THE SOUTHERN TRIBES (JEBEZ, OTHNIEL, AND CALEB, SON OF JEPHUNEH) We have already referred to the fact that the genealogies of the two tribes; Judah and Levi came more detailed than the other tribes; as is clear in the chapter in our hands (verses 1 to 23), concerning the genealogies of Judah. To perceive the historical reason of this fact, it is enough for us to have a look at the southern kingdom, namely, the kingdom of Judah; to see how the kings followed one another in an uninterrupted chain, from one family (except for six years during which Athaliah reigned after taking the throne by force, and giving the command to kill the whole family of David). Otherwise, from the year 1000 BC until the year 589 BC, namely for more than four centuries, Jerusalem has been the capital of the kingdom. That continuity or stability contributed to a great extent to keep the historical records of the kingdom. In this concern, the southern kingdom of Judah differed from the northern kingdom of Israel; for the later was reigned by a chain of different families, some of which did not last long, all along two centuries (922 – 722 BC); during which the capital changed several times. That instability led to the loss of the historical records. As an example, when Naaman the Syrian came to the prophet Elishah to be healed from leprosy; the second book of the kings did not mention the name of the king of Israel at that time, despite the attempts of the scholars, and even of the author of the book to know his name. Because of that, the two books of the chronicles look at the kingdom of Judah, and not to the kingdom of Israel, as a representative of the continuity of the history concerning the Holy Book; a testimony that is obvious here more than in any other books of the Holy Scripture. Chapters 2 to 4, concentrate more on two names of descendants of Judah; namely: ‘David’, considered as the main personality in the books of the chronicles; And ‘Caleb son of Jephuneh’ who represents the strength and persistence of faith 1- A consummation of the genealogies of Judah 1 - 23 2- The genealogies of the children of Simeon 24 – 43 1- A CONSUMMATION OF THE GENEALOGIES OF JUDAH: “The sons of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal” (1) Perez was the son of Judah and Hezron was his son (2: 5). ‘Carmi’ mentioned here, is ‘Chelubai’ (2: 9), son of ‘Hezron’, different from the other ‘Carmi’ mentioned in (2: 7), and in (Joshua 7: 1). “Perez”; A Hebrew name, meaning (gap). “Hezron”; A Hebrew name, meaning (siege or animal fold) “Carmi”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a laborer in a vineyard) “Hur”; Most probably an Egyptian name, driven from that of the god ‘Horus’. “Shobal”; the son of ‘Hur’, of the house of ‘Caleb’, of the tribe of Judah, of the family of Hezron. From his descendants the inhabitants of ‘Keriath Jearim’ came (1 chronicles 4: 2, 4). “And Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath, and Jahath begot begot Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites” (2) “Reaiah”; most probably ‘Haroeh’ (2: 52), meaning (the Seer or Jehovah sees). “The Zorathites”; ‘Zoar’ was at the south of Judah on the frontier of Palestine. “Jahath”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (snatch); Beside the one mentioned here, another person bore the same name: A Levite, Kohathite, in the days of David (4: 22). “Ahumai”; A Hebrew name, a prince in the families of Judah. “Lahad”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a burden). town of ‘Etam’; a name of more than one town: “These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazeleponi” (3) “Etam”; A Hebrew name, meaning (the dwelling place of the birds of prey); By saying ‘the father of ‘Etam’, he means that he was the builder of town. There are more than one town called by this name: 1- A town in Judea close to Bethlehem, strengthened by Rehoboam, after the division of the tribes (2 chronicles 11: 6). Called nowadays ‘Kherbet El- Khoch’ at Solomon’s pool, where ruins of water basins were excavated near ‘Keriath Artas’ and ‘Ein Etan’ 2- A town in the southern part of Judea; moved from the portion of the children of Judah to that of Simeon (1 chronicles 4: 32); It is probably ‘Eton’ nowadays, eleven miles South-west of Hebron. “Jezreel”; A Hebrew name, meaning (God plants) (1 chronicles 4: 3) “Ishma”; A Hebrew name, probably short of the name ‘Ishmael’. “Idbash”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Sweet as honey), the son of the father of ‘Etam’. “Hazeleponi”; A Hebrew name, meaning (puts her shadow on me); the name of a girl of the children of Judah. “qnd Penuel was the father of Gedor; and ‘Ezer’ was the father of Hushah. These were the sons of ‘Hur’, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem’” (4) “Gedor”; A Hebrew name, meaning (A stronghold or a walled place). Beside the son of Penuel mentioned here, there is another person called by the same name, namely: the son of Jared from his Jewish wife (1 Chronicles 4: 18) There is, as well, a location called “Gedor’ between ‘Seir’ and Judah; probably within the portion of Simeon, close to the North-western border of Palestine (1 Chronicles 4: 39). In the Septuagint version it came as “Gerar’. “Ezer, father of Hushah’, meaning (help) “Ephrathah’; A Hebrew name, meaning (fruitful). Saying ‘father of Bethlehem’ means its prince. “And Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah, and Naarah” (5) “Ashhur”; A Hebrew name, meaning (blackness). “Helah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (adornment, or a necklace); “Naarah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a girl). “Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah” (6) “Ahuzzam”; A Hebrew name, meaning (the king or