Atomic Bible

Manassite leader who captured Gilead

Jair

Named in 5 verses across 5 books, first in Numbers 32:41.

יָאִירJair

יָאִרִיJairite

Also called Jairite.

The name means “Jairus, my light; who diffuses light.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

Father
Segub
People
Tribe of Judah

About Jair Written by AI

Jair was a descendant of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, who played a significant role in the conquest and settlement of the region east of the Jordan River. According to Numbers 32:41 and Deuteronomy 3:14, Jair captured the settlements in Gilead and named them Havvoth-jair, which means "the towns of Jair." 1 Chronicles 2:22 states that Jair controlled twenty-three cities in Gilead. In 2 Samuel 20:26, a person named Ira the Jairite is mentioned as one of David's officials, possibly indicating that Jair's descendants continued to hold influential positions. 1 Kings 4:13 refers to the towns of Jair in the context of Solomon's administrative districts, suggesting that the region remained associated with Jair's name long after his lifetime.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

This entry is on the name Jair, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.

Enlightener. (1.) The son of Segub. He was brought up with his mother in Gilead, where he had possessions (1 Chr. 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” (Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; Josh. 13:30).

(2.) The eighth judge of Israel, which he ruled for twenty-two years. His opulence is described in Judg. 10:3-5. He had thirty sons, each riding on “ass colts.” They had possession of thirty of the sixty cities (1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chr. 2:23) which formed the ancient Havoth-jair.

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(3.) A Benjamite, the father of Mordecai, Esther’s uncle (Esther 2:5).

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

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names him

  1. Numbers 32:41

    Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.

  2. Deuteronomy 3:14

    Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this day.

  3. 2 Samuel 20:26

    and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.

  4. 1 Kings 4:13

    Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead (the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead belonged to him, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan with its sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);

  5. 1 Chronicles 2:22

    Segub was the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.