Judges 10:4

Jdg 10:4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which [are] in the land of Gilead.

Ver. 4. And he had thirty sons.] A happy man if they all proved towardly: otherwise he might be put to wish as Augustus did, Utinam aut caelebs vixissem, aut orbus periissem.

That rode on thirty ass colts.] Jair therefore was a man of quality, likely, for birth and wealth: and so fitter for government, ordinarily. See Ecc 10:17. By the laws of England, noblemen may not be bound to the peace; because it is supposed that the peace is always bound to them, and that of their own accord they will both preserve and promote it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, the towns of Jair, as Deut. 3:14.

Signifying, they were men of authority.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts--This is a characteristic trait of Eastern manners in those early times; and the grant of a village to each of his thirty sons was a striking proof of his extensive possessions. His having thirty sons is no conclusive evidence that he had more than one wife, much less that he had more than one at a time. There are instances, in this country, of men having as many children by two successive wives.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 4. He had thirty sons, c.] It appears that there was both peace and prosperity during the time that Jair governed Israel he had, it seems, provided for his family, and given a village to each of his thirty sons; which were, in consequence, called Havoth Jair or the villages of Jair. Their riding on thirty ass colts seems to intimate that they were persons of consideration, and kept up a certain dignity in their different departments.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(4) Had thirty sons.—An indication of his rank and position, which assumed an ostentatious polygamy. (Comp. Jdg_8:30.)

That rode on thirty ass colts.—Comp. Jdg_5:10; see on Jdg_12:14. Implying that Jair was able to bring up his numerous household in wealth. The horse was little used in Palestine—for which, indeed, it is little suited—till the days of Solomon (1Ki_4:26), and its introduction was always discouraged by the prophets (Deu_17:16; Jos_11:6-9; Psa_33:17, &c). There is a curious play of words on Jair (yair), “ass-colts” (ayârîm), and “cities,” which ought to be arîm, but is purposely altered for the sake of the paronomasia. (See on Jdg_15:16.) Such plays on words in serious narratives point to a very early form of literature—but probably they then rose from some popular proverb. The LXX., like Josephus, writing for Gentiles, who did not understand the value attached to asses in Palestine, almost always euphemise the word into “colts,” or “foals” (pôlous), which here enables them happily to keep up the play of words with “cities” (poleis).

Thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair.—Havoth means villages (LXX., epauleis), and since they are here called “cities,” and thirty are named, we must suppose that this Jair (if he was a different person from the other) had increased the number of the villages originally wrested from Og from twenty-three to thirty (Num_32:41; Deu_3:14; 1Ch_2:22. In the latter passage the Jair there mentioned is spoken of as a son of Segub, and a great-grandson of Manasseh).

Unto this day.—Jdg_1:26.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. he had thirty sons] Cf. Jdg_12:9; Jdg_12:14. The ‘sons’ are expressly connected with the thirty settlements of the clan. Numerous descendants indicated power and wealth.

that rode on thirty ass colts] A mark of rank; cf. Jdg_12:14, 2Ki_4:22, Zec_9:9; see on Jdg_5:10.

Havvoth-jair] i.e. tent-villages (LXX ἐπαύλεις) of Jair; cf. Arab. ḥiwâ = ‘a group of tents near together.’ Long after the tents of nomads had given place to permanent dwellings or ‘cities’ the old name still survived. The Havvoth-jair are frequently mentioned, but the accounts of them are not all consistent. Here and in Num_32:41 they are said to have been situated in Gilead; 1Ki_4:13 (prob. borrowed from Num. l.c.) and 1Ch_2:22 agree with this. But according to Deu_3:14, followed by Jos_13:30, they lay in Bashan; the statement, however, seems to be due to an attempt to harmonize Deu_3:13 f. with Num_32:39; Num_32:41 (Driver, Deut., p. 55). Again, the capture and naming of these towns is dated in different periods, in the time of Moses according to Num. l.c., and in the time of the Judges here. But the inconsistency lies only on the surface. Num_32:39-42 is an ancient fragment incorporated into a later account (JE and P) of the conquest of E. Jordan, apparently for the purpose of bringing Manasseh’s occupation of this district within the Mosaic period; the fragment closely resembles the brief traditions preserved in Judges 1 and may be taken to refer to the same period, viz. that of the Judges, to which the present verse assigns the episode. Later on the Havvoth-jair seem to have passed into the hands of another race, cf. 1Ch_2:23 (RV.), which probably reflects the conditions of a subsequent age. The difference in the numbers of the villages, thirty, thirty-two (LXX here), twenty-three (1Ch_2:22), is not important.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he had thirty sons that rode upon thirty ass colts,.... Which to ride on in those times was reckoned honourable, and on which judges rode in their circuit, Jdg 5:10 and such might be these sons of Jair, who were appointed under him to ride about, and do justice in the several parts of the country, as Samuel's sons were judges under him, Sa1 8:1,