the owner); son of Ashur, of the family of Hezron. “Hepher”; A Hebrew name, meaning (pit or well), son of Ashur, of the family of Hezron, of the tribe of Judah. “Haashashtari”; probably a Persian name, meaning (belonging to the kingdom; son of Ashur. “The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan” (7) “Zereth”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (splendor) “Zohar”; A Hebrew name, meaning (white) “And Koz begot Anub, Zobeba, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum” (8) “Koz”; A Hebrew name, meaning (thorns). “Anub”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (engaged); the son of ‘Koz’, a prince of Judah. “Zobeba”; A Hebrew name, meaning (hatred or anger) “Aharhel the son of Harum”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (brother of Rachel) or (the last of the strong); a head of a family in Judah. “Now Jebez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name ‘Jebez’, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain” (9) “And Jebez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain:. So God granted him what he requested” (10) “Jebez”; A Hebrew name, meaning (cause pain). There is no mention of his father’s name, nor the era when he existed; All we know about him from the Holy Book or from the Jewish tradition is that he was more honorable than his brothers, he was a teacher of law, and he was a godly man. That is most probably why the city where he lived was called after his name (1 Chronicles 2: 55); He was a man of faith “For without faith it is impossible to please Him (God); for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrew 11: 6). He was called “more honorable than his brothers”: The secret of his greatness and honor, was not that he did something heroic, but because he made God the center of his life and his work. He knew how to let God occupy His proper place in his life, being the Lord, the Grantor of blessings, the Giver of the inner conquest; the Leader of life, and the true Stronghold against evil. Grief had no more place in the heart of such a man of God; For he knows what he should request; and God responded to his request. The prayer of ‘Jebez’ is considered unique; Although it, together with its response, did not take more than one verse long, yet he presents to us an ideal prayer well received by God. He requested, and God granted him his request. The secret of God’s response to it is that Jebez’ prayer included four things, and revealed God’s role in the life of a believer: 1- The first request was for blessing – the heavenly blessed life – saying: “Oh, You would bless me”; meaning, Grant me the true happiness. For God is the Grantor of blessings and true happiness. 2- The second request was to “enlarge his territory” – Namely, the width of the heart with love of God and people. He requests a wide heart, in which all men would find a place by love. For God is the Grantor of true love. 3- The third request is to have God’s hand with him – Namely, to enjoy God’s presence; For God longs to dwell in us, to work in, and by us, and to protect us. He asks for God’s protection and care. 4- The fourth request is to be kept from evil – Namely the conquest over the devil and evil. He asks God to grant him the authority over the devil and all his hosts; and to take away from him, evil that robs him of his joy in the Lord. As all the requests came according to the will of God; or according to Jebez’ vow; it is said: “God granted him what he requested” (10). In the Book of Jeremiah it came: “You will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29: 12, 13) ‘Jabez’ became successful in all aspects of his life: in his work, studies, his relationships with the others, and his wrestling against the pagans. God was always ready to listen to all what went on in his heart and mind. “Chelub the brother of Shuhah begot Mehir who was the father of Eshton” (11) “Chelub”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a basket of birds); his genealogy was not fully known (1 Chronicles 4: 11) “Shuhah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (lowly). “Mehir”; Hebrew name, meaning (price). “Eshton”; The meaning of the name is not fully known. “And Eshton begot Beth-Rapha, Pasea, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These were the men of Rechah” (12) “Rapha”; A Hebrew name, meaning (healed or God heals); Beth-Rapha was built by Ashton. “Pasea”; A Hebrew name, meaning (lame); a man of Judah, a descendant of ‘Chelub’ (1 Chronicles 4: 12) “Tehinnah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (grace) or (a cry-out for help); founder of the town of ‘Irnahash’. Irnahash”; A Semite name, meaning (a serpent) “Rechah”; A location in the portion of Judah. “And the sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel were Hathath…” (13) “Othniel”; A Hebrew name, meaning (God is power) or (God’s response) or (The time of God for myself). A descendant of ‘Kenaz’, namely from the family of the Kenizzites; the younger brother of Caleb from their father Jephunneh (Joshua 15: 17). Othniel was the first judge of Israel, achieved many reformations, and spread peace in the land (Judges 1: 9-15; 3: 5-11). About him it was said: “Caleb said, ‘He who attacks Keriath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother took it, so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife” (Judges 1: : 12-13). And, “When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan- Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died” (Judges 3: 9-11). We have already dealt with these two text in our commentary on the Book of Judges: a- “Othniel”; means (God’s response); Nobody could take Keriath Sepher by force (Judges 1: 12); Namely, no one can enjoy the Holy Book