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Judge Jair in the Bible: Lessons and Facts

Categories Bible Study Topics

In this series of articles, we will look at the life of Jair in the Bible; a minor judge in the Old Testament.

As we have continued on in our series of Judges in the Bible. We are now at the judge Jair. He is considered a minor judge like Tola, Shamgar, and others. This is because his story is brief within scripture. You can read his whole account within 3 verses in the book of Judges. Yup, that’s it!

This is quite a contrast when compared to major judges like Deborah and Gideon. Their stories are found not in verses but in whole chapters of the Bible. This doesn’t mean we can’t learn something from a minor judge! I’ve said this in other articles, and I will say it again! We can always learn a glean revelation from even the smallest of characters in the Bible!

Jair in the Bible

Jair in The Bible: The Man With 30 Sons

After him, Jair the Gileadite arose, and he judged Israel for twenty-two years. He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead that are called Havvoth-jair (towns of Jair) to this day.  And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
– Judges 10:3-5

Jair was a Gileadite, which means he came from the tribe of Manasseh (the son of Joseph). He also had 30 sons. But why is this important to know?? In ancient Israel, some of the judges helped carry out their influence and authority through their family connections. And this is exactly what Jair did!

His 30 sons carried forth their father’s authority/influence and even established towns throughout Gilead. Jair judged Israel for 22 years until his death.

Now, Gilead is what we know as modern-day Jordan. Gospel and Spade has a quick video on the area. I always like to have an idea on the map of where things are taking place when I am studying scripture.

יָאִיר Yâʼîyr, yaw-ere’; from H215; enlightener; Jair, the name of four Israelites:—Jair.

Another interesting fact is that Jair is quite a popular name and is mentioned in several books in the Bible. The name means enlightener or he who enlightens.

FAQ on Judge Jair

In this section, we will look at a few key questions about Jair. If you happen to have a question about him, feel free to leave me a comment at the bottom with your question. I will do my best to answer it!

What tribe is Jair from?

Jair is from the Tribe of Manasseh.

What is the meaning of Jair in the Bible?

In Hebrew it means enlightener or he who enlightens.

How long did Jair judge Israel?

Jair led Israel 22 years.

Where did Jair live?

He lived in Gilead and was buried in Kamon.

How many children did Jair have?

Scripture mentions that Jair had 30 sons, that road 30 donkeys, and had 30 towns named after them.

The Many Judges in the Bible

The Bible is filled with different stories about different judges in the Bible. And I have been slowly adding them to the series. Some of them have amazing life stories that we can learn from. You can go through all of them by clicking on the links below.

I hope you have enjoyed this short study on Jair in the Bible and that it has encouraged you to check out more judges of the Bible.

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