and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead; or the villages of Jair. There were some of this name that belonged to Jair, a son of Manasseh, in the times of Moses, Num 32:41 and these may be the same, at least some of them; for they were but twenty three he had, whereas these were thirty, Ch1 2:22 and these coming by inheritance to this Jair, a descendant of the former, and he being of the same name, and these cities perhaps repaired and enlarged by him, the name of them was continued and established, for it is not reasonable to suppose, as some have done, that this is the same Jair that lived in the times of Moses, who, if so, must have lived more than three hundred years, an age men did not live to in those times.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Havoth Jair. This name was now confirmed to these towns, which they had formerly received from another Jair, Numbers xxxii. 41. (Challoner) --- Sixty are there specified, and only 30 here, which might either be the same, or different from those villages to which the former Jair had left his name. Grotius thinks that judge Jair was the son of Segub, who left 23 cities to him. These, with seven belonging to his grandfather, Hesron, make up the number here specified, 1 Paralipomenon ii. 22. --- The Hebrew does not say that these 30 cities were called after the judge: "they had 30 cities, which are called Havoth Jair," &c. (Calmet) --- Some copies of the Septuagint add "two" to the number of sons, asses, and cities, as if there had been 32 of each. In other respects they agree with the original. It was formerly a mark of distinction to ride on fair asses, chap. v. 10. (Haydock) --- St. Jerome thinks that horses were prohibited, as they were in Egypt, without the king’s leave. But we nowhere find this law recorded , (Calmet) and it is not universally true that it existed. (Menochius) (Hieropolit. iii. 15.) --- Some have inferred from Jair’s children having 30 cities, that he exercised a sovereign authority over Israel: but he might only give his children the authority of magistrates in them, as Samuel did, 1 Kings viii. (Estius) --- We know not by what means Jair was raised to the chief command, nor what he did for the benefit of the people. He is supposed to be the same who is called Bedan, 1 Kings xii. 11. Serarius; Usher, &c.); though others think that Bedan is a title of Samson. He was of the tribe of Manasses in Galaad. Having kept the people under due restraint during his administration, they burst forth, like a torrent, at his death, and, on all sides, abandoned themselves to a multiplicity of idols, so that God made some difficulty in restoring them again to favour. (Haydock) --- Cornelius a Lapide thinks that they had begun to relapse 18 years before the death of Jair, and were, consequently, chastised by the Ammonites. Serarius is of a contrary opinion, though Houbigant rather inclines to the former sentiment, as it is not said that Jair gave rest to the land, nor more than Samgar. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Rode on ass colts, because horses were scarce there, and were not to be multiplied by the king himself, Deu 17:16. Hence their kings and kings’ children used to ride upon mules, 2Sa 13:29; 18:9; 1Ki 1:33,38,39. Compare Jdg 5:10; 12:14.

Havoth-jair.

Object. These villages were called so before this time from another

Jair, Num 32:41; Deu 3:14.

Answ. They are not said to be now first called by that name, but to be still so called, because the old name was revived and confirmed upon this occasion; as Sheba is said to be called Beer-sheba, upon an occasion mentioned Gen 26:33, though it was so called before upon a more ancient occasion, Gen 21:31. Possibly this Jair had enlarged or fortified these towns, and so they were justly denominated from him, no less than from the former.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. Thirty sons… thirty ass colts… thirty cities — These facts are mentioned to show the power, dignity, and wealth of the house of Jair.

Havoth-jair — That is, villages of Jair. These villages, possessed by Jair’s sons, were called after their father’s name even at the time when the Book of Judges was written. They probably comprised the same “towns” which Jair, the son of Manasseh, took in the days of Moses, (Num_32:41; Deu_3:14,) and called by this very name. Their number may have been increased so as to furnish one for each of the thirty sons of this Gileadite judge. This name was not now given them for the first time, but was a bringing into use again of an old name which had, perhaps, become partially forgotten.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thirty ass colts. The number and dignity of these knightly sons of Jair shows that Jair himself, like Gideon, (Jud_1:8:30) assumed the state of a prince. The word in Hebrew for ass colts is identical with that for cities, as here pointed, and this play upon the words belongs to the same turn of mind as produced Jotham"s fable and Samson"s riddle. (Jud_1:14:14)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he had thirty sons - They were itinerant Judges, who rode from place to place, as their father's deputies to administer justice. Havoth-jair - These villages were called so before this time from another Jair, but the old name was revived and confirmed upon this occasion.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Havothjair

Or, The villages of Jair. Num 32:41.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thoroughbreds.עוּלִין, the choicest horses.

They owned thirty towns. They owned thirty unwalled municipalities. This is why they are described as עַיָרִים, "towns", meaning the same as עַיָירָוֹת.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.