SUMMARY
The Chronicler suggests that the name “Jabez” is derived from a Hebrew word that means “to cause pain” (‘tsb in the hiphil stem)—made up of the letters ayin, tsade, and bet—thus, Jabez means “he brings pain.”
ANALYSIS
- One problem with this analysis is that the name “Jabez” (Hebrew: (ya‘bets) reverses the last two letters of the word that means “to cause pain.” This makes the “pun” somewhat obscure.
- On the other hand, the reversal of letters does foreshadow the reversal in Jabez’s circumstances in the next verse. His name is a curse that his prayer seeks to undo.
- Another problem is whether the initial prayer is conditional (“if you truly bless me . . . then” [see, e.g., New Jerusalem Bible]) or if it is only a wish (“Oh, that you would bless me . . . and” [per the majority of English versions]).
- A final difficulty is whether the purpose clause should read “so that I will be free from pain” (all versions except for New King James, which reads “so that I may not cause pain.”)
The Chronicler seems to be saying that God responds to prayer and encourages us to avail ourselves of that opportunity as Jabez did (nothing wrong with that!). Author Bruce Wilkinson has, shall we say, “cashed in” on this important biblical truth. The premise of his best-selling book The Prayer of Jabez (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2000) is that ordinary Christians can live extraordinary lives by seeking God’s blessingBlessing is the asking for or the giving of God's favor. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau. At the Last Supper Jesus offered a blessing over bread and wine. To be blessed is to be favored by God. More through Jabez’s four-stage blueprint for blessing:
- seeking God’s blessing
- seeking greater personal territory
- depending upon God’s power for significant ministry
- avoiding temptation
Wilkinson assures us that God always answers this daring prayer.
Besides the problems raised by this text, above, several others arise:
- “Prosperity Gospel” preachers are effective here (cf. Joel Osteen in Houston) but how does this sound to audiences in developing countries?
- Can we really reduce God’s blessing to a formula for success? Doesn’t this make God a “cosmic slot machine in the sky”?
- The emphasis on “abundant personal blessing” sounds strange when compared with the prayer JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More taught, in which we are to ask for “daily bread.”
- What about suffering, care for others, and faithful service in this self-centered approach?
It is difficult to ascertain what the Jabez Prayer means in its context of nine chapters of 1 Chronicles’ genealogyGenealogy involves the study and tracing of families through the generations - in short, family history. One genealogy in Genesis traces the nations descended from Noah. In the New Testament Matthew traces the ancestry of Jesus back to Abraham, while Jesus' genealogy in Luke goes... More. Beyond the positive notice that God answered his prayer, Jabez is otherwise unknown.
