In the Biblical Book of Judges , Jair or Yair ( Hebrew : יָאִיר Yā’īr , "he enlightens") was a man from Gilead . He was of the Tribe of Manasseh and also descended from the Tribe of Judah (Numbers 32:39-41, 1 Chronicles 2:21-23). Jair judged Israel for 22 years, after the death of Tola , who had ruled of 23 years. His inheritance was in Gilead through the line of Machir , the son of Manasseh.
45-562: According to Judges 10:3–5, Jair had thirty sons, who rode thirty ass colts , and controlled 30 cities in Gilead which came to be known as Havoth-Jair (Judges 10:4; cf. 23 towns in 1 Chronicles 2:22). The word chawwoth ('tent encampments') occurs only in this context ( Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; Judges 10:4). Jair died and was buried in Kamon , which could be a place that Antiochus III conquered, according to Polybius , but also could be
90-628: A chronology of its events, assigning a number of years to each interval of judgment and peace. It is overtly schematic and was likely introduced at a later period. Four of the Dead Sea Scrolls feature parts of Judges: 1QJudg, found in Qumran Cave 1 ; 4QJudg and 4QJudg , found in Qumran Cave 4 ; and XJudges, a fragment discovered in 2001. The earliest complete surviving copy of the Book of Judges in Hebrew
135-608: A coherent work. Frank Moore Cross later proposed that an early version of the history was composed in Jerusalem in Josiah 's time (late 7th century BCE); this first version, Dtr1, was then revised and expanded to create a second edition, that identified by Noth, and which Cross labelled Dtr2. Scholars agree that the Deuteronomists' hand can be seen in Judges through the book's cyclical nature:
180-409: A dynastic monarchy over them and Gideon refuses. The rest of Gideon's lifetime saw peace in the land, but after Gideon's death, his son Abimelech ruled Shechem as a Machiavellian tyrant guilty for much bloodshed (see chapters 8 and 9). However, the last few chapters of Judges (specifically, the stories of Samson, Micah, and Gibeah) highlight the violence and anarchy of decentralized rule. Judges
225-489: A host of people. Then Deborah said, according to Judges 4:14 : "Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. As Deborah prophesied, a battle is fought (led by Barak), and Sisera is completely defeated. He escapes on foot while his army is pursued as far as Harosheth Haggoyim and destroyed. Sisera comes to
270-448: A single work. Noth maintained that the history was written in the early Exilic period (6th century BCE) in order to demonstrate how Israel's history was worked out in accordance with the theology expressed in the book of Deuteronomy (which thus provides the name "Deuteronomistic"). Noth believed that this history was the work of a single author, living in the mid-6th century BCE, selecting, editing and composing from his sources to produce
315-560: A symbolic term related to the Greek word for 'furnace'. After his death there were 18 years of infidelity to the God of the Israelites and oppression at the hands of their Philistine and Ammonite neighbours. King David appointed a Jairite named Ira as his chief ruler or priest after Sheba 's rebellion. Jair’s father was Segub. Segub’s father was Hezron. Hezron’s father was Perez. Perez’s father
360-418: A while they fall into unfaithfulness again and the cycle is repeated. Israel's apostasy is repeatedly invoked by the author as the cause of threats to Israel. The oppression of the Israelites is due to their turning to Canaanite gods, breaking the covenant and "doing evil in the sight of the lord". Further themes are present: the "sovereign freedom of Yahweh" (God does not always do what is expected of him);
405-542: Is a hymn that celebrates a military victory of two women: Deborah, the prophetess and Jael, the warrior. Jael—the heroine of the Song of Deborah—shares parallels with the main character of the Book of Judith , who uses her beauty and charm to kill an Assyrian general who has besieged her city, Bethulia . The Song of Deborah is commonly identified as among the oldest texts of the Bible, but
450-540: Is accompanied with the statement "every man did that which was right in his own eyes", implying that the redactor is pro-monarchy, and the epilogue, in which the tribe of Judah is assigned a leadership role, implies that this redaction took place in Judah. Since the second half of the 20th century most scholars have agreed with Martin Noth 's thesis that the books of Deuteronomy , Joshua , Judges, Samuel and Kings form parts of
495-611: Is in the Aleppo Codex (10th century CE). The Septuagint (Greek translation) is found in early manuscripts such as the Codex Colberto-Sarravianus (c. AD 400; contains many lacunae) and the Fragment of Leipzig (c. AD 500). Scholars hold different opinions regarding whether any of the people named as judges existed. The basic source for Judges was a collection of loosely connected stories about tribal heroes who saved
