Judg 10:4 | KingComments | STEP | The successor of Tola is Jair. His name means ‘illuminator’. He seems to be someone who spreads light around him, Divine light. If we connect his name with that of Tola, then we can say that the mind of ‘worm’ leads to insight that can be passed on. The name Gilead speaks of this passing on, which means ‘witness’. In Jair’s life, expansion becomes visible. He first has twenty-three cities ( ; ). That has become thirty in the verses we have before us now. We also see that through the lives of his thirty sons the light of their father is spread further. This is expressed in the meaning of the name “villages of Jair”. What has been translated as ‘the villages of Jair’ literally means ‘the lives of Jair’. Where Jair’s sons live, they reveal the light that radiates from Jair’s life. Thus the light expands. The donkeys they ride on are a symbol of prosperity and a reign in peace. The Lord Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey ( ; ; ). Jair’s sons are rulers, but without claiming leadership. They are leaders in practice. They each have their own small circle (village) for which they are responsible. In the same way, every believer has his own small circle where he has responsibilities. This concerns his place in the family, in the church and in the world, in society. Just as the cities where the sons live are reproductions of the city of their father, so may the believers let shine the light of God in their lives. The believers are now “the light of the world” ( ). They may be in their lives “reproductions” of Christ Who is “the Light of the world” ( ). There are thirty sons. The number thirty can be divided into ten times three. Ten is the number representing responsibility (think of the ten commandments); three is the number representing full revelation (think of the triune God revealed in Christ). We can also see in all this a reference to the millennial realm of peace. Then Christ will reign and all believers may share in His reign and everyone will have authority over a number of cities according to the faithfulness shown during the absence of Christ ( ). In that time Christ will rise as “the sun of righteousness” ( ) and shine as the true Jair, the ‘Illuminator’. Then He will be seen in glory. This glory will be given to Him by God because He first humbled Himself so much and became a “worm” that was represented to us in Tola. The ‘worm’ is found in the rejection of Christ and the ‘sun’ in His glorification. The rejection and the glorification are beautifully described in Philippians 2 ( ). Jair is buried in Kamon, which means ‘resurrection’, ‘life from the dead’.

‏ Judges 10:4

Jair

The successor of Tola is Jair. His name means ‘illuminator’. He seems to be someone who spreads light around him, Divine light. If we connect his name with that of Tola, then we can say that the mind of ‘worm’ leads to insight that can be passed on. The name Gilead speaks of this passing on, which means ‘witness’.

In Jair’s life, expansion becomes visible. He first has twenty-three cities (Num 32:41; 1Chr 2:22). That has become thirty in the verses we have before us now. We also see that through the lives of his thirty sons the light of their father is spread further. This is expressed in the meaning of the name “villages of Jair”. What has been translated as ‘the villages of Jair’ literally means ‘the lives of Jair’. Where Jair’s sons live, they reveal the light that radiates from Jair’s life. Thus the light expands.

The donkeys they ride on are a symbol of prosperity and a reign in peace. The Lord Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey (Zec 9:9; Mt 21:1-11; Jn 12:12-15).

Jair’s sons are rulers, but without claiming leadership. They are leaders in practice. They each have their own small circle (village) for which they are responsible. In the same way, every believer has his own small circle where he has responsibilities. This concerns his place in the family, in the church and in the world, in society.

Just as the cities where the sons live are reproductions of the city of their father, so may the believers let shine the light of God in their lives. The believers are now “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). They may be in their lives “reproductions” of Christ Who is “the Light of the world” (Jn 8:12).

There are thirty sons. The number thirty can be divided into ten times three. Ten is the number representing responsibility (think of the ten commandments); three is the number representing full revelation (think of the triune God revealed in Christ).

We can also see in all this a reference to the millennial realm of peace. Then Christ will reign and all believers may share in His reign and everyone will have authority over a number of cities according to the faithfulness shown during the absence of Christ (Lk 19:11-27). In that time Christ will rise as “the sun of righteousness” (Mal 4:2) and shine as the true Jair, the ‘Illuminator’. Then He will be seen in glory. This glory will be given to Him by God because He first humbled Himself so much and became a “worm” that was represented to us in Tola.

The ‘worm’ is found in the rejection of Christ and the ‘sun’ in His glorification. The rejection and the glorification are beautifully described in Philippians 2 (Phil 2:5-11).

Jair is buried in Kamon, which means ‘resurrection’, ‘life from the dead’.