This past Wednesday, I gave a Bible lesson at our church on the prayer of Jabez (I Chronicles 4:9-10) and questions were raised about the differences in English translations of said prayer. Some English translations suggest that Jabez hoped to avoid suffering pain while others have him wanting to avoid causing pain. While others are a bit more ambiguous.
Which is correct?
There are a lot of questions and perspectives surrounding this famous prayer — and a fair amount of controversy surrounding Bruce Wilkinson’s bestselling book about this prayer. I don’t have time to delve into all of that in this blog post. I’m going to confine myself to only talking about the differences in translations, specifically the latter part of Jabez’s request.
Let me say from the outset that godly men and women come down on all sides of the differences between and preferences for various Bible translations. If you agree with this blog post, God bless you. If you disagree, God bless you. I simply offer this in the spirit of giving us all a few more things to ponder and pray over.
The Prayer of Jabez
This prayer is nestled within a genealogy, where Jabez is introduced as more honorable than his brothers. The text then shifts to this heartfelt plea, a moment that has captivated readers for generations. But the last part of Jabez’s prayer – the part that speaks to his motive – has led to differing interpretations.
Here is I Chronicles 4:9-10 according to several English translations – with the last part of his plea highlighted:
- “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” (King James Version)
- “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ And Jabez 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.” (New King James Version)
- “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!‘ And God granted what he asked.” (English Standard Version)
- “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, ‘Because I gave birth to him in pain.’ Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that You would greatly bless me and extend my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm so that it would not hurt me!’ And God brought about what he requested.” (New American Standard Bible)
- “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ 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.” (New International Version)
- “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez and said, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez called out to the God of Israel: ‘If only you would bless me, extend my border, let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will not cause any pain.’ And God granted his request.” (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Translation Variations
The preceding list reflects six of the more popular English translations today. I encourage you to go to BibleGateway.com and compare even more.
The more you study this, the more you’ll find that a strong majority of the contemporary English translations, including the English Standard Version (ESV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), Common English Bible (CEB), Complete Jewish Bible (CJB), Good News Translation (GNT), New Century Version (NCV), New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Revised Standard Version (RSV), and many more render the latter part of Jabez’s prayer in a way that suggests his primary motivation was to avoid pain – as in avoid suffering pain himself.
In other words, these English translations suggest that Jabez prayed this prayer so that God would protect him (Jabez) from suffering pain. That he was not (necessarily) asking God to keep him (Jabez) from causing pain to others.
A minority of English translations give us a different impression. They translate the latter part of Jabez’s request in I Chronicles 9:10 as follows:
- “…that I may not cause pain!” (New King James Version)
- “…that I may not cause pain!” (World English Bible)
- “…that I will not cause any pain.” (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Clearly, if your standard of truth rests on what the majority says, then you have to give the “win” to Jabez’s request being self-oriented rather than being concerned for the welfare of others.
But…
The majority can sometimes be incorrect.
What’s more, several English translations reveal a choice of words that keeps the door open to possibly both interpretations. For example…
The New International Version (NIV) has Jabez asking that God keep him (Jabez) “free from pain.” This has a potential double meaning. He doesn’t want to experience pain or cause pain. Such a dual motive seems reasonable.
My favorite translation, the classic King James Version, does the same.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
I Chronicles 4:10, KJV
Note that the phrase “…that it may not grieve me” can be understood very broadly. He doesn’t want the grief of experiencing pain himself or bringing pain to others. And we could be talking about grief from pain that is physical, financial, emotional, or spiritual.
And this brings us to…
What the Hebrew Says
Let’s agree that the Bible wasn’t written in English. The Old Testament (in which we find I Chronicles) was written in Hebrew. So, we must focus on the Hebrew.
First, Jabez’s very name is significant. The name יַעְבֵּץ (Ya‘bets), which we read in English as Jabez, is associated with the concept of “pain” or “sorrow.” The implications of what this meant for his relationship with his mother (who named him) and the grief he carried as a result leave us with a lot to ponder and pray over, but…
Our focus here is the prayer itself, specifically that last part. The Hebrew phrase לְבִלְתִּי עָצְבִּי (levilti ‘atzbi) hinges on the root עצב (‘atzav), which can mean “to grieve” or “to cause grief.” The lack of explicit grammatical markers for the subject or object of the verb adds to the complexity.
- If Jabez is the subject, he’s asking not to cause pain.
- If he’s the object, he’s asking not to experience pain.
This dual possibility may be intentional – and that seems to be the possibility that the translators behind the KJV and NIV are keeping open.
That explanation seems quite plausible to me.
Personal Thoughts
I’m not a fan of the number of English translations out there. Since Tyndale translated the Bible into English in the Middle Ages, we’ve had over 900 English translations of the Bible! We don’t need 900 English translations!
The sheer number of English translations sows confusion (in the lives of believers and within churches). The number of translations (it’s ridiculous) also raises questions about the motives behind some of the translators. (Hint: Think of the color green).
Personally, when it comes to English translations, I have confidence in the King James Version and (given that some struggle with Elizabethan English) the New King James Version (albeit a little less so). Of course, I consult with various language tools to get at the original Hebrew and Greek. I’m well aware the Bible wasn’t written in English – modern or Elizabethan. But, since I don’t read or speak Greek or Hebrew, I do the bulk of my reading and study in the KJV or NKJV — and all of my teaching and preaching from those translations.
All that’s for another article. For now…
When it comes to the different translations of I Chronicles 9:10 (especially the latter part of the prayer), it’s unlikely we will settle this discussion for certain until we talk with Jabez personally in heaven.
This doesn’t mean that truth is relative. It is not. What it means is that we have access to what we need in Scripture according to God’s will. If there are passages that leave us with some questions, we then have to prayerfully consider whether those questions will lead us to a deeper appreciation of the Bible passage in question and/or important applications for our lives.
Personally, the translations that emphasize Jabez not wanting to bring pain to others (such as the NKJV) or that at least leave open that possibility along with his concern for his own pain (such as the KJV) resonate with me. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe Jabez was being completely self-oriented in his prayer. After all, we should not interpret the Bible based on what emotionally moves us or what we prefer.
Still…
Jabez’s apparent desire to not want to spread any pain to others is noble and deeply moving. It’s also a great lesson for us — especially in a world where it’s increasingly common for people in pain to cause others pain. I find it difficult to believe that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t want that lesson spread.
Appreciate this blog? Let’s stay connected!
🙏 Be sure to visit Olney Baptist Church
👥 Follow me on Facebook
📕 Check out my Resource & Recommendation Page
