1Chr 4:43

“They smote the rest of the Amalekites - Those who had escaped in the war which Saul made against them, (see Sa1 14:48), and from David, who had attacked them afterwards, Sa2 8:12. The expedition of the Simeonites mentioned here, against Gedor and Seir, was in the days of Hezekiah; and, as Calmet conjectures, near about the time of the captivity of the ten tribes, when the remnant of Simeon would feel themselves obliged to retire more southward, into Arabia Petraea, for fear of the Jews. These may be probable conjectures. - See Calmet. There are several things in the account of Jabez that are very instructive: - 1. He appears to have been a child brought into the world with great difficulty, at the risk of his own life and that of his mother. So much seems to be implied in, she bare him with sorrow, i.e., with peculiar sorrow and danger. 2. To perpetuate the merciful interposition of God in her own and her son's behalf, she gave him a name that must have recalled to her and his remembrance the danger to which both their lives were exposed, and from which they could not have been extricated but by the especial help of God. She called his name Jabez, etc. 3. He was brought up in the fear of God; he was no idolater; he worshipped the God of Israel, and he showed the sincerity of his faith by frequent and earnest prayer. 4. His prayer was at once both enlightened and pious. He had piety towards God, and therefore he trusted in him: he knew that he was the fountain of all good, and therefore he sought all necessaries both for body and soul from him. He prayed to the God of Israel. 5. Both the matter and manner of his prayer were excellent. His heart was deeply impressed with its wants, and therefore he was earnest and fervent; O that thou wouldest bless me indeed; אם ברך תברכני im barech tebarecheni; "O that in blessing thou wouldest bless me!" Let me live under thy benediction! Do thou diligently and frequently bless me! 6. He prays for the things necessary for the body as well as for the soul: And enlarge my coasts - grant me as much territory as may support my family. Let the means of living be adequate to the demands of life; let me have the necessaries, conveniences, and, as far as they may be safely intrusted with me, the comforts of life! O that thou wouldest enlarge my coasts! 7. He is conscious that without the continual support of God he must fail; and therefore he prays to be upheld by his power: That thy hand might be with me! May I ever walk with thee, and ever feel the hand of thy power to support and cover me in all the trials, dangers, and difficulties of life; and the hand of thy providence to supply all my wants in reference to both worlds! 8. He dreads both sin and suffering, and therefore prays against both: O that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! Sin and misery are in every step of the journey of life; keep me from sin, that I grieve thee not; and keep me from sin, that I render not myself miserable! We can never offend God without injuring ourselves; he that sins must suffer. Thorns and scorpions are everywhere in the way to perdition; and he that walks in it must be torn and stung. He alone is happy who walks in the ways of God. Keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. 9. Prayers that have a right aim will have a right answer; Jabez did not pray in vain, for God granted him that which he requested. He was continually blessed; his family was increased; the hand of God was upon him for good. He was saved from sin, and saved from the pangs and sufferings of a guilty conscience. 10. If we take up the character and conduct of Jabez in the view given by the Chaldee, we shall not only see him as a pious and careful man, deeply interested in behalf of himself and his family, but we shall see him as a benevolent man, laboring for the welfare of others, and especially for the religious instruction of youth. He founded schools, in which the young and rising generation were taught useful knowledge, and especially the knowledge of God. He had disciples, which were divided into three classes, who distinguished themselves by their fervor in the worship of God, by their docility in obediently hearing and treasuring up the advices and instructions of their teachers, and by their deep piety to God in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit. The spirit of prophecy, that is, of prayer and supplication, rested upon them. 11. He did not do these things merely as a duty he owed to God and his fellows, but from the abundance of a generous and loving heart: In his counsel he erected a school of disciples. God had blessed him with temporal things, and he secures their continuance by devoting them to his service; he honors God with his substance, and God honors him with his especial blessing and approbation. 12. On these accounts he was more honorable than his brethren. He was of the same stock and the same lineage; he had neither nobility of birth, nor was distinguished by earthly titles; in all these respects he was on a level with his brethren: but God tells us that he was more honorable than them all; and why? because he prayed, because he served his Maker, and because he lived to do good among men; therefore he received the honor that cometh from God. Reader, imitate the conduct of this worthy Israelite, that thou mayest be a partaker of his blessings. The things added by the Targumist might have been derived from authentic tradition.”

