¹ Another reading is, _and Zohar_. =5.= _Ashhur the father of Tekoa_] Ashhur is probably only a variant of Hur (see note ii. 24). Hur then is the exilic or post-exilic “father” (founder) of the Calebite population of Tekoa (5 miles from Bethlehem), and of Bethlehem, etc., through his sons (ii. 50‒52). _Helah and Naarah_] Neither the names of the wives nor those of the children yield any certain information. ⁸And Hakkoz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. =8.= _And Hakkoz_] But Hebrew =Koz=. The absence of connection with the preceding verse is striking. Perhaps Koz was properly one of the sons of Helah (verse 7), and a motive for the severance of his name may be found in the wish to make less obvious his Calebite (i.e. non-Levitical) origin, in case he were identified with the priestly Hakkoz of xxiv. 10; Ezekiel ii. 61, a family who were unable to prove an untainted pedigree. ⁹And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying. Because I bare him with sorrow. =9.= The connection of this verse also does not appear. According to Targum (on verse 13) _Jabez_ = _Othniel_, the nephew or brother of Caleb. _And Jabez_, etc.] Render, =And Jabez came to be honoured above his brethren, but his mother had called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with pain.= _Jabez_ suggests a somewhat similar word spelt with the same consonants but in a different order, and meaning “he giveth pain.” The stylistic similarity between this verse and many passages in Genesis (e.g. Genesis xxx.) cannot fail to be noticed, and it is important to observe that a tradition of this popular character was current in the style of the patriarchal narratives of Genesis in the Chronicler’s time. Compare also vii. 23. The man with the ill-omened name staved off ill-fortune by his prayer which is given in the following verse. ¹⁰And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested. =10.= _that thou wouldest keep me from evil_] Literally _that thou wouldest make ... from evil_. The Hebrew is therefore strange, though not indefensible. Perhaps some words have fallen out, and it may originally have read somewhat as follows, that _thou wouldest make_ [_room_ (merḥābh) _for me, and wouldest redeem_ (phādīthā) _me_] _from evil_. _that it be not to my sorrow_] or =so that no pain befell me=. =11‒15= for _Chelub_ (verse 11) = Caleb (see on ii. 9, 42) SONS OF CALEB. ¹¹And Chelub the brother of Shuhah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton. ¹²And Eshton begat Beth-rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash¹. These are the men of Recah. ¹ Or, _the city of Nahash_.