unless he is granted God’s response to his request; and hence, he would be given Achsah daughter of Caleb in marriage; Namely, he would get attached to the holy life, and to know its secrets; not as a “Keriath” to dwell in, but as a bride to marry. b- Choosing ‘Othniel’ was not haphazard; For God intended for him to be the first of the judges, to proclaim that the secret of conquest and salvation lies in God. The word ‘Othniel’ means (God’s response) or (God’s power). Salvation would not be realized by human power, but through God’s response, He who hears the cry-outs of His children, and works in them by His divine power. By him, the land had rest for forty years. If the land symbolizes the body, and the figure 40 refers to the blessed temporal life, If we, therefore, bear within ourselves a soul that walks the way that judge did, by the Spirit of the Lord, and enjoy the Word of God, our body would have rest in the Lord, and would be holy in His sight all the days of our life. Let ‘Othniel’ therefore, be our leader in us, to have rest, and to be filled with the exalted peace. + The book talks about ‘Othniel; the deliverer, whose name means (the time of the Lord for myself); And accordingly, those early people got rid of the humiliation and bondage through him, and peace came back to them, after being lost a short time in the past because of their pride and diverse crimes. ‘Cushan Rishathaim’ could be understood by the spiritual concept, as one of the enemies, and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2: 2). It would therefore be logical for us to follow ‘Othniel’ who is set by heaven to liberate us (Luke 2: 11); a symbol of one of the heavenly creatures and the angelic hosts “sent forth to minister for those who will inherit heaven” (Hebrew 1: 14). The angels of salvation, represented by Othniel or Ehud. Indeed we are attacked by adversary hosts; Yet, good divine hosts are sent from God to help us. … Let us see who is “Othniel”, and from what noble family he came. He is the son of Kenaz, and brother of Caleb, the amazing man, worthy of commendation, who was in the company of Joshua the son of Nun. About “Othniel” the book says: “When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz” (Judges 3: 9). I do not know if there is in the church such a judge whom the Lord finds worthy of “being filled with the Spirit of God” , the way “Othniel’ was, to whom the Holy Book testified, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand” (Judges 3: 10). Why? Because the Spirit of the Lord came upon him; his hand prevailed upon Cushan-Rishathaim; and the land had rest for forty years. Do you see how great is the divine mercy? For eight years the people of Israel were slaves (Judges 3: 8) because of the sins of many. And for forty years the land had rest because of one person (Judges 3: 9). (The scholar Origen) “Seraiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (God conquered); son of Caleb, and younger brother of ‘Othniel’. And father of Joab, father of the valley of craftsmen (13-14). “Hethath”; A Hebrew name, meaning (horror); son of ‘Othniel’ (13) “Meonothai who begot Ophrah; Seraiah begot Joab the father of Geharashim, for they were craftsmen” (14) “Meonothai”; A Hebrew name, meaning (my dwelling places). “Ophrah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (deer). “Joab”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah is Father); ‘The valley of the craftsmen’ could be “the valley of Shelal, extending to the North-West toward ‘Jaffa’. It is to be noticed that, because the land of Judah was less fertile than the Northern kingdom of Israel, there are fewer number of farmers in it; But there are many craftsmen (14), workers in linen (21), and workers in ceramics (23)..It is also to be noticed that the whole family (of Othniel) were craftsmen, and traders, who worked harder than their neighbors. “The valley of the craftsmen”(Nehemiah 11: 35), close to ‘Led’, called nowadays ‘Wadi Rezia’; It is claimed that from it were craftsmen who worked in the temple. “The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz” (15) “Caleb”; A Hebrew name, meaning (heart); He was the son of Jephunneh, and the older brother of ‘Othniel’; one of 12 men sent by the prophet Moses to spy the promised land. Together with Joshua, they both confirmed the possibility of the realization of the divine promise to take over the promised land (Numbers 13-14; Joshua 14-15). While the other ten spies stirred up a spirit of defeat among the people, Joshua and Caleb alone, held fast to the promise of God, and believed in His power, and the truth of His promise to His people. In every generation there is a holy remnant, a minority, who practically believe in God’s promise, and who testify to Him by their life. Joshua joined Caleb in entering into the promised land. We shall not be able to enter into the promised land, unless “Jesus” -- the Lord of Glory( Jodshua) is our Leader, and our heart (Caleb) is serious and faithful. The bond between Joshua and Caleb is the melding of the free divine work to the free human will, that accept the work in her inner depths. To proclaim to the people the realization of God’s promise; Joshua and Caleb, in Eshkol, carried one huge bunch of grapes on a pole, like the cross carried by the Grantor of life – our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the faithful believer (Caleb). It is the cross of the Savior Jesus Christ, carried by the believer as a fellowship in the passion with his Lord, to enter together with Him into the power of His resurrection. According to St. John Chrysostom, that bunch of grapes was a deposit of the heavenly life; he says: [I wish we do not despise heaven! … We received from heaven, not a bunch of grapes carried on a rod, but “the heat of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1: 22); and “the citizenship of heaven” (Philippians 3: 20); fruits, taught to us by Paul and the rest of the apostles -- the amazing “vine dressers”. It is not ‘Caleb’ the son of Jephunneh, nor “Joshua’ the son of Nun, who brought forth those fruits, but Jesus “the Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1: 3); the Son of God who brings forth every virtue, and its fruits from heaven; namely its praises.]