Judges 10:5 — Word Study
WLCוַיָּ֣מָת יָאִ֔יר וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּקָמֽוֹן׃ פ
BSAWhen JairYâʼîyr [the enlightener, a judge of Israel] diedmûwth▸ [passed away, to die a physical death] he was buriedqâbar▸ [laid to rest, interred] in KamonQâmôwn△ [a place east of the Jordan River, Camon]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֣מָת | and he died | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| יָאִ֔יר | Jair | Noun proper masculine |
| וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר | and he was buried | Verb, Niphal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| בְּקָמֽוֹן׃ פ | in Kamon | Preposition, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon. |
| KJV | And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. |
| ASV | And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon. |
| YLT | and Jair dieth, and is buried in Kamon. |
| WEB | Jair died, and was buried in Kamon. |
| BBE | And at the death of Jair his body was put to rest in the earth in Kamon. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of קָבַר — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a subordinate clause detailing the burial.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
subjectיָאִיר
verbמוּת
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 4 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Judges 10:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Death of Jairgenerated
Judges 10:5 describes the death of Jair, a judge of Israel who led for 22 years. His burial in Kamon marks a significant moment in the cycle of Israel's judges, highlighting the transition from one leader to another. This context sets the stage for the subsequent disobedience of Israel as they turn away from the LORD, as seen in the following verses.
Cross References
The Key Word — מוּת, vai.Ya.motgenerated
The verb מוּת (mūth) means 'to die' and encompasses a range of meanings from a natural death to execution. In this verse, it signifies the end of Jair's life, which is a literal event.
As a sequential imperfect verb, it indicates that Jair's death is part of the ongoing narrative of Israel's history. The usage here reflects the finality of death and its impact on the leadership of Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The sentence is composed of two main clauses linked by conjunctions: the first clause states Jair's death, וַיָּ֣מָת (and he died), and the second describes his burial, וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר (and he was buried).
The subject of both clauses is יָאִ֔יר (Jair), which emphasizes his role as the central figure in this narrative moment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מוּת as ἀπέθανεν (apethanen), which means 'he died.' This choice maintains the straightforward meaning of the Hebrew.
The burial is rendered as ἐτάφη (etaphē), which also means 'was buried,' consistent with the Hebrew context of laying Jair to rest.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Judges 10:5 tells us that when Jair, a judge of Israel, died, he was buried in Kamon. This verse marks a transition in the leadership of Israel, as the cycle of judges continues.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Jair was a judge of Israel who led for 22 years and is noted for having thirty sons who rode on donkeys.
Kamon is a place name meaning 'raised' or 'high place,' indicating its geographical significance.
Following Jair's death, the Israelites turn away from the LORD and serve other gods, leading to consequences for the nation.
Jair's burial signifies the end of his leadership and the continuation of Israel's cycle of judges, which is a recurring theme in the book of Judges.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the leadership of Jair and its impact on Israel?
- How does the cycle of judges reflect the relationship between Israel and God?
- In what ways can we honor the memory of leaders who have passed?
- What does Jair's story teach us about the importance of faithfulness in leadership?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Judges 10:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Jair died, and was buried in Camon. A city of Gilead, as Josephus (u) calls it; Jerom (w), under this word Camon, makes mention of a village in his times, called Cimana, in the large plain six
Read John Gill on Judges 10 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Jair died, and was buried in Camon. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 10 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJudges 10:5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.Ver. 5. And Jair died.] "It, is appointed for all men once to die, and after death judgment." Judges shall once say, - "Iudex ante fui, nunc Iudicis ante tribunal Sistor." "Do ye then speak righteousness? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?" "Behold, the Judge standeth before the door."
Read John Trapp on Judges 10 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) In Camon.—There seems to have been a Kamon six miles from Megiddo (Euseb. Jer.), but it is far more probable that this town was in Gilead, as Josephus says (Antt. v. 6, § 6), and there is a Kamon mentioned as near Pella by Polybius (Hist. v. 70, § 12).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 10 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. Kamon] Probably E. of Jordan, and perhaps identical with the Kamûn mentioned by Polybius next after Pella as taken by Antiochus the Great (10:70, 12). Buhl thinks of Ḳ ?umçm, W. of Irbid (Geogr., p. 256).
Read Cambridge on Judges 10 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. Camon — This was, probably, one of the thirty cities mentioned above, but its exact situation is now unknown. Possibly it is represented by the modern Reimun, a few miles northwest of Jerash.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Judges 10 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
Tyndale line
And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
And Iair dyed, and was buried in Kamon.
Strictly literal
And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
and Jair dieth, and is buried in Kamon.
and Jair dies, and is buried in Kamon.
And Yair died, and was buried in Kamon.
Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
From the Latin
And Jair died: and was buried in the place which was called Camon.
Simplified
Jair died and he was buried in Kamon.
And at the death of Jair his body was put to rest in the earth in Kamon.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in content, as all four words match in meaning, though the Greek translation may differ in word order and structure. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, indicating a strong consistency among these ancient witnesses.
וַיָּ֣מָת יָאִ֔יר וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּקָמֽוֹן׃ פ
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Judges 10:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.
מוּת vb. die
Qal
die, of natural or other causes
die as a penalty = be put to death
Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
Hiph.
abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
subj. God, by inflicting penalty
of animals killing men
bring to a premature death
Hoph. be killed, put to death
base
H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes
. die as a penalty = be put to death
. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
. subj. God, by inflicting penalty
. of animals killing men
. bring to a premature death
. be killed, put to death
4191 muwth mooth
a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);
causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,
man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,
be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,
slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.
מוּת (mut) — to die.
