with what precedes (Japhet 1993a: 108–11). In 2:55 “Jabez” (yʿbṣ) is mentioned as a town in which various families of scribes reside. The story evinces a chiastic design: a Introduction: Jabez’s distinguished status b Explanation of name: Mother’s affliction in childbirth b′ Request for relief: Jabez’s connection with affliction a′ Conclusion: Jabez’s success “in affliction” (bʿṣb). The Heb. plays on the name of Jabez (yʿbṣ). In the ancient Semitic world, names often characterized a person’s identity