A Holistic Reading of Chronicles with a Samoan Hermeneutic: Reading Jabez in Context

This volume presents the most extensive and scientific study to date on the Jabez prayer in 1 Chron 4:9-10, re-reading Jabez’s story from the perspective of Chronicles as a whole, in conversation with similar realities in Samoa. The volume first examines the text of Chronicles as evidence of conflicts in the postexilic period, as various people renegotiated their connections with the land after the Babylonian exile. Then, it explores how biblical material can be illuminated by a Samoan hermeneutic, especially given the significance of the Bible in Samoan society. With this book, Samasoni Moleli Alama makes a significant contribution to Chronicles scholarship by investigating its major themes - particularly those that appear in the Jabez narrative - such as land tenure, political sovereignty, genres of prayer and the nuances of divine names. This strikingly original work is a model of scholarly integration, engaging with the best international scholarship while remaining firmly grounded in the Pacific context.