Another Look at Jabez:

 

1Ch 4:9 Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, for she said, "I experienced pain when I gave birth to him."

1Ch 4:10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel, saying, “If only You would greatly bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory. Let Your hand be with me and keep me from evil so that I might not suffer pain.” God granted what he asked.

 

 

Jabez in Hebrew is Ya`bets, meaning, sorrow or pain.

It's possible that Jabez mother had an unusually difficult labor, so then naming her son Jabez, “Pain” or “Sorrow”. But Jabez did not live as a man of sorrow for he was well respected (V.9) and a righteous man (V. 10).

 

Jabez - Ya`bet

In Hebrew, Jabez is made up of two words:

1. Ya - meaning sweep away or shovel.

2. Bots - meaning mire or mud.

Sweep away or shovel the mire.

 

The name Jabez may mean sorrow or pain, but it can also mean, “Sweep away or shovel the mire”. Mire is deep mud. It is so wet and thick that it keeps one from moving forward. In the Bible, Mire represents sin, evil, trouble, turmoil, things that keep us from moving forward in our spiritual life.”

This mire can cause pain. This mire can bring sorrow and misery.

 

Psa 69:15-16 Deliver me from the mire—do not let me sink. Deliver me from those who hate me, out of the deep waters.

Do not let floodwaters sweep over me, nor the deep swallow me up, nor the Pit shut its mouth over me.

Psa 40:1-2 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

 

Jabez went beyond the meaning of his name, he went beyond any circumstances that may have come in life. He called out to Yah early in life to shovel the mire, the mud, the sin, the evil and wickedness, the sorrow and pain, turmoil and the blocks of stumbling from his life. So, Yah did. Then, Jabez boldly moved forward. Then he was able to say with confidence, “Oh, that You would greatly bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory. Let Your hand be with me and keep me from evil so that I might not suffer pain.” God granted what he asked.

 

What mire is in your life, my life, our lives that we need to have shoveled out, so that we can move forward? Forward in our spiritual lives. Forward to a closer relationship with Yah, our Father in Heaven.

 

Father Yah,

In the Name of Your only begotten Son

Yeshuah, our Christ.

I, we, us come before Your Awesome Throne.

We ask that You deliver us from the mire, from

The mud that keeps us from moving forward.

From this mire that keeps from having a closer relationship with

You.

Deliver us, rescue us, and

set our feet upon the

Rock.

Amen,

Selah