…. Commending those two men who preferred to utter the truth, even at the expense of being stoned to death (Numbers 14: 10), than to do like the other ten spies who preferred to please the people at the expense of the truth; St. Ambrose says: [They preferred to be stoned to death as threatened by the people, to retreat from their steadfastness, full of virtue; The two good men preferred the divine glory to security; while the wicked preferred security to virtue]. “Iru”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Cautious; the older son of ‘Caleb’ the son of Jephunneh. His name came as ‘Er’ in the Greek Septuagint version, and in the ‘Volgata. “Elah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Oak tree). ‘Kenaz’ mentioned her as his son is different from ‘Kenaz’ mentioned in verse 13. This name was popular among the Kenizzites. “Naam”; A Hebrew name, meaning (pleasure); a son of ‘Caleb’; the head of a tribe, whose descendant inhabited East of the Jordan “Kenaz”; A Semite name, probably meaning (A catch). “The sons of Jahaleel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel” (16) “And the sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon, And Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa” (17) “Ezrah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (help). “Jether”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a Favor) “Mered”; A Hebrew name, meaning (disobedience); son of Ezrah, and husband of ‘Bithiah’ daughter of Pharaoh. “Epher” ; A Hebrew name, meaning (a little deer); a descendant of ‘Ezrah’. “Jalon”; Son of Ezrah; recorded among the tribe of Judah. “Miriam”; a descendant of Judah; it is the first time her mother’s name was mentioned; probably the same ‘Bithiah’ mentioned in verse 18. ”Ishbah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (swim). “And his wife Jehudijah bore Jared the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took” (18) “And his wife Jehdijah”; claimed to be an Egyptian second wife of Mered; with a Hebrew name, meaning (daughter of Jehovah), she probably took it when she converted to Judaism; her children were Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, mentioned in verse 17. “Jared”; A Semite name, probably meaning (descending). “Heber”; A Hebrew name, meaning (fellowship, or partner); a descendant of ‘Ezrah’; father of the people of Sochoh. “Sochoh” A Hebrew word, meaning (longings). “Jekuthiel”; A Hebrew name, meaning (God feeds), father of the people of Zanoah. Zanoah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a swamp or a heap) “Bithiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (daughter or worshipper of Jehovah); one of the few women whose names were mentioned in these genealogies. Daughter of Pharaoh, and wife of Mered, a man from Judah; She most probably converted to Judaism. “The son’s of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtomoa the Maachathite” (19) “Naham”; A Hebrew name, meaning (comfort); a Jew who married ‘Hodiah’, his own sister (19) “Keilah the Garmite”; Mentioned in the genealogies of ‘Caleb’ the son of Jephunneh. “Eshtomoa the Maachthite”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Obedience); son of ‘Ishbah’ of the tribe of Judah. “And the sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth” (20) “Amnon”; A Hebrew name, meaning (honest); Rinnah Ben-Hanan”; A Hebrew name, meaning (shouting) “Tylon”; A Hebrew name, meaning (high) “Ishi”; A Hebrew name, meaning (loyal). Beside the one mentioned here, there is another one with the same name, a Simeonite whose children formed a gang “Five hundred of the sons of Simeon went to Mount Seir; … and defeated the rest of the Amalekites, and dwelt in their land” (42). “Zoheth”; A Hebrew name , meaning (arrogant) “Ben-Zoheth”; A Hebrew name, meaning (the son of Zoheth) “The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers of the house of Ashbea” (21) “Shelah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (dog); the third son of Judah. “Er”; A Hebrew name, meaning (cautious); the son of ‘Shelah’, a descendant of Judah. ‘Shelah had a brother with the same name. “Lecah”; a village in Judah, as indicated by verse 21, of unknown location. “Laadah”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (thick-necked); father of the inhabitants of Mareshah. “Mareshah”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning ((place of the head and top). “Ashbea”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (abundance or Satiety), a descendant of ‘Shelah’. His family were workers of a superb kind of linen, known as ‘Baz’; while according to some, the house of Ashbea was the name of a place. “Also Jokim, the men of Chozeba, and Joash; Seraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. Now the records are ancient” (22) “Jokim”; A Hebrew name, meaning (where Jehovah lives); one of the sons of ‘Shelah’ from Judah. “The men of Chozeba”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a liar); a village in Judah, its inhabitants were the children of ‘Shelah’. “Joash”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah granted); short of ‘Jehoash’. “Seraph”; A Hebrew name, meaning (burning or a serpent); a descendant of ‘Shelah’. “Jashubi-lehem”; A Hebrew