Jair

From Bible Exegesis

jā´ẽr:

(1) Jair (יאיר, yā'īr, “he enlightens,” "enlightener" or “one giving light”):

(a) Son, i.e. descendant of Manasseh (Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 13:30; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chronicles 2:22 f). According to 1 Chronicles 2:21f he was the son of Segub, son of Hezron, a descendant of Judah, who married the daughter of Machir, son of Manasseh. He was thus descended both from Judah and Manasseh. He was brought up with his mother in Gilead, where he had possessions (1 Chronicles 2:22). He distinguished himself in an expedition against Bashan, and settled in the part of Argob on the borders of Gilead. The small towns taken by him there are called Havoth-jair, i.e., “Jair's villages” (Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 13:30). At the time of the conquest he distinguished himself by taking the tent-villages Havvoth-Jair (which see). The accounts of his exploit are difficult to harmonize (see ICC on above passages). Some would identify him with the Jair of Judges 10:3, holding that Manasseh's settlement in Northern Gilead and Bashan took place, not before Israel's passage of the Jordan, but after the settlement of the tribe on the West. For a criticism of this view see HGHL, 577, note

(b) The eighth judge of Israel, which he ruled for twenty-two years. His opulence is described in Judges 10:3-5. They had possession of thirty of the sixty cities (1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chronicles 2:23) which formed the ancient Havoth-jair. He is said to have had 30 sons, who rode on 30 ass colts, and who had as many cities, known as Havvoth-Jair (Judges 10:3, Judges 10:4). One tradition identifies (a) and (b). Others reconcile the two narratives by interpreting the word “son” in a non-literal sense.

(c) A Benjamite, the father of Mordecai, Esther's uncle (Esther 2:5). In the Apocrypha (Additions To Esther 11:2) his name is given as “Jairus” (Ἰάειρος, Iáeiros).

(2) Jair (Ḳerē: יעיר, yā‛īr, “he arouses”; Kethībh: יעוּר, yā‛ūr; a different name from (1) above): The father of Elhanan, the giant-slayer, who slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath (1 Chronicles 20:5). In the parallel passage (2 Samuel 21:19) his name is given as “Jaare-Oregim,” but the text should be corrected to Jair, “oregim” ('ōreghīm) having crept in from the line below through a copyist's error.