He 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.
Parallel translations
- WEB He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to 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 Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
- NKJV Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
- NASB And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities in the land of Gilead that are called Havvoth-jair to this day.
- NLT His thirty sons rode around on thirty donkeys, and they owned thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which are still called the Towns of Jair.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jair's thirty sons ride thirty donkeys and govern thirty towns called Havvoth Jair. His family's prominence reflects his standing.
Overview
The detail of thirty sons on thirty donkeys controlling thirty towns marks Jair as a man of wealth and influence in Gilead. The donkeys signify dignity and rank in that era. The note hints at a settled, prosperous leadership, while the emphasis on his sons' status subtly previews the dynastic temptations that recur in Judges.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Num 32:41Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.
- Deut 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 day.
- Judg 12:14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.
- Judg 5:10You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 10:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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