John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Chronicles 4:10
And Jabez called on the God of Israel ,.... Or prayed to him, as the Targum; though some understand it as a vow, promising what he would do if God would do thus and thus for him; the Syriac and Arabic versions read in the third person, taking it to be what others, his parents and friends, wished for him: let him bless thee ,.... but they are doubtless his own words, and a supplication of his to the Lord: saying, oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed ; the Targum adds, with children;... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Chronicles 4:9
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren ,.... The Targum adds,"and wiser in the law than his brethren;'or he might be a man of great wealth and riches, or of great strength and courage, all which make a man honourable; or he may be so called, because a praying man, as follows, a man of devotion and religion, a man of God, see 1 Samuel 9:6 , but who he was is not easy to say, probably a son or brother of Harum, or however that belonged to one of the families of Aharhel, mentioned in... read more