“Escape the arms of Saul, or of David. (Du Hamel) — Day. It seems, therefore, that they escaped captivity, having abandoned their own country; or this was taken from a record, which had been made before that event, and is here inserted by Esdras; though, when he wrote, these Simeonites might have experienced the fate of their brethren, who were led captives in the 6th year of Ezechias. (Haydock) Bible Text & Cross-references: Other genealogies of Juda and of Simeon, and their victories. 1 The *sons of Juda: Phares, Hesron, and Charmi, and Hur, and Sobal. 2 And Raia the son of Sobal, beget Jahath, of whom were born Ahumai, and Laad. These are the families of Sarathi. 3 And this is the posterity of Etom: 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 first-born of Ephrata, the father of Bethlehem. 5 And Assur, the father of Thecua, had two wives, Halaa and Naara: 6 And Naara bore him Oozam, 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. 11 And Caleb, the brother of Sua, beget Mahir, who was the father of Esthon. 12 And Esthon beget Bethrapha, and Phesse, and Tehinna, father of the city of Naas: These are the men of Recha. 13 And the sons of Cenez, were Othoniel, and Saraia. And the sons of Othoniel, Hathath, and Maonathi. 14 Maonathi beget Ophra, and Saraia begot Joab, the father of the valley of Artificers: for artificers were there. 15 And the sons of Caleb, the son of Jephone, were Hir, and Ela, and Naham. And the son of Ela: Cenez. 16 The sons also of Jaleleel, Ziph, and Zipha, Thiria, and Asrael. 17 And the sons of Esra: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon, and he beget Mariam, and Sammai, and Jesba, the father of Esthamo. 18 And his wife, Judaia, bore Jared, the father of Gedor, and Heber, the father of Socho, and Icuthiel, the father of Zanoe. And these are the sons of Bethia, the daughter of Pharao, whom Mered took to wife. 19 And the sons of his wife Odaia, the sister of Naham, the father of Ceila, were Garmi, and Esthamo, who was of Machathi. 20 The sons also of Simon: Amnon, and Rinna, the son of Hanan, and Thilon. And the sons of Jesi: Zoheth and Benzoheth. 21 The sons of *Sela, the son of Juda: Her, the father of Lecha, and Laada, the father of Maresa, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen in the house of Oath. 22 And He, that made the sun to stand, and the men of Lying, and Secure, and Burning, who were princes in Moab, and who returned into Lahem. Now these are things of old. 23 These are the potters, and they dwelt in Plantations and Hedges, with the king for his works, and they abode there. 24 The sons of *Simeon: Namuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zara, Saul: 25 Sellum his son, Mapsam his son, Masma his son. 26 The sons of Masma: Hamuel his son, Zachur his son, Semei his son. 27 The sons of Semei were sixteen, and six daughters: but his brethren had not many sons, and the whole kindred could not reach to the sum of the children of Juda. 28 And they dwelt in Bersabee, and Molada, and Hasarsuhal, 29 And in Bala, and in Asom, and in Tholad, 30 And in Bathuel, and in Horma, and in Siceleg, 31 And in Bethmarchaboth, and in Hasarsusim, and in Bethberai, and in Saarim. These were their cities unto the reign of David. 32 Their towns also were Etam, and Aen, Remmon, and Thochen, and Asan, five cities. 33 And all their villages round about these cities as far as Baal. This was their habitation and the distribution of their dwellings. 34 And Mosabab, and Jemlech, and Josa, the son of Amasias, 35 And Joel, and Jehu, the son of Josabia, the son of Saraia, the son of Asiel, 36 And Elioenai, and Jacoba, and Isuhaia, and Isaia, and Adiel, and Ismiel, and Banaia; 37 Ziza also, the son of Sephei, the son of Allon, the son of Idaia, the son of Semri, the son of Samaia. 38 These were named princes in their kindreds, and in the houses of their families were multiplied exceedingly. 39 And they went forth to enter into Gador, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek pastures for their flocks. 40 And they found fat pastures, and very good, and a country spacious, and quiet, and fruitful, in which some of the race of Cham had dwelt before. 41 And these, whose names are written above, came in the days of Ezechias, king of Juda: and they beat down their tents, and slew the inhabitants that were found there, and utterly destroyed them unto this day: and they dwelt in their place, because they found there fat pastures. 42 Some also of the children of Simeon, five hundred men, went into Mount Seir, having for their captains, Phaltias and Naaria, and Raphaia, and Oziel, the sons of Jesi: 43 And they slew the remnant of the Amalecites, who had been able to escape, and they dwelt there in their stead unto this day.”