Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer of Jabez

For

Jill Marceau

3~/28~/2002

JABEZ

*3258* Ya˓bêts (4), /sorrowful/

3258.

יַעְבֵּץ *Ya˓bêts*, /yah-bates’;/ from an unused root prob.

mean.

to /grieve; sorrowful; Jabets/, the name of an Isr., and also of a place in Pal.:— Jabez.

*1666*     עָצַב (/˓āṣab/) *I,* */grieve, displease, vex, wrest/*.

*Derivatives *

*1666a*     עֶצֶב (/˓eṣeb/) */sorrow, labor/*.

*1666b*     עֹצֶב (/˓ōṣeb/) */sorrow/*.

*1666c*     עָצֵב (/˓āṣēb/), עַצָּב (/˓aṣṣāb/) */labor/*.

*1666d*     עַצֶּבֶת (/˓aṣṣebet/) */sorrow, wound/*.

*1666e*     עִצָּבוֹן (/˓iṣṣābôn/) */sorrow, toil/*.

*1666f*     מַעֲצֵבָה (/ma˓ăṣēbâ/) */terror/*.

The root /˓āṣab/ relates to physical pain as well as to emotional sorrow (cf.

/˓ăṣı̂b/ in Biblical Aramaic, “sad”).

Words similar in Hebrew are /ḥı̂l/~//ḥûl/ “to writhe,” /ḥārâ/ “to be hot (with anger),” /yāgâ/ Niphal “to grieve,” /lā˒â/ “to become tired, weary,” /kā˓as/ “to be irritated, angry,” /mārar/ “to be bitter, despairing,” /qûṭ/ “to feel a disgust,” /qûṣ/ “to feel a disgust,” /tāwâ/ II, “to trouble” (Ps 78:41), and the noun /rōgez/ “turmoil.”

The verb /˓āṣab/ as a term of physical and mental discomfort is used in a variety of contexts.

The Qal is found three times in the ot.

The prophet-historian of I Kings comments wryly concerning Adonijah that his father had “never crossed him” (I Kgs 1:6, NAsb) at any time by inquiring into his activities, a shameful lack of parental interest and discipline.

In another passage, Israel is depicted as a forsaken wife who is “grieved in spirit” (Isa 54:6).

*The third instance of the Qal is in I Chr 4:10 where the translation “hurt” serves as a pun on the name “Jabez” (see below).*

The Niphal of /˓āṣab/ is found seven times; once of physical pain (Eccl 10:9, on the folly of a stoneworker being hurt by his stones).

Usually mental and spiritual anguish are depicted by this form of the verb, as in the sorrowful and angry distress of Joseph’s brothers on recognizing him (Gen 45:5); Jonathan’s anguish concerning his father’s foul plots respecting David (I Sam 20:34; cf.

20:3); and Israel’s shocked grief at hearing the Torah recited and recognizing their deficiencies (Neh 8:10–11).

Twice the Piel is employed.

Psalm 56:5 [H 6] speaks of David’s enemies wresting his words (NASB, “they distort my words”).

In Isa 63:10 it is declared of Israel that “they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit” (cf.

Eph 4:30 where /lupeō/ is used in a similar manner).

The Hiphil of the Hebrew verb is found only in Ps 78:40, parallel to terms for rebellion, tempting, and provocation.

One of the two uses of the Hithpael describes the reaction of the brothers of Dinah at her being raped (RSV, “the men were indignant,” Gen 34:7).

The other is the chillingly familiar prologue to the deluge, the grief in the heart of Yahweh concerning the wickedness of man and his continually evil thought patterns (Gen 6:6).

עֹצֶב (/˓ōṣeb/).

*/Sorrow, wicked/*.

(ASV, RSV similar, but add “pain.”).

Rendered “wicked” in Ps 139:24, “and see if there be any wicked way in me.”

עָצֵב (/˓āṣēb/), עַצָּב (/˓aṣṣāb/).

*/Labor/* (so ASV; RSV and NASB, “worker”).

