Jair יָאִיר
Mordecai's father, a Benjamite
Who is Jair in the Bible?
Jair was the father of Mordecai, a Benjamite mentioned in the book of Esther (Esther 2:5). As a member of the tribe of Benjamin, Jair descended from a family with deep historical roots in Israel, as his ancestors Kish and Shimei had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon during the reign of King Jeconiah of Judah. Though Jair himself receives only brief mention in Scripture, he is significant as the father of Mordecai, who became a central figure in the dramatic events of the book of Esther, ultimately playing a crucial role in saving the Jewish people from destruction during the Persian exile.
Biography
Jair is briefly mentioned in Est.2.5 as the father of Mordecai, one of the main characters in the book of Esther. Jair was a Benjamite, indicating that he belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. The text states that Jair's ancestors, Kish and Shimei, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon during the time of King Jeconiah of Judah.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEsther 1 verse
- Esther 2:5
"Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | יָאִיר | Jair , the name of four Israelites |
Jair
="Bible:Josh.13.30">Jos 13:30; 1Ki 4:13; 1Ch 2:22 f). According to 1Ch 2:21 f he was the son of ScRub, son of Hezron, a descendant of Judah, who married the daughter of Machir, son of Manasseh. He was thus descended both from Judah and Manasseh. At the time of the conquest he distinguished himself by taking the tent-villages HAVVOTH-JAIR (which see). The accounts of his exploit are difficult to harmonize (see ICC on above passages). Some would identify him with the Jair of Jud 10:3, holding that Manasseh's settlement in Northern Gilead and Bashan took place, not before Israel's passage of the Jordan, but after the settlement of the tribe on the West. For a criticism of this view see HGHL, 577, note
(b) One of the judges. He is said to have had 30 sons, who rode on 30 ass colts, and who had as many cities, known as Havvoth-jair (Jud 10:3,4). One tradition identifies (a) and (b). Others reconcile the two narratives by interpreting the word "son" in a non-literal sense.
(c) The father of Mordecai (Es 2:5). In the Apocrypha (Additions to Esther 11:2) his name is given as "Jairus" (Iaeiros).
(2) Jair (Qere: ya`ir, "he arouses"; Kethibh: ya`ur; a different name from (1) above): The father of Elhanan, the giant-slayer (1Ch 20:5). In the parallel passage (2Sa 21:19) his name is given as "Jaare-oregim," but the text should be corrected to Jair, "oregim" ('oreghim) having crept in from the line below through a copyist's error.
James Crichton
ja'-er-it (ya'iri, "of Jair"): In 2Sa 20:26, Ira the Jairite is "chief minister unto David." He was a descendant of Jair who was a Manassite (Nu 32: