several names appear in both Hur, Ephratah, Bethlehem, Zareathites (in A.V. 4:2 inaccurately "Zorathites"), Joab, Caleb; — and there is much similarity between others, as Rechab and Rechah, Eshton and Eshtaulites; but any positive connection seems undemonstrable. The Targum identifies Jabez and Othniel. For the traditionary notices of this person and his character, see Clarke's Comnnent. ad loc.

2. A place described as being inhabited by several families of the scribes descended from the Kenites, and allied to the Rechabites ( 1 Chronicles 2:55). It occurs in a notice of the progeny of Salma, who was of Judah, and closely connected with Bethlehem, possibly the father of Boaz-; and also-though how is not clear — with Joab. The Targum states some curious particulars, which, however, do not much elucidate the difficulty, and which are probably a mixture of trustworthy tradition and of mere invention based on philological grounds. Rechab is there identified with Rechabiah, the son of Eliezer, Moses's younger son ( 1 Chronicles 26:25), and Jabez with Othniel the Kenezite, who bore the name of Jabez "because he founded by his counsel ( עֵיצָה ) a school ( תִּרְבַּיצָא ) of disciples called Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites." See also the quotations from Talmud. Tem Urah, in Buxtorfs Lex. col. 966, where a similar deviation is given. As the place appears to have been situated within the territory of Judah, it may have been settled by the numerous posterity of the above person by the same name (comp. "the men of Rechah,"  1 Chronicles 4:12). The associated names would seem to indicate a locality near, if not identical with Kirjath-jearim (comp. in the same region Kirjath- sepher, or book-town, implying the literary avocation of its inhabitants), where some of the same families appear to have dwelt (1 Chronicles 2, 53), e.g. the Ithrites =Kenites, the Shumathites = Simeathites.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jā´bez ( יעבּץ , ya‛bēc , "sorrow" ("height")):

(1) Place  : An unidentified town probably in the territory of Judah, occupied by scribes (  1 Chronicles 2:55 ). For an ingenious reconstruction of the passage see EB , under the word

(2) Person  : The head of a family of Judah, noted for his "honorable" character, though "his mother bare him with sorrow " (  1 Chronicles 4:9 ,  1 Chronicles 4:10 ), ya‛bēc being interpreted as if it stood for ya‛cēbh , "he causes pain." The same play upon words recurs in his prayer, "that it be not to my sorrow  !" His request was granted, "and the sorrow implied by his ominous name was averted by prayer" (Dummelow, in the place cited.).