SECTION 10
#1732869471038540-514: Is readily apparent at the beginning, but as the stories progress it begins to disintegrate, mirroring the disintegration of the world of the Israelites. Although some scholars consider the stories not to be presented in chronological order, the judges in the order in which they appear in the text are: There are also brief glosses on six minor judges: Shamgar (Judges 3:31; after Ehud), Tola and Jair (10:1–5), Ibzan , Elon , and Abdon (12:8–15; after Jephthah). Some scholars have inferred that
585-506: Is recounted in chapter 4 . Judges 5 gives the same story in poetic form . This passage, often called The Song of Deborah , may date to as early as the twelfth century BCE, and is perhaps the earliest sample of Hebrew poetry . In the Book of Judges , it is stated that Deborah was a prophetess , a judge of Israel and the wife of Lapidoth. She rendered her judgments beneath a date palm tree between Ramah in Benjamin and Bethel in
630-455: Is remarkable for the number of female characters who "play significant roles, active and passive, in the narratives." Rabbi Joseph Telushkin wrote, Most of the great women in the Bible either are married to a great man or related to one. ... A rare exception to this tradition is the prophetess and judge Deborah, perhaps the Bible's greatest woman figure. Deborah stands exclusively on her own merits. The only thing we know about her personal life
675-567: Is the name of her husband, Lapidot. Original text Christian translations Articles Brief introduction Deborah#The Song of Deborah According to the Book of Judges , Deborah ( Hebrew : דְּבוֹרָה , Dəḇōrā ) was a prophetess of Judaism , the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel , and the only female judge mentioned in the Hebrew Bible . Many scholars contend that the phrase, "a woman of Lappidoth", as translated from biblical Hebrew in Judges 4:4 denotes her marital status as
720-512: The Canaanites still present everywhere. Chapters 1:1–2:5 are thus a confession of failure, while chapters 2:6–3:6 are a major summary and reflection from the Deuteronomists . The opening thus sets out the pattern which the stories in the main text will follow: Once peace is regained, Israel does right and receives Yahweh's blessings for a time, but relapses later into doing evil and repeats
765-569: The Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament . In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom in the Books of Samuel , during which Biblical judges served as temporary leaders. The stories follow a consistent pattern: the people are unfaithful to Yahweh ; he therefore delivers them into
810-472: The tribe of Ephraim who could not pronounce the word " shibboleth " correctly (12:5–6). The essence of Deuteronomistic theology is that Israel has entered into a covenant (a treaty, a binding agreement) with the God Yahweh, under which they agree to accept Yahweh as their God (hence the phrase "God of Israel") and Yahweh promises them a land where they can live in peace and prosperity. Deuteronomy contains
855-427: The tribes of Israel make war on the tribe of Benjamin , their own kinsmen. The book concludes with two appendices, stories which do not feature a specific judge: Despite their appearance at the end of the book, certain characters (like Jonathan , the grandson of Moses ) and idioms present in the epilogue show that the events therein "must have taken place... early in the period of the judges." Judges contains
900-572: The " satirisation of foreign kings" (who consistently underestimate Israel and Yahweh); the concept of the "flawed agent" (judges who are not adequate to the task before them) and the disunity of the Israelite community, which gathers pace as the stories succeed one another. The book is as intriguing for the themes it leaves out as for what it includes: the Ark of the Covenant , which is given so much importance in
945-447: The 8th century BCE and with materials such as the Song of Deborah dating from much earlier. Judges can be divided into three major sections: a double prologue (chapters 1:1–3:6), a main body (3:7–16:31), and a double epilogue (17–21). The book opens with the Israelites in the land that God has promised to them, but worshiping "foreign gods" instead of Yahweh , the God of Israel, and with
SECTION 20
#1732869471038990-402: The Israelites fall into idolatry, God punishes them for their sins with oppression by foreign peoples, the Israelites cry out to God for help, and God sends a judge to deliver them from the foreign oppression. After a period of peace, the cycle recurs. Scholars also suggest that the Deuteronomists also included the humorous and sometimes disparaging commentary found in the book such as the story of