name, meaning (return the bread); most probably someone of the tribe of Judah; Yet some versions consider the two words, not a name of person, but a phrase, meaning (they returned to Lehem) “These were the potters and those who dwell at Netaim and Gederah; There they dwelt with the king for his work” (23) “Netaim”; A Hebrew name, meaning (plantation); a place in Judah, where the plantations of the king were. “Gederah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (fold of sheep); Although they were not of the elites, yet they got their fame and honor, on account of that they dwelt with the king in his quarters to serve him. The secret of the strength and honor of the believer is his attachment to the King of kings, and working to the account of His kingdom. Each of them had his talents; yet what connect them together is their dwelling with the King in His vineyard to serve him. On the great day of the Lord, we shall enjoy the heavenly crown; not on account of the kind of work or ministry that we practiced, but of our faithfulness in doing it; to hear the divine voice, saying: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things; I shall make you ruler over many things” (Matthew 25: 21). We shall see children, counted as heroes; and men of fame, who are barely saved … God’s reckonings are based upon the believer’s faithfulness and not upon his role in work. 3- THE GENEALOGIES OF THE CHILDREN OF SIMEON: The genealogies of the children of Simeon were recorded directly after those of the children of Judah, probably on account of that the two tribes were closely attached, and the portion of the children of Simeon in the promised land was within the inheritance of Judah (Joshua 19: 9). Anyway, that tribe sought an additional land through the battles. As the lands of the tribes of Reuben and Simeon were in the South; the two tribes got preoccupied with the political life of Judah. If the tribe of Benjamin joined Judah at the time of dissension, many Levites were driven away from the Northern kingdom, and joined the Southern kingdom; And several godly men from the other tribes, as well, including many of the tribe of Simeon, have forsaken the Northern kingdom, and joined the Southern kingdom. “The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul” (24) “Shallum his son, and Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son” (25) “Shallum or Shallumi; A Hebrew name, meaning (in peace) “Mishma”; A Hebrew name, meaning (news) (1Chronicles 4: 25) “Mibsam”; A Hebrew name, meaning (sweet fragrance). “And the sons of Mishma were Hamuel, Zacchur, and Shimei” (26) “Hamuel”; A Hebrew name, meaning (God’s wrath); probably a member of the family of Saul. (1 Chronicles 4: 26). “Zacchur”; A Hebrew name, meaning (alert). “Shimei”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah hears); had 16 sons and 6 daughters (1 Chronicles 4: 26-27) “Shimei had 16 sons and 6 daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, nor did any of their families multiply as much as the children of Judah” (27) “They dwelt in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual” (28) Simeon were few in number; on the day of the exodus, they were 59,300 (Numbers 1: 23); and after 40 years they became just 22,200 (Numbers 26: 14). “Molada”; A Hebrew name, meaning (birth); a land inhabited by Shimei son of Simeon (28) “Shual”; A Hebrew name, meaning (jackal) “( in) Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad” (29) “Ezam”; A Hebrew name, meaning (great); a village close to the border of ‘Edom’, in the portion of Judah, and became a portion for Simeon (1 Chronicles 4: 29); Probably ‘Kherbet Um-El-Azm) nowadays. “Bilhah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (simple or idiot); a name of a location in Simeon. “Tolad”; A Hebrew name, meaning (giving birth); a town in southern Judah. “(in) Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag” (30) “Hormah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (a holy place) or (ruins); The city of ‘Safah’ was called ‘Hormah’, and was inhabited by the children of Simeon after it desolation. Ziklag”; a town at the far south of Judah; given later to Simeon (1 Chronicles 4: 30) ”(in) Markaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David” (31) “Bethuel”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (the house of God); a location in the portion of Simeon. “Susim”; Plural of ‘Susa’, a Hebrew name, meaning (village of horses); close to ‘Tel El-Farha’; probably it is ‘Susiah’, two miles North of Eshtimoh”. “Beth Biri”; A Hebrew name, meaning (house of My creation); a town in the portion of Simeon. “Shaaraim”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Two doors); a town in the portion of Simeon. “And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Toshen, and Ashan – five cities” (32) “Ain”; A village in Judea, in the southern part of Palestine, close to Rimmon; was a portion for Judah, then was given to Simeon, then to the Levites. It is probably ‘Um el-Rimmamin’, 9 miles North East of Beersheba. “Rimmon”; A Hebrew name, meaning (pomegrante); a city South of Judah, close to ‘Ain’. “Toshen”; A Hebrew name, meaning (A measure or weight); a town in the portion of Simeon, Its location nowadays is not wholly known. “Ashan”; A Hebrew name, meaning (smoke); a city on the coast of Judah, given later to Simeon. “And all the villages that were around these cities as far as Baal. These were their habitations, and they maintained their genealogies” (33) “Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah” (34) “Meshobab”; A Hebrew name, a Simeonite chief who received a pasture close to ‘Gedor’ (1 Chronicles 4: 34-41). “Jamlech”; A Hebrew name, meaning (possess), A Simeonite chiefs. “Joshah”; A Simeonite chief, son of Amaziah. “Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel” (35) “Joel”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah is God); a Simeonite leader. “Jehu”; A Hebrew name, meaning (He is Jehovah). “Seraiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (God conquered); Beside the one mentioned here, the son of Kenaz, brother of Othniel father of Joab, had the same name.