Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 2:23
And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, [even] threescore cities. All these [belonged to] the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
23. And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns ] R.V. And Geshur and Aram took the towns. Geshur was a (probably Aramaean) kingdom E. of Jordan on the N.E. border of Manasseh. Aram, commonly translated “Syria” or “the Syrians” probably here signifies the kingdom of which Damascus was the capital. The conquest of Manassite territory by the Aramaeans (“Syrians”) here described probably took place before the days of Ahab, for in his reign they were already established as far south as Ramoth-gilead (1Ki 22:3).
the towns of Jair ] R.V. marg., Havvoth Jair. Cp. Deu 3:14; Jdg 10:4. The name perhaps means “the tent-villages of Jair,” (Arab. v = “a collection of tents near together”).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Rather, And Geshur and Aram (i. e. the Geshurites Deu 3:14 and Syrians) took the villages of Jair from them: recovered, that is, from the new settlers the places which Jair had conquered.
All these belonged to the sons of Machir – Rather, All these were sons of Machir, i. e. Segub and Jair, with their descendants, were reckoned sons of Machir, rather than sons of Hezron, although only descended from Machir on the mothers side. The reason of this seems to have been that they cast in their lot with the Manassites, and remained in their portion of the trans-Jordanic region.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
And he took, or, for he had taken. So this is the reason why he had so great a territory and jurisdiction given to him.
Geshur and Aram; two cities or great towns so called.
With the towns of Jair, i.e. with those twenty-three cities which he is said to have, 1Ch 2:22.
From them, i.e. from the former inhabitants, which is easily understood.
With Kenath; which was taken by Nobah, one of Jairs commanders, sent by him to take it, as may be gathered from Num 32:41,42.
To the sons of Machir; partly to his own sons, and partly to his son-in-law Jair, who by reason of that dear affection which was betwixt them and his forsaking his own tribe and kindred to fight for them, and to dwell with them, is here reckoned as his own son.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. he tookrather “hehad taken.” This statement is accounting for his acquisition ofso large a territory; he got it by right of conquest from the formerpossessors.
KenathThis place,along with its group of surrounding villages, was gained by Nobah,one of Jair’s officers sent by him to capture it (Num 32:1;Num 32:2).
All these belonged to thesons of MachirIn their number Jair is included as havingcompletely identified himself by his marriage and residence in Gileadwith the tribe of Manasseh.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them,…. Cities or countries which the Geshurites and Aramaeans, or Syrians, before inhabited; and which he took from them, together with other towns, which, being taken by him, were called after his name; the Targum is, the Geshurites and Aramaeans took the villages of Jair from them; that is, from the sons of Jair in later times; see
Jos 12:5
with Kenath, and the towns thereof; which Jair took by Nobah his general, and called it after his name, Nu 32:42, even sixty cities; see De 3:4
all these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead: being given him by Moses, Nu 32:40.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(23) And he took . . . of Gilead.Rather, And Geshur and Aram took the Havoth-jair from themKenath and her daughters, sixty cities: all these (were) sons of Machir, chief of Gilead.
Geshur, and Aram.That is, the Aramean state of Geshur, north-west of Bashan, near Hermon and the Jordan, which was an independent kingdom in the age of David (2Sa. 3:3). The Geshurites took the tent-villages of Jair from themi.e., from the sons of Jair, or the Jairites, at what date is unknown. Comp. Deu. 3:14-15, above cited.
With Kenath.The Hebrew particle before Kenath may be either the sign of the object of the verb, or the preposition with. In the latter case, the statement of the verse will be that the twenty-three villages of Jair, together with the (thirty-seven) places called Kenath and her daughters, amounting in all to sixty towns, were taken by the Geshurites. See Num. 32:41-42, where it is said that Jair occupied the Havoth-jair, and Nobah went and took Kenath and her daughters, and called it Nobah after his own name. Kenath is the modern Kanwat, on the western slope of Jebel Hauran.
It is difficult to reconcile all the different statements about the Havoth-jair. Jdg. 10:3-4, for example, speaks of Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty -two years, and had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and, moreover, possessed thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day. Jos. 13:30 seems to make the Havoth-jair sixty towns. Comp. 1Ki. 4:13; also 1Ch. 2:21, where Hezron is sixty when he marries the Gileadite daughter of Machir.
Of course the number of places included in the camps of Jair may have varied at different epochs.
All these belonged to the sons of Machir.Or, all these were sons of Machiri.e., the clans and families that came of the union of Hezron with the daughter of Machir. (See Note on 1Ch. 2:21; and Jos. 19:34.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Geshur. North-east of Bashan (Deu 3:14. Jos 12:5. 1Sa 15:8).
them: the Manassites. Compare Num 32:41. Deu 3:14.
threescore cities. Compare Num 32:33. Deu 3:4.
belonged to. Supply the Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6) by inserting “took” instead of “belonged to”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Geshur: Jos 13:13, 2Sa 13:38
Kenath: Kenath was situated in the tribe of Manasseh, east of Jordan. Eusebius says it was called in his time , Kanatha; and was a town in the Trachonitis, near Bozra. Josephus places it in Coelo-syria; and Pliny reckons it among the cities of the Decapolis. It was also called Nobah, after Nobah an Israelite, who conquered it (Num 32:42), which is placed by Eusebius, eight miles south of Heshbon. see note on Jdg 8:11.
Reciprocal: Jos 13:11 – General Jos 17:1 – Machir 1Sa 27:8 – the Geshurites 1Ch 2:42 – the father of Hebron 1Ch 3:2 – Geshur 1Ch 9:35 – the father
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ch 2:23. All these belonged to the sons of Machir Partly to his own sons, and partly to his son-in-law Jair, who by reason of that dear affection which was between them, and his forsaking his own tribe and kindred to fight for them, and to dwell with them, is here reckoned as his own son.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:23 And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, {g} from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, [even] threescore cities. All these [belonged to] the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
(g) That is, the Geshurites and Syrians took the towns from Jair’s children.