The only unusual feature of Jair's life, other than that he came from Transjordan, was that he maintained a network of 30 cities over which his 30 sons ruled in Gilead. His name means "may [God] enlighten."An ancestor named Jair appears to have settled the same area shortly after the Israelites defeated Sihon and Og (Num. 32:41). The fact that his sons each rode on a donkey marked them as having distinguished rank in times when the Israelites had no horses.209Only the wealthy and prominent in Israel rode on donkeys at this time.
"The ass was highly esteemed as a riding beast and many times carried with it special recognition (Judg. 1:14; 1 Sam. 25:20)."210
The fact that Jair fathered 30 sons suggests that he practiced polygamy (cf. Gideon, 8:30). Jair judged Israel for 22 years. Kamon stood about 12 miles southeast of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee).
We see in this brief record of Jair's life continuing tendencies in Israel toward the lifestyle of the surrounding pagan nations and away from fidelity to Yahweh and His law.
