John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And he had thirty sons that rode upon thirty ass colts , etc.] Which to ride on in those times was reckoned honourable, and on which judges rode in their circuit, ( Judges 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, ( <090801> Samuel 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, ( Numbers 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, ( Chronicles 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Quiet and peaceable reigns, though the best to live in, yield leas variety of matter to be spoken of. Such were the days of Tola and Jair They were humble, active, and useful men, rulers appointed of God.
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 לו שׁלשׁים7970 בנים1121 רכבים7392 על5921 שׁלשׁים7970 עירים5895 ושׁלשׁים7970 עירים5895 להם1992 להם1992 יקראו7121 חות יאיר2334 עד5704 היום3117 הזה2088 אשׁר834 בארץ776 הגלעד׃1568
