The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles are packed with genealogical lists. It’s easy to skim over them, assuming there’s nothing of interest. But if we take the time to go through them, we can often find interesting tidbits sandwiched between the names. Thus is the case of the Mother of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4.

Mother of Jabez in the Bible

The chapter opens with a list of the sons, and daughter, of Judah, then the sons of Hur. We’re told about Ashur who had two wives, and we’re given the names of their sons. 

Then we come to verse 9. “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”

My first response was to ask who was Jabez? Who were his brothers? What was his mother’s name? But none of that information is included. We can assume he’s from the family of Judah, but that is all. We don’t know who his father or his brothers were, but we do know that his mother bore him in pain. 

Though she suffered a difficult delivery, she must have instilled in him a godly heritage because in verse 10 the prayer of Jabez. 

“Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked.”

May we as mothers teach our children to pray for God’s blessings and protection. 

Mother of Jabez in the Bible:

1 Chronicles 4:9-10