Only found in Isa 58:3, “and drive hard all your workers” (NASB).

מַעֲצֵבָה (/ma˓ăṣēbâ/).

*/Terror/*.

(Literally, “a place of pain”; RSV renders “torment.”)

Used only in Isa 50:11.

*The several derivatives listed above depict many types of pain.

In I Chr 4:9–10 there is a pun complex on the name Jabez respecting the pain (/˓ōṣeb/) his mother suffered in childbirth, and his own desire not to be hurt (/˓āṣab/, Qal).

His name, /ya˓beṣ/, has the same root letters as /˓ṣb/, but with metathesis (see J. M. Myers, I Chronicles, AB p. 28).*

Yet another example of paronomasia is noted by Cassuto in the pericope of the curse on the woman and the man in Gen 3.

Pain in childbirth (/˓issābôn/ and /˓eṣeb/) are decreed for the woman (Gen 3:16), and pain in manual labor (/˓iṣṣābôn/) is decreed for the man (Gen 3:17).

Both came as the consequence of the sin respecting the fruit of the forbidden tree.

Noting that “tree” (/˓ēṣ/) has the same first two radicals as pain (/˓ṣb/), Cassuto writes, “It was with respect to /˓ēṣ/ that the man and the woman sinned, and it was with /˓eṣebh/ (pain) and /˓iṣṣābhōn/ (toil, suffering) that they were punished” (Genesis, I, p. 165).

*1 Chronicles 4:9-10*

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.

His mother had named him Jabez, s saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”

10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!

Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”

And God granted his request.

 

1 Chronicles 4: further broken down!

 

*Chapter 4*

/The posterity of Judah by Caleb, the son of Hur, 1—4.

Of Ashur, the posthumous son Hezron, 5—8.

Of Jabez, and his prayer, 9,10.

The other families of the same stock, 11—20.

The sons of Shelah, 21—23.

The posterity and cities of Simeon, 24—38.

Their conquest of Gedor, and of the Amalekites in mount Seir, 39—43.

/

*1* A.M. 2283, etc. B.C. 1721, etc. Pharez.

2:5 Ge 38:29 46:12 Nu 26:20,21 Ru 4:18 Mt 1:3 Lu 3:33 Phares, Esrom.

Carmi.

2:9 Chelubai.

2:18 Caleb.

*2* Reaiah.

2:52 Haroeh.

Zorathites.

2:53,54 Jos 15:33 Jdg 13:25

*3* Etam.

Jdg 15:11 2Ch 11:6

*4* Gedor.

18,39 Jos 15:36 Hur.

2:19,50

*5* See on 2:24

*8* Probably Jabez should be mentioned here; as otherwise he is as a consequent without an antecedent.

8

*9* more.

Ge 34:19 Isa 43:4 Ac 17:11 Jabez.

i.e., Sorrowful.

I bare him.

7:23 Ge 3:16 35:18 1Sa 4:21

*10* called.

16:8 Ge 12:8 Job 12:4 Ps 55:16 99:6 116:2-4 Jer 33:3 Ro 10:12-14 1Co 1:2 the God.

Ge 32:28 33:20 1Sa 1:17 Isa 41:17 Oh that, etc. Heb.

If thou wilt, etc. Lu 19:42 bless me.

Ge 12:2 32:26 Ps 72:17 Ac 3:26 Eph 1:3 enlarge.

Jos 17:14-18 Jdg 1:27-36 Pr 10:22 thine hand.

Ps 119:173 Isa 41:10 Joh 10:28 that thou.

Ge 48:16 Pr 30:8 Mt 6:13 Ro 12:9 16:19 2Ti 4:18 keep me.

Heb.

do me.

that it may.

Ps 32:3,4 51:8,12 Mt 26:75 Joh 21:17 2Co 2:1-7 Eph 4:30 Re 3:19 God granted.

1Ki 3:7-13 Job 22:27,28 Ps 21:4 65:2 66:19,20 116:1,2 Mt 7:7-11 Eph 3:20