(1 Chronicles 4: 35) “Asiel”; A Hebrew name , meaning (God worked); one of the grandfathers of Joel and Jehu, whose names were included in the census of the Hebrews (35). “Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Banaiah” (36) “Elioenai”. A Hebrew name, meaning (my eyes are toward Jehovah); a Simeonite chief (36) “Jaakobah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Strike the heel); a Simeonite chief. Jeshohaiah”; A Hebrew name, probably meaning (make him bow); A Simeonite chief. “Asaiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah worked); a Simeonite chief in the days of king Hezekiah. “Adiel”; A Hebrew name, meaning (The adornment is for God); one of the Simeonite head chiefs. “Jesimiel”; A Hebrew name, meaning (God sets); a Simeonite chief. “Banaiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (whom Jehovah built); a Simeonite head chief. “Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shimaiah” (37) “Shiphi”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Abundant); the father of a Simeonite prince in the days of king Hezekiah (37). “Allon”; A Hebrew name, meaning (oak tree); the name of the son of ‘Jedaiah” a Simeonites “Jedaiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah gives); a Simeonite. “Shimri”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah guards and keeps); a Simeonite. “Shimaiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah hears); a Simeonite. “These mentioned by name were leaders in their families, and their father’s house increased greatly” (38) “So they went to the entrance of ‘Gedor’, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks” (39) “And they found rich good pasture, and the land were broad, quiet, and peaceful; for some Hamites formerly lived there” (40) “Ham”; A Hebrew name, meaning (hot) or (protect) “These recorded by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and they attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and utterly destroyed them, as it is to this day. So they dwelt in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks there” (41) The events mentioned here will be made clear in (2 Chronicles 20). “The Meunites”; a tribe of Hamite origin, struck by the Simeonites in the days of king Hezekiah. “Now some of them, 500 men of the sons of Simeon went to Mount Seir, having as their captains Palatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi” (42) “Palatiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah liberated), a Simeonite chief who entered into a war in which the tribe of Simeon defeated the Amalekites (1 Chronicles 4; 42-43). “Neariah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (who bears the shield of Jehovah): A Simeonite chief, who went to Mount Seir to fight against the Amalekites, in the days of king Hezekiah.(42) “Rephaiah”; A Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah healed); a Simeonite chief in the days of king Hezekiah. “Ishi”; A Hebrew name, meaning (faithful); Beside this one mentioned here, whose sons attacked the Amalekites in Mount Seir, and settled down in their land (42), a man from Judah; a man of Judah, the father of Zoheth, had the same name ((20) “And they defeated the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped; they have dwelt there to this day” (43) They struck the escapees of the Amalekites, after Saul harassed them (1 Samuel 14: 48; 15: 7-8), ---------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 CHRONICLES 4 LET ME ENCOUNTER YOU, O LORD, THROUGH THE MEN OF GOD + Together with a righteous man or a godly woman; I see You transfigured, to pour Your blessings in my depths; Together with ‘Jabez, who exalted above sorrows; and by You he became more honorable than his brothers; Grant me to encounter You, and to perceive that You are the First and the Last in my life; No blessing can I acquire without You, O Source of happiness; Bless me, to make my heart wide enough to love the heavenlies and the earthlies; Let every jeavenly and earthly creature have a place in my heart; Let me love all, to become with you a lover of mankind; Let Your hand be with me; Work by, in, and with me; Accompany me all the days of my sojourn; so that evil would have no place in me; Grant me authority upon the devil and all his hosts + Let me encounter You together with Othniel, the first of the judges; Kindle my heart with Your Holy Spirit; To make me filled with strength, wisdom, peace, and joy; I shall not cease to encounter You, for the sake of the peace of my brethren. + Granting me the spirit of true leadership; Pride will not crawl into my heart; nor softness will not prevail upon me; By You, I shall strive for the sake of the conquest and peace of my brethren; With every success for them, I shall count myself successful; And with every sigh of their heart, my heart will sigh; I shall not have rest until the whole world rest in You; When shall I see all mankind an exultant procession? That cross over, and eternally attach to You?! + Allow me to attach myself to Caleb the son of Jephunneh; To accompany him, and his friend Joshua the son of Nun; To cross over together with them, not to spy the mortal promised land; But to set forth with and by You to the heavenly Canaan; To taste the sweetness of the heavenly life; And to carry with them the unique cluster of grapes on a rod; To