1035-404: The Lord who should be first (in order of time, not of rank) to secure the land they are to occupy. The main text gives accounts of six major judges and their struggles against the oppressive kings of surrounding nations, as well as the story of Abimelech , an Israelite leader (a judge [shofet] in the sense of "chieftain") who oppresses his own people. The cyclical pattern set out in the prologue
1080-493: The author(s) of the "book of saviours" collected these folk tales in the time of King Jeroboam II to argue that the king's Nimshide origins, which appear to originate in the eastern Jezreel Valley , were part of the "core" territory of Israel. A statement repeated throughout the epilogue, "In those days there was no king in Israel" implies a date in the monarchic period for the redaction (editing) of Judges. Twice, this statement
1125-480: The covenant: faithfulness to Yahweh brings success, economic, military and political, but unfaithfulness brings defeat and oppression. This is the theme played out in Judges: the people are unfaithful to Yahweh and He therefore delivers them into the hands of their enemies; the people then repent and entreat Yahweh for mercy, which He sends in the form of a judge; the judge delivers the Israelites from oppression, but after
1170-471: The date of its composition is controversial. Many scholars claim a date as early as the 12th century BCE, while others claim it to be as late as the 3rd century BCE. Some hold that the song was written no earlier than the 7th century BCE. Traditional Jewish chronology places Deborah's 40 years of judging Israel ( Judges 5:31 ) from 1107 BC until her death in 1067 BC. The Dictionary of World Biography: The Ancient World claims that she might have lived in
1215-646: The defeat of Canaanite adversaries by some of the tribes of Israel. The song itself differs slightly from the events described in Judges 4 . The song mentions six participating tribes: Ephraim , Benjamin , Machir —a group associated with the Tribe of Manasseh — Zebulun , Issachar and Naphtali , as opposed to the two tribes in Judges 4:6 (Naphtali and Zebulun) and does not mention the role of Jabin (king of Hazor ). The song also rebukes three other tribes ( Reuben , Dan , and Asher ) for their lack of patriotism, not mentioning
1260-489: The hands of their enemies; the people repent and entreat Yahweh for mercy, which he sends in the form of a leader or champion (a "judge"; see shophet ); the judge delivers the Israelites from oppression and they prosper, but soon they fall again into unfaithfulness and the cycle is repeated. Scholars consider many of the stories in Judges to be the oldest in the Deuteronomistic history , with their major redaction dated to
1305-517: The land of Ephraim . The people of Israel had been oppressed by Jabin , the king of Canaan , whose capital was Hazor , for twenty years. Stirred by the wretched condition of Israel she sends a message to Barak , the son of Abinoam, at Kedesh in Naphtali , and tells him that the Lord God had commanded him to muster ten thousand troops of Naphtali and Zebulun and concentrate them upon Mount Tabor ,
1350-462: The last to commit idolatry. Their names were Deuel, Abit Yisreel, Jekuthiel, Shalom, Ashur, Jehonadab, and Shemiel. They said to Jair: "We are mindful of the lessons given us by our teachers and our mother Deborah. 'Take ye heed,' they said, 'that your heart lead you not astray to the right or to the left. Day and night ye shall devote yourselves to the study of the Torah.' Why, then, dost thou seek to corrupt
1395-466: The laws by which Israel is to live in the promised land, Joshua chronicles the conquest of Canaan , the promised land, and its allotment among the tribes, Judges describes the settlement of the land, Samuel the consolidation of the land and people under David , and Kings the destruction of kingship and loss of the land. The final tragedy described in Kings is the result of Israel's failure to uphold its part of
Jair - Misplaced Pages Continue
1440-407: The living, the heavenly fire. As for thee, thou wilt die, and die by fire, a fire in which thou wilt abide forever." Thereupon the angel burnt him with a thousand men, whom he had taken in the act of paying homage to Baal. Book of Judges The Book of Judges ( Hebrew : ספר שופטים , romanized : Sefer Shoftim ; Greek : Κριταί ; Latin : Liber Iudicum ) is the seventh book of
1485-416: The main text, and the second part of the prologue (2:6–3:6) as an introduction composed expressly for the book. More recently, this view has been challenged, and there is an increasing willingness to see Judges as the work of a single individual, working by carefully selecting, reworking and positioning the source material to introduce and conclude his themes. Archaeologist Israel Finkelstein proposed that
1530-517: The major themes of the book is Yahweh's sovereignty and the importance of being loyal to Him and His laws above all other gods and sovereigns. Indeed, the authority of the judges comes not through prominent dynasties nor through elections or appointments, but rather through the Spirit of God. Anti-monarchist theology is most apparent toward the end of the Gideon cycle in which the Israelites beg Gideon to create
