Judges 10:4
in Judges 10He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
KJV
And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth–jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
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This verse in Judges 10
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd 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, 1Sa 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.
This site's exposition
Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel
on Judges 10:3-5
What is recorded of Jair is a family: "thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys" and held thirty towns, a mark of rank, since donkeys are what rulers ride at 5:10. Numbers 32:41 and Deuteronomy 3:14 give the name Havvoth-jair to an earlier Jair of Manasseh. Barnes takes the two men for one, and Henry reads an old family name revived by the conquest.
This site's exposition
rode on thirty donkeys
John Gill suggests the thirty sons served as judges under their father, riding circuit through the country, as Samuel later set his sons as judges at 1 Samuel 8:1. Their towns lay in Gilead. That is the ground Ammon oppresses for eighteen years in verse 8.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. While those two judges, Tola and Jair, presided in the affairs of Israel, things went well, but afterwards, I. Israel returned to their idolatry, that sin which did most easily beset them (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
He had thirty sons, etc. - 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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Thoroughbreds. עוּלִין, 1 This is Targum Yonasan’s translation. the choicest horses.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְהִי־ | vayhi- | and it belonged | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ל֞וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים | sheloshim | thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| בָּנִ֗ים | banim | sons | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| רֹֽכְבִים֙ | rokhevim | [who] rode | H7392 → | 78 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים | sheloshim | thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| עֲיָרִ֔ים | ʾayarim | donkeys | H5895 → | |
| וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים | usheloshim | and thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| עֲיָרִ֖ים | ʾayarim | cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| לָהֶ֑ם | lahem | [belonged] to <the> them | ||
| לָהֶ֞ם | lahem | <to> <the> them | ||
| יִקְרְא֣וּ׀ | yikreu | people call | H7121 → | 733 times |
| חַוֹּ֣ת | chavot | Havvoth | H2334 → | |
| יָאִ֗יר | yair | Jair | H2334 → | |
| עַ֚ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּאֶ֥רֶץ | beeretz | [are] in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַגִּלְעָֽד׃ | hagilad | <the> Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
וַֽיְהִי־and it belonged
vayhi-H1961 →3559 times
ל֞וֹto <the> him
lo
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםthirty
sheloshimH7970 →172 times
בָּנִ֗יםsons
banimH1121 →4930 times
רֹֽכְבִים֙[who] rode
rokhevimH7392 →78 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםthirty
sheloshimH7970 →172 times
עֲיָרִ֔יםdonkeys
ʾayarimH5895 →
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםand thirty
usheloshimH7970 →172 times
עֲיָרִ֖יםcities
ʾayarimH5892 →1090 times
לָהֶ֑ם[belonged] to <the> them
lahem
לָהֶ֞ם<to> <the> them
lahem
יִקְרְא֣וּ׀people call
yikreuH7121 →733 times
חַוֹּ֣תHavvoth
chavotH2334 →
יָאִ֗ירJair
yairH2334 →
עַ֚דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁ֖רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּאֶ֥רֶץ[are] in [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
הַגִּלְעָֽד׃<the> Gilead
hagiladH1568 →134 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 3:14Jair, 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…
it leads to
- Numbers 32:41
Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.
- 2 Samuel 13:37
Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day.
- 2 Samuel 10:6
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah…
- 2 Samuel 3:3
his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
- Numbers 32:41
Through
Judges 5:10You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
it leads to
- Judges 12:14
He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.
- Psalms 105:2
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.
- Judges 12:14
Through
Numbers 32:41Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.
it leads to
- 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…
- Deuteronomy 3:14
Through
Judges 12:14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.
it leads to
- Judges 5:10
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
- Judges 5:10
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.