carry You, who became grapes, and went through the vine press, alone, for my sake; You carried the rod of the cross, to be carried by the cross; You received the reproach and the shame of the cross, to pour Your exalted glory on my depths; I wish to get attached to You, like a bride with her groom; For the more I get attached to You, the more my heart would be open to mankind; I love You with all my heart, as though no one else is in there; Then I would realize that, in my depths, there is a place for every man; When shall I see all mankind attached to You, on the day of Your coming?! Yes, hasten to come, O Lord, to every heart; To knock on its door with Your wounded hand, to invite every soul to receive You in it; To make all a holy temple for You! ============== AN ANNEX TO CHAPTER 4 THE PRAYER OF JABEZ “’Oh, that You would bless me indeed; And enlarge my territory; That your hand would be with me; And that You would keep me from evil; That I may not cause pain; So God granted him what he requested” (1 Chronicles 4: 10) We have already talked about Jabez’s prayer in this chapter. Is it a prayer or a vow?! According to the Hebrew text, it came as a vow: Namely, if God blesses him, enlarges his territory, stretches his hand to support him, and keeps him from evil …. But how will he pay God back? He did not say! … It is as though ‘Jabez’ presented a vow, and signed it on a blank paper; leaving it to God to complete according to what is good in His eyes. It is the most magnificent portrait of the concept of a vow. For, when I seek from God His blessing, to enlarge my territory, to stretch His hand to support me, and to keep me from evil; I would present to Him my heart, mind, emotions, senses, talents, abilities, and all my being, as a blank paper, to do whatever is good in His eyes. I shall promise Him nothing less than to deliver myself utterly into His hands. That is the genuine vow … I am for my beloved, and He is for me, chooses my way, leads me by His Holy Spirit, and bears me in Him, to enjoy the bosom of my heavenly Father. He is in no need of any service I may present to Him, nor promise Him of any specific way I may walk along, or money may present; but He seeks from me my heart, and my will to live according to His divine pleasure. What I should vow to Him is to let Him do to me what is good in His eyes.. The first request: I seek the heavenly blessing. The first commandment presented by the Lord Christ in His sermon on the mountain: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5: 30) calls us to the blessed life; namely, to share with Him the exalted heavenly life, through partaking of his feature, “For though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor” (2 Corinthians 8: 9). The first commandment is the enjoyment of the heavenly, blessed and exultant life, through receiving the poverty in spirit; namely, to become as poor together with Him, to make others rich. Although ‘Jabes’ in Hebrew means (causing pain or sorrow); and although his mother so called him because “she bore him in pain” (1 Chronicles 4: 9); Yet, he was sure that God calls him “blessed” and “exultant”. His first request “Oh, that You would bless me”, came in harmony with God’s will, He who intends to say to me and to you, what He said to our father Abraham: “I will make you a great nation” (Exodus 32: 10)); He wishes to have us bear Him inside us, being the Fountain of every blessing; so that wherever we are, the blessing of the Lord would dwell on the place, and on those in it. When St. Mary set forth to the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth, once she entered through the door, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; and the fetus in her womb exulted and danced, the way king David did, leaping and dancing before the ark of the covenant (2 Samuel 6: 14). In the daring of sonhood, we seek from the Source of the blessings to proclaim His dwelling in us; to become blessing. The first request is to seek from our Father to present to us what He has; as the Lord Christ says: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” (Matthew 7: 11). My heavenly father; I ask You one thing: Grant me from You what You intend to give me! Let me acquire you, O wholly blessed; Give satiety to my soul; to become, by You, a blessing to everyone I encounter. The second request: “Enlarge my territory” What shall I seek from my God who fills the heaven and the earth? If the heaven and earth could not accommodate You; Grant me, Your son, a wide heart to acquire You, to enlarge its territory; so that, if possible to love all mankind, beloved by You. Enlarging the inner territory is a divine gift; when the heart opens up by love to accommodate everyone, even his oppressor; so that its law would be: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you; do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5: 44) This request is in harmony with the spiritual gift of God, promised to us, by saying: “For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year” (Exodus 34: 24). What are those nations but the spiritual evil hosts that intend to occupy the heart, to corrupt it with hatred and narrow-mindedness; to become a land taken up by the devil and his hosts. Whereas if the Lord enlarges our territory, He will cast away every evil thought and every hatred toward our brethren; so that by love we can ascend before the Lord, exultant, as though in an unceasing feast. We would utter to the Lord the song saying: “You have increased the nation, O Lord, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land” (Isaiah 26: 15) The apostle Paul asked his people to pray for his sake, and for those who work with him in the vineyard of the Lord, to enlarge their territory