1575-502: The minor judges were actual adjudicators, whereas the major judges were leaders and did not actually make legal judgements. The only major judge described as making legal judgments is Deborah (4:4). By the end of Judges, Yahweh's treasures are used to make idolatrous images, the Levites (priests) become corrupt, the tribe of Dan conquers a remote village instead of the Canaanite cities, and
1620-485: The mountain at the northern angle of the great plain of Esdraelon . At the same time she states that the Lord God of Israel will draw Sisera , commander of Jabin's army, to the Kishon River . Barak declines to go without the prophet. Deborah consents, but declares that the glory of the victory will therefore belong to a woman. As soon as the news of the rebellion reaches Sisera, he collects nine hundred chariots of iron and
1665-425: The pattern above. Judges follows the Book of Joshua and opens with a reference to Joshua 's death. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges suggests that "the death of Joshua may be regarded as marking the division between the period of conquest and the period of occupation", the latter being the focus of the Book of Judges. The Israelites meet, probably at the sanctuary at Gilgal or at Shechem , and ask
1710-425: The people in battle. This original "book of saviours" made up of the stories of Ehud , Jael and parts of Gideon , had already been enlarged and transformed into "wars of Yahweh" before being given the final Deuteronomistic revision. In the 20th century, the first part of the prologue (chapters 1:1–2:5) and the two parts of the epilogue (17–21) were commonly seen as miscellaneous collections of fragments tacked onto
1755-408: The people of the Lord, saying, 'Baal is God, let us worship him'? If he really is what thou sayest, then let him speak like a god, and we will pay him worship." For the blasphemy they had uttered against Baal, Jair commanded that the seven men be burnt. When his servants were about to carry out his order, God sent the angel Nathaniel, the lord over the fire, and he extinguished the fire though not before
1800-475: The servants of Jair were consumed by it. Not only did the seven men escape the danger of suffering death by fire, but the angel enabled them to flee unnoticed, by striking all the people present with blindness. Then the angel approached Jair, and said to him: "Hear the words of the Lord ere thou diest. I appointed thee as prince over my people, and thou didst break My covenant, seduce My people, and seek to burn My servants with fire, but they were animated and freed by
1845-507: The stories of Moses and Joshua , is almost entirely missing, cooperation between the various tribes is limited, and there is no mention of a central shrine for worship and only limited reference to a High Priest of Israel (the office to which Aaron was appointed at the end of the Exodus story). Although Judges probably had a monarchist redaction (see above), the book contains passages and themes that represent anti-monarchist views. One of
Jair - Misplaced Pages Continue
1890-412: The tent of Jael and lies down to rest. He asks for a drink, she gives him milk and he falls asleep. While he is asleep she hammers a tent-pin through his temple. The Biblical account of Deborah ends with the statement that after the battle, there was peace in the land for 40 years ( Judges 5:31 ). The Song of Deborah is found in Judges 5:2–31 and is a victory hymn , sung by Deborah and Barak, about
1935-407: The tribes of Gad, Simeon and Judah. Michael Coogan writes that for the redactors of the Song of Deborah, that the Canaanite general Sisera ends up being murdered by a woman ( Jael )—the ultimate degradation—"is a further sign that Yahweh ultimately is responsible for the victory". Though the presence of victory hymns is conventional in the Hebrew Bible, the Song of Deborah is unusual in that it
1980-414: The wife of Lapidoth . Alternatively, "lappid" translates as "torch" or "lightning", therefore the phrase, "woman of Lappidoth" could be referencing Deborah as a "fiery woman." Deborah told Barak , an Israelite general from Kedesh in Naphtali , that God commanded him to lead an attack against the forces of Jabin king of Canaan and his military commander Sisera (Judges 4:6–7); the entire narrative
2025-473: Was Judah. Segub’s mother was Machir’s daughter. Machir was the son of Manasseh. According to Pseudo-Philo (38-39) and the Chronicle of Jerahmeel (48 and 68), The successor to Abimelech equalled, if he did not surpass, him in wickedness. Jair erected an altar unto Baal, and on penalty of death he forced the people to prostrate themselves before it. Only seven men remained firm in the true faith, and refused to
#37962