1) to die, kill, have one executed
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to die
1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death
1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)
1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)
1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch
1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be killed, be put to death
1d1a) to die prematurely
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
יָאִיר (Ya'iyr) means "he enlightens" and refers to several figures in the Old Testament, including a judge from Gilead and a descendant of Manasseh. The entries indicate that Jair is associated with notable roles, such as being the father of Mordecai and a warrior in David's time. There is also mention of a town named Jair.
יָאִיר n.pr.m. (he enlightens, or one giving light)
son of Manasseh
a judge in Gilead
father of Mordecai
base
H2971 יָאִיר (he enlightens, or one giving light) . son of Manasseh
. a judge in Gilead
. father of Mordecai
2971 Ya'iyr yaw-ere'
from 215; enlightener; Jair, the name of four
Israelites:--Jair.
see HEBREW for 0215
יָאִיר (ya.ir) — Jair.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.32.41;
son of: Segub (H7687H)
Also named: ya.i.ri (יָאִרִי "Jairite" H2972)
§ Jair = "he enlightens"
1) a descendant of Manasseh who conquered many towns during the time of the conquest
2) the Gileadite, a judge of Israel for 22 years during the time of the judges; father of 30 sons
3) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and father of Mordecai
4) father of Elhanan, one of David's mighty warriors
יָאִיר (ya.ir) — Jair.
A town near Gilead
§ Jair = "he enlightens"
יָאִיר (ya.ir) — Jair.
A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.10.3
§ Jair = "he enlightens"
1) a descendant of Manasseh who conquered many towns during the time of the conquest
2) the Gileadite, a judge of Israel for 22 years during the time of the judges; father of 30 sons
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
ja'-er:
(1) Jair (ya'ir, "he enlightens" or "one giving light"):
(a) Son, i.e. descendant of Manasseh (Nu 32:41; De 3:14; Jos 13:30; 1Ki 4:13; 1Ch 2:22 f). According to 1Ch 2:21 f he was the son of ScRub, son of Hezron, a descendant of Judah, who married the daughter of Machir, son of Manasseh. He was thus descended both from Judah and Manasseh. At the time of the conquest he distinguished himself by taking the tent-villages HAVVOTH-JAIR (which see). The accounts of his exploit are difficult to harmonize (see ICC on above passages). Some would identify him with the…
Jair
Enlightener. (1.) The son of Segub. He was brought up with his mother in Gilead, where he had possessions (1 Chr. 2:22). He distinguished himself in an expedition against Bashan, and settled in the part of Argob on the borders of Gilead. The small towns taken by him there are called Havoth-jair, i.e., “Jair’s villages” (Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; Josh. 13:30).
(2.) The eighth judge of Israel, which he ruled for twenty-two years. His opulence is described in Judg. 10:3-5. He had thirty sons, each riding on “ass colts.” They had possession of thirty of the sixty cities (
(enlightener). A man who on his father’s side was descended from Judah, and on his mother’s from Manasseh. (B.C. 1451.) During, the conquest he took the whole of the tract of Argob (3:14) and in addition possessed himself of some nomad villages in Gilead, which he called after his own name Havoth-Jair. (Numbers 32:41; 1 Chronicles 2:23) JAIR THE GILEADITE, who judged Israel for two-and-twenty years. (Judges 10:3-5) (B.C. 1160.) He had thirty sons, and possessed thirty cities in the land of Gilead, which like those of their namesakes were called Havoth-jair. A Benjamite, son of Kish and father of Mordecai. (Esther 2:5) (B.C. before 598.) The father of Elhanan, one of the…
1 A leader in the conquest of Bashan, probably before the Jews crossed the Jordan, B. C. 1451. Twenty-three cities near Argob were called after him Havoth-jair, which see.
2. The eighth judge of Israel, in Gilead of Manasseh, B. C. 1210. He seems to have been a descendant and heir of the former, Jud 10:3- 5.
קָבַר (qabar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to bury.' It has several forms, including Qal (to bury), Niphal (to be buried), Piel (to bury in masses), and Pual (to be buried). The entries indicate its use in various contexts, including a reference to Genesis 25:10.
קָבַר 132 vb. bury
Qal 86 bury
Niph. 39 be buried
Pi. bury (in masses)
Pu. Gn 25:10.
base
H6912 קָבַר bury
6912 qabar kaw-bar'
a primitive root; to inter:--X in any wise, bury(-ier).
קָבַר (qa.var) — to bury.
1) to bury
1a) (Qal) to bury
1b) (Niphal) to be buried
1c) (Piel) to bury, bury (in masses)
1d) (Pual) to be buried
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/VNw3ms
קָמוֹן (Qamown) refers to a place name meaning 'raised.' It is identified as a location in Gilead where the judge Jair was buried, specifically mentioned in Judges 10:5. The word is derived from the root meaning 'elevation' and is linked to the Hebrew word for 'to rise'.
קָמוֹן n.pr.loc. Ju 10:5, in Gilead
ref
H7056 קָמוֹן
7056 Qamown kaw-mone'
from 6965; an elevation; Kamon, a place East of the
Jordan:--Camon.
see HEBREW for 06965
קָמוֹן (qa.mon) — Kamon.
§ Camon = "raised"
the place in Gilead where the judge Jair was buried
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
ka'-mon (qamon; the King James Version Camon): The place where Jair was buried (Jud 10:3-5). It is possibly represented either by Kamm or Kumeim, ruins which lie about 6 and 7 miles respectively to the South-Southeast of Umm Keis. See further HAVVOTH-JAIR. The ruins of Kamm, about 200 yds. square, crown a small elevation, and point to an important place in the past. There are large rock-hewn cisterns to the South. Among the ruins of Kumein, which are not considerable, a few mud huts are built, occupied today by about 200 souls (Schumacher, Northern 'Ajlun, 137).