Jair

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("splendid, shining") (See ARGOB; BASHAN HAVOTH JAIR.)

1. On his father's side, of Judah; on his mother's side, of Manasseh. Son of Segub, who was son of Hezron by his third wife, daughter and heiress in part of Machir (father of Gilead) of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 2:21-22-23; Deuteronomy 3:14-15). His designation from his mother, not his father, was probably owing to his settling in Manasseh E. of Jordan. His brilliant exploit was, he took Argob or Trachonitis, the Lejah, and called from his own name certain villages or groups of tents ("kraals "), 23 originally, Havoth Jair (Numbers 32:41), afterward increased to 30 (Judges 10:4).

2. The Gileadite judge. His 30 sons rode 30 asses, and had 30 cities, the number to which the original Havoth Jair had grown.

3. A Benjamite, son of Kish, father of Mordecai (Esther 2:5).

4. A different Hebrew name, though in English Jair, or Jeer (Hebrew text or kethib). Father of Elhanan, one of David's heroes who slew Lahmi, Goliath's brother (1 Chronicles 20:5).

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Jair (jâ'ir), whom Jehovah enlightens. 1. A chief warrior under Moses, descended from the most powerful family of Judah and Manasseh. He took all the country of Argob (the modern Lejah) on the east side of Jordan, and, besides, some villages in Gilead, which he called Havoth-jair, "villages of Jair." 1 Chronicles 2:21-23; Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14 : comp. Joshua 13:30. 2. Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel 22 years. "He had thirty sons who rode on thirty ass-colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair, which are in Gilead." Judges 10:3 to Judges 5:3. A Benjamite, father of Mordecai. Esther 2:6. 4 In 1 Chronicles 20:5, in the A. V., Jair occurs, but it is a totally different name in Hebrew, meaning "whom God awakens." This Jair was the father of Elhanan, who killed Lachmi, the brother of Goliath. He is called Jaare-oregim in 2 Samuel 21:19.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Son of Segub, a descendant of Judah but called 'son of Manasseh' from his mother the daughter of Machir. He is also called one of 'the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.' He conquered the territory of Argob with some towns, which he called HAVOTH-JAIR, 'the towns of Jair.' Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 13:30; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chronicles 2:22,23 .

2. A Gileadite who judged Israel twenty-two years. Judges 10:3-5 . He had thirty sons, who had thirty cities in the land of Gilead, which were also called 'HAVOTH-JAIR.'

3. A Benjamite, father of Mordecai. Esther 2:5 .

4. Father of Elhanan who slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath. 1 Chronicles 20:5 . He is called JAARE-OREGIM in 2 Samuel 21:19 .

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ja'ir. (enlightener).

1. A man who, on his father's side, was descended from Judah, and on his mother's, from Manasseh. (B.C. 1451). During the conquest, he took the whole of the tract of Argob, Deuteronomy 3:14, and in addition, possessed himself of some nomad villages in Gilead, which he called after his own name, Havoth-Jair. Numbers 32:41; 1 Chronicles 2:23.

2. Jair, the Gileadite, who judged Israel for two-and-twenty years. Judges 10:3-5. (B.C. 1160). He had thirty sons, and possessed thirty cities in the land of Gilead, which, like those of their namesakes, were called Havoth-jair.

3. A Benjamite, son of Kish, and father of Mordecai. Esther 2:5. (B.C. Before 598).

4. The father of Elhanan, one of the heroes of David's army. 1 Chronicles 20:6.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

JAIR. 1. A clan of Jairites lived on the east of Jordan who were called after Jair. This Jair was of the children of Manasseh ( Numbers 32:41 ), and if we may assume a traditional fusion a ‘judge’ ( Judges 10:3 ff.). The settlement of this clan marks a subsequent conquest to that of the west of Jordan. The gentilic Jairite is used for Ira ( 2 Samuel 20:26 ). 2. The father of Mordecai ( Esther 2:5 ), 3 . The father of Elhanan. See Elhanan, Jaare-Oregim).

W. F. Cobb.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The father of Elhanan, who slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath (1 Chronicles 20:5 ).

Copyright StatementThese dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography InformationEaston, Matthew George. Entry for 'Jair'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/j/jair.html. 1897.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

of the family of Manasseh. He possessed a large canton beyond Jordan; the whole country of Argob, as far as the borders of Geshur and Maachathi, Judges 10:3 . He succeeded Tola in the judicature or government of the Israelites, and was himself succeeded by Jephthah. His government continued twenty-two years; from A.M. 2795 to 2817. Jair had thirty sons, who rode on asses, and were lords or governors of thirty towns, called Havoth-jair. He was buried at Camon beyond Jordan.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1 A leader in the conquest of Bashan, probably before the Jews crossed the Jordan, B. C. 1451. Twenty-three cities near Argob were called after him Havoth-jair, which see.

2. The eighth judge of Israel, in Gilead of Manasseh, B. C. 1210. He seems to have been a descendant and heir of the former, Judges 10:3 - 5 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

Numbers 32:41Judges 10:3-5Judges 31 Chronicles 20:52 Samuel 21:19Esther 2:5

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jā´ẽr  :

(1) Jair ( יאיר , yā'ı̄r , "he enlightens" 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 1 Kings 2:22 f). According to 1 Chronicles 2:21 f 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. 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 ) One of the judges. 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.

( 100 ) The father of Mordecai ( Esther 2:5 ). In the Apocrypha (Additions to Esther 11:2) his name is given as "Jairus" (Ἰάειρος , Iáeiros ).

(2) Jair ( Ḳerē  : יעיר , yā‛ı̄r , "he arouses"; Kethı̄bh  : יעוּר , yā‛ūr  ; a different name from (1) above): The father of Elhanan, the giant-slayer ( 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" ( 'ōreghı̄m ) having crept in from the line below through a copyist's error.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Jair, 1

Ja´ir (enlightener), son of Segub, of the tribe of Manasseh by his mother, and of Judah by his father. He appears to have distinguished himself in an expedition against the kingdom of Bashan, the time of which is disputed, but may probably be referred to the last year of the life of Moses, B.C. 1451. It seems to have formed part of the operations connected with the conquest of the country east of the Jordan. He settled in the part of Argob bordering on Gilead, where we find twenty-three villages named collectively Havoth-jair, or 'Jair's villages' .

Jair, 2

Jair, eighth judge of Israel, of Gilead, in Manasseh, beyond the Jordan; and, therefore, probably descended from the preceding, with whom, indeed, he is sometimes confounded. He ruled twenty-two years, and his opulence is indicated in a manner characteristic of the age in which he lived. 'He had thirty sons, that rode on thirty ass-colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair, in the land of Gilead.' The twenty-three villages of the more ancient Jair were probably among the thirty which this Jair possessed . B.C. 1210.