יָאִיר
𐤉𐤀𐤉𐤓
Yair
H2971 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'he enlightens' or 'he shines.' Used as the proper name Jair for multiple individuals in the Hebrew Bible, including a Manassite leader in the period of the judges. The semantic range encompasses being a bearer of light or enlightenment metaphorically, but is used exclusively as a proper name in biblical contexts.
Semantic Range
he shines, he enlightens, bearer of light (personal name); used exclusively as a masculine proper name in biblical contexts
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew verbal root אוֹר (ʼor), meaning 'to be light, to shine,' with the prefixed yod indicating either the 3rd person masculine singular imperfect ('he will shine'), or may simply serve a nominalizing function in personal names. Thus, יָאִיר (Ya'ir) means 'he enlightens' or 'he gives light.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name יָאִיר occurs in various periods of Israelite history, always as a personal name. Notable individuals include Jair, a Gileadite judge, during the pre-monarchic period (Judges 10:3–5), and descendants of the tribe of Manasseh who established settlements in Gilead (Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14). The name appears exclusively for Israelite men and does not denote ethnic or geographic identity beyond that of the bearer. In English translations, Jair is standard; however, this obscures the original meaning relating to 'light' or 'enlightening.' The root also lies behind other Hebrew words for 'light' but, as a personal name, its semantic scope is limited to proper-noun usage. No connection to later English terms such as 'Jairus' (from Greek traditions) is implied in the Hebrew text.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אוֹר; enlightener; Jair, the name of four Israelites; Jair.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אור (ʾ-w-r) — to shine, to give light, to illuminate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1160 | בְּעוֹר | light of |
| H215 | אוֹר | Cause to shine |
| H216 | אוֹר | in your light |
| H217 | אוּר | in the fire |
| H218 | אוּר | in Ur |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2971-02 |
יָאִ֣יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens | 8 |
H2971-01 |
וְ/יָאִ֤יר | veyair | HC/Np |
And Jair | He Shines | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2971-01 |
Numbers 32:41 | וְ/יָאִ֤יר | veyair | HC/Np |
And Jair | He Shines |
H2971-02 |
Deuteronomy 3:14 | יָאִ֣יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens |
H2971-02 |
Joshua 13:30 | יָאִ֛יר | yair | HNp |
of Jair | He enlightens |
H2971-02 |
Judges 10:3 | יָאִ֖יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens |
H2971-02 |
Judges 10:5 | יָאִ֔יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens |
H2971-02 |
1 Kings 4:13 | יָאִ֨יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens |
H2971-02 |
Esther 2:5 | יָאִ֧יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens |
H2971-02 |
1 Chronicles 2:22 | יָאִ֑יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens |
H2971-02 |
1 Chronicles 2:23 | יָאִ֧יר | yair | HNp |
Jair | He enlightens |