Original Word: יָאִיר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Ya'iyr
Pronunciation: yah-EER
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-ere')
KJV: Jair
NASB: Jair
Word Origin: [from H215 (אוֹר - shine)]

1. enlightener
2. Jair, the name of four Israelites

Jair

From 'owr; enlightener; Jair, the name of four Israelites -- Jair.

see HEBREW 'owr

Word Origin
from or
Definition
"he enlightens," three Isr.
NASB Translation
Jair (9).

יָאִיר proper name, masculine (he enlightens, or one giving light).

1 son of Manasseh Numbers 32:41 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 3:14 (twice in verse); Joshua 13:30; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chronicles 2:22,23.

2 a judge in Gilead Judges 10:3,4,5.

3 father of Mordecai Esther 2:5.

Etymology and Meaning

The name denotes illumination or enlightenment, echoing the Hebrew verb for “to give light.” Each bearer, in distinct ways, brought light—whether territorial security, judicial stability, or covenant faithfulness—to the people of God.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Numbers 32:41
2. Deuteronomy 3:14
3. Joshua 13:30
4. Judges 10:3
5. Judges 10:5
6. 1 Kings 4:13
7. 1 Chronicles 2:22
8. 1 Chronicles 2:23
9. Esther 2:5

Tribal and Genealogical Associations

Jair is uniquely linked with both Judah and Manasseh. 1 Chronicles 2:21-23 traces him through Hezron of Judah, yet because Hezron married a daughter of Machir, Jair inherited territory east of the Jordan among the descendants of Manasseh. This dual affiliation illustrates the cohesion of the twelve tribes and the honoring of maternal inheritance laws recorded in Numbers 27:1-11.

A separate Jair appears as a Benjamite in Esther 2:5, the grandfather of Mordecai. His presence in Persia demonstrates the continued preservation of tribal identity during and after the exile.

Territorial Holdings: Havvoth-Jair

“Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.” (Numbers 32:41)

The “villages of Jair” covered a swath of Gilead and Bashan (Joshua 13:30), later enumerated as sixty fortified cities (1 Kings 4:13). Their strategic position guarded Israel’s northeastern frontier, insulating the land from Aramean and Ammonite incursions. Even when Geshur and Aram “captured Havvoth-jair” (1 Chronicles 2:23), the record underscores the enduring significance of these towns to Israel’s security and economic life.

Judge Jair of Gilead

“After him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty-two years.” (Judges 10:3)

This Jair administered justice during the era of the Judges, a period marked by cyclical apostasy and deliverance. His thirty sons, each riding a donkey and presiding over a town (Judges 10:4), indicate broad administrative reach, peaceful mobility, and familial participation in governance. His tenure provided two decades of stability between the northern deliverance of Tola and the southern exploits of Jephthah, foreshadowing the unified monarchy’s later structures.

Royal Administration under Solomon

In Solomon’s provincial system, “Ben-geber was in Ramoth-gilead; he had the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead” (1 Kings 4:13). These towns furnished provisions for the king’s court one month each year, integrating the Trans-Jordan lands into national prosperity and demonstrating the long-term value of Jair’s earlier conquests.

Post-Exilic Legacy

Esther 2:5 anchors a Jair in Susa: “Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish.” His lineage recalls Saul’s family (1 Samuel 9:1-2), highlighting divine fidelity in preserving Benjamin’s remnant. Through Jair’s grandson Mordecai—and ultimately Esther—God safeguarded His people from annihilation, turning exile into deliverance.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Faithfulness: Jair’s victories fulfilled Moses’ promise that Manasseh would possess Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:14), reinforcing the reliability of God’s word.
2. Light in Darkness: The meaning of the name aligns with the Judge’s role in dispelling idolatrous darkness, prefiguring the Messiah, the true Light (John 8:12).
3. Inter-Tribal Unity: Jair’s mixed heritage models the priestly ideal that “there is one body” (Ephesians 4:4), strengthening the theme of corporate identity among God’s people.
4. Generational Continuity: From the conquest era to the Persian court, each Jair demonstrates that the Lord preserves His purposes across centuries, ensuring that His “steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1).

וְיָאִ֤יר ויאיר יָאִ֑יר יָאִ֔יר יָאִ֖יר יָאִ֛יר יָאִ֣יר יָאִ֧יר יָאִ֨יר יאיר veyaIr wə·yā·’îr wəyā’îr yā’îr yā·’îr yaIrInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts