Jabez

Jabez is both the name of a place as well as a person,

1. Jabez as a place is only mentioned once in the Old Testament as the residence of "the clans of scribes . . . the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites," near Bethlehem in Judah (1 Chron 2:55). Nothing else is known about it.

2. A person mentioned only in a soul-stirring account in 1 Chron 4:9-10:

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.

Jabez is mentioned here without context; it is probable that the two verses are meant to be understood as a follow-on of v4 ("Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and father of Bethlehem"). If that is the case, then Jabez is to be understood as a descendent of "Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and father of Bethlehem." If this is the case, also, the person may have given rise to the name of the town, but this is not certain.

Resources:

☰ Elaine Heath, "Jabez: A Man Called Pain: An Integrative Hermeneutical Exercise," Ashland Theological Journal 33 (2001): 7-16. pdf