through the word of preaching, saying: “Praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Colossians 4: 3-4). The third request: “Your hand will be with me” The Lord Christ promised to count us among His sheep who are on His right hand, to bring us forth, on the day of His coming, to His eternal kingdom. God’s right hand refers to His power working to sanctify us, and to His dwelling in our midst; Hence in the prayer of the first hour we proclaim our longing to have this blessing, saying; “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16: 8). When the prophet Moses interceded for the people of God who sinned, and the Lord accepted his intercession; not satisfied, Moses dared to persist not to move unless the Lord Himself precedes them, saying: “If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here,…..” (Exodus 33: 15). Pleased to hear that, the Lord said to him: “I will also do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name” (Exodus 33: 17) If we may say; God desires to find in us a pure heart, to support it by His right hand, and to strengthen it by His power; “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf on those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16: 9). He always encourages us, saying: “With whom My hand shall be established, also My arm shall strengthen him” (Psalm 89: 21). The fourth request: “keep me from evil”. While the three first request were positive: seeking from the Lord to bless us by dwelling in us, and to become a blessing; to enlarge the territory of our hearts, minds, and all our depths by His exalted love; as well as seeking from Him to let His hand accompany us; namely His power through His perpetual presence in our midst, as well as in us; Jabes left the negative aspect for his last request: “that You would keep me from evil, that it would not trouble me”. That is exactly what the Lord Christ taught us, to seek from him at the end of the Lord’s prayer: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Luke 11: 4) Let us acquire God, so that the evil one would flee from us; and would even fall as though from the heavens of our hearts, in humiliation underneath our feet; according to the words of the Lord Christ, saying: “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven” (Luke 10: 18). + Do not fear from Satan, even though he is without a body, he approaches you with a body. For no one is weaker than him who so does; and no one is stronger than him, who bravely confronts him, with his mortal body. (St. John Chrysostom) The divine response to Jebez’ prayer: As ‘Jabez’ prayers came according to God’s will; or according to his vow; it is written: “God granted him what he requested” (10) In the book of Jeremiah, it came: “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you; you will seek Me and find Me; when you search for Me with all Your heart” (Jeremiah 29: 12-13) As his requests, or his vow, was the enjoyment of God Himself, and to be kept from evil, they were instantly realized. + By the heart we request; by the heart we seek; and to the voice of the heart, the door will be opened. + He who prays with longing, will be praising with his heart, even if his tongue is silent’ Whereas he who prays without longing, will be mute before God, even though his voice is loud enough to be heard by men. + The mouth speaks words, while the heart speaks through its desires. Your prayer is the desire of your heart; + God does not seek your words, but seeks your hearts. (St. Augustine) The power of prayer, coming from a pure heart: + The purity of heart raises a stronger prayer than all the prayers with loud voice; For silence with reason, is better than the loud screams. Give God your heart and understanding; Listen to how strong the pure prayers are; and to how our saintly fathers prayed diligently before God; and how they presented their prayers as a pure offering (Malachi 1: 11). By prayers their offerings were well received. Prayer saved Noah from the great flood (Genesis 1: 6 – 11: 32). Prayer covers up our nakedness (Luke 8: 26-39). Prayer defeats armies (Exodus 17: 8-16) Prayer proclaims secrets (Daniel 2: 17-30). Prayer split the sea open (Exodus 14: 21) Prayer split a way across the River Jordan (2 Kings 2: 13-14) Prayer made the sun stand still over Gibeaon (Joshua 10: 12-14) Prayer made the moon stop in its course (Joshua (10: 12-14) Prayer destroyed sin (Judges 16: 28-30). Prayer quenched the fire (Numbers 11: 1, 2) Prayer closed up the heaven (1 Kings 17: 1); Prayer raise up from the pit (Daniel 6: 19-23), and saved from the fire (Daniel 3: 17-25), and from the sea (Jonah 2). The power of prayer is as great as that of the pure fasting. And the way I told you about fasting in my last article, I shall not cease to tell you about prayer. (St. Aphrahat, the Persian sage) Prayer and the happy life: + Man – the rational creation – is so great and noble being, that, in case he would fall, none less than God would save him, to grant him a happy comfort; that he could not have on his own; Hence I say: Great is he who acquires God. + No life except that coming from God. God is the exalted life; He + You created us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts will never be at peace until they find comfort in You. + Let us attach ourselves to God with love; Let us reach Him by prayer. Our whole goodness is God. It would be beftting for us not to fail in this, and not to seek more than that. .. Belonging to God is to seek happiness; and reaching Him is happiness itself. + Nothing is better for man than to have his whole life like a journey toward the unchangeable life; and when his emotions would abide wholly on it. (St. Augustine)
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