10 And Jabez calleth to the God of Israel, saying, `If blessing Thou dost bless me, then Thou hast made great my border, and Thy hand hath been with me, and Thou hast kept `me' from evil -- not to grieve me;' and God bringeth in that which he asked.
`Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; for every one who is asking doth receive, and he who is seeking doth find, and to him who is knocking it shall be opened. `Or what man is of you, of whom, if his son may ask a loaf -- a stone will he present to him? and if a fish he may ask -- a serpent will he present to him? if, therefore, ye being evil, have known good gifts to give to your children, how much more shall your Father who `is' in the heavens give good things to those asking him?
I have loved, because Jehovah heareth My voice, my supplication, Because He hath inclined His ear to me, And during my days I call. Compassed me have cords of death, And straits of Sheol have found me, Distress and sorrow I find. And in the name of Jehovah I call: I pray Thee, O Jehovah, deliver my soul,
And the sons of Joseph speak with Joshua, saying, `Wherefore hast thou given to me an inheritance -- one lot and one portion, and I a numerous people? hitherto hath Jehovah blessed me.' And Joshua saith unto them, `If thou `art' a numerous people, go up for thee to the forest, then thou hast prepared for thee there, in the land of the Perizzite, and of the Rephaim, when mount Ephraim hath been narrow for thee.' And the sons of Joseph say, `The hill is not found to us, and a chariot of iron `is' with every Canaanite who is dwelling in the land of the valley -- to him who `is' in Beth-Shean and its towns, and to him who `is' in the valley of Jezreel.' And Joshua speaketh unto the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, `Thou `art' a numerous people, and hast great power; thou hast not one lot `only', because the mountain is thine; because it `is' a forest -- thou hast prepared it, and its outgoings have been thine; because thou dost dispossess the Canaanite, though it hath chariots of iron -- though it `is' strong.'
But God hath heard, He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed `is' God, Who hath not turned aside my prayer, And His loving-kindness, from me!
for there is no difference between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord of all `is' rich to all those calling upon Him, for every one -- whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, he shall be saved.' How then shall they call upon `him' in whom they did not believe? and how shall they believe `on him' of whom they did not hear? and how shall they hear apart from one preaching?
And Manasseh hath not occupied Beth-Shean and its towns, and Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Iblaim and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, and the Canaanite is desirous to dwell in that land; and it cometh to pass, when Israel hath been strong, that he setteth the Canaanite to tribute, and hath not utterly dispossessed it. And Ephraim hath not dispossessed the Canaanite who is dwelling in Gezer, and the Canaanite dwelleth in its midst, in Gezer. Zebulun hath not dispossessed the inhabitants of Kitron, and the inhabitants of Nahalol, and the Canaanite dwelleth in its midst, and they become tributary. Asher hath not dispossessed the inhabitants of Accho, and the inhabitants of Zidon, and Ahlab, and Achzib, and Helbah, and Aphik, and Rehob; and the Asherite dwelleth in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of the land, for it hath not dispossessed them. Naphtali hath not dispossessed the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh, and the inhabitants of Beth-Anath, and he dwelleth in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh and of Beth-Anath have become tributary to them. And the Amorites press the sons of Dan to the mountain, for they have not suffered them to go down to the valley; and the Amorite is desirous to dwell in mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, and the hand of the house of Joseph is heavy, and they become tributary; and the border of the Amorite `is' from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.
And now, O Jehovah my God, Thou hast caused thy servant to reign instead of David my father; and I `am' a little child, I do not know to go out and to come in; and Thy servant `is' in the midst of thy people, whom Thou hast chosen, a people numerous, that is not numbered nor counted for multitude, and Thou hast given to Thy servant an understanding heart, to judge Thy people, to discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?' And the thing is good in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon hath asked this thing, and God saith unto him, `Because that thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thee many days, nor asked for thee riches, nor asked the life of thine enemies, and hast asked for thee discernment to understand judgment, lo, I have done according to thy words; lo, I have given to thee a heart, wise and understanding, that like thee there hath not been before thee, and after thee there doth not arise like thee; and also, that which thou hast not asked I have given to thee, both riches and honour, that there hath not been like thee a man among the kings all thy days;
And I decided this to myself, not again to come in sorrow unto you, for if I make you sorry, then who is he who is making me glad, except he who is made sorry by me? and I wrote to you this same thing, that having come, I may not have sorrow from them of whom it behoved me to have joy, having confidence in you all, that my joy is of you all, for out of much tribulation and pressure of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not that ye might be made sorry, but that ye might know the love that I have more abundantly toward you. And if any one hath caused sorrow, he hath not caused sorrow to me, but in part, that I may not burden you all; sufficient to such a one is this punishment, that `is' by the more part, so that, on the contrary, `it is' rather for you to forgive and to comfort, lest by over abundant sorrow such a one may be swallowed up;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 4
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
In this chapter we have,
1Ch 4:1-10
One reason, no doubt, why Ezra is here most particular in the register of the tribe of Judah is because it was that tribe which, with its appendages, Simeon, Benjamin, and Levi, made up the kingdom of Judah, which not only long survived the other tribes in Canaan, but in process of time, now when this was written, returned out of captivity, when the generality of the other tribes were lost in the kingdom of Assyria. The most remarkable person in this paragraph is Jabez. It is not said whose son he was, nor does it appear in what age he lived; but, it should seem, he was the founder of one of the families of Aharhel, mentioned v. 8. Here is,
1Ch 4:11-23
We may observe in these verses,
1Ch 4:24-43
We have here some of the genealogies of the tribe of Simeon (though it was not a tribe of great note), especially the princes of that tribe, v. 38. Of this tribe it is said that they increased greatly, but not like the children of Judah, v. 27. Those whom God increases ought to be thankful, though they see others that are more increased. Here observe,