Jair

For other uses, see Jair (name).

In the Jewish scripture and Christian scripture, Jair (Hebrew: יָאִיר Yā’îr, "he enlightens") was a man from Gilead of the Tribe of Manasseh, east of the River Jordan, who judged Israel for twenty-two years, after the death of Tola who had ruled of twenty-three years. His inheritance was in Gilead through the line of Machir, the son of Manasseh. Jair was the son of Segub, the son of Hezron the Jew through the daughter of Machir (1 Chronicles 2).

Biblical commentator Matthew Henry described the 45 years' rule of Tola and Jair as:

Quiet and peaceable reigns [which], though the best to live in, yield least variety of matter to be spoken of. Such were the days of Tola and Jair. They were humble, active, and useful men, rulers appointed of God".

According to Judges 10:3-5, Jair had thirty sons, who rode thirty ass colts, and controlled thirty 'cities' in Gilead which came to be known as Havoth-Jair. The word chawwoth ('tent encampments') occurs only in this context (Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; Judges 10:4), and is a legacy word remaining from the early nomadic stage of Hebrew culture.

Jair died and was buried in Camon (or Kamon). W. Ewing suggests that Kamon probably corresponds to Kamun taken by the Seleucid king Antiochus III, on his march from Pella to Gephrun (Polybius Book V.70:12). After his death there 18 years of infidelity to the God of the Israelites and oppression at the hands of their Philistine and Ammonite neighbours.

See also

• Biblical judges
• Book of Judges

External links

• International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Book of Judges article (Jewish Encyclopedia)