Deuteronomy 3:14

The region of Argob, or the country of Bashan, was given to Jair (see Num 32:41), as far as the territory of the Geshurites and Maachathites (cf. Jos 12:5; Jos 13:11). "Unto," as far as, is to be understood as inclusive. This is evident from the statement in Jos 13:13 : "The children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites nor the Maachathites; but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day." Consequently Moses allotted the territory of these two tribes to the Manassites, because it formed part of the kingdom of Og. "Geshuri and Maachathi" are the inhabitants of Geshur and Maachah, two provinces which formed small independent kingdoms even in David's time (Sa2 3:3; Sa2 13:37, and Sa2 10:6). Geshur bordered on Aram. The Geshurites and Aramaeans afterwards took from the Israelites the Jair-towns and Kenath, with their daughter towns (Ch1 2:23). In David's time Geshur had a king Thalmai, whose daughter David married. This daughter was the mother of Absalom; and it was in Geshur that Absalom lived for a time in exile (Sa2 3:3; Sa2 13:37; Sa2 14:23; Sa2 15:8). The exact situation of Geshur has not yet been determined. It was certainly somewhere near Hermon, on the eastern side of the upper Jordan, and by a bridge over the Jordan, as Geshur signifies bridge in all the Semitic dialects. Maachah, which is referred to in Ch1 19:6 as a kingdom under the name of Aram-Maachah (Eng. V. Syria-Maachah), is probably to be sought for to the north-east of Geshur. According to the Onomast. (s. v. Μαχαθί), it was in the neighbourhood of the Hermon. "And he called them (the towns of the region of Argob) after his own name; Bashan (sc., he called) Havvoth Jair unto this day" (cf. Num 32:41). The word חוּת (Havvoth), which only occurs in connection with the J…

Moses, in this chapter, relates, I. The conquest of Og, king of Bashan, and the seizing of his country (Deu 3:1-11). II. The distribution of these new conquests to the two tribes and a half (Deu 3:12-17). Under certain provisos and limitations (Deu 3:18-20). III. The encouragement given to Joshua to carry on the war which was so gloriously begun (Deu 3:21, Deu 3:22). IV. Moses's request to go over into Canaan (Deu 3:23-25), with the denial of that request, but the grant of an equivalent (Deu 3:26, etc.).

3:14 Jair was a descendant of Manasseh from Makir and Gilead (1 Chr 2:22). • Geshurites and Maacathites, kingdoms of Bashan, lay along the west side of the Golan Heights, east of the Sea of Galilee. • The Towns of Jair was the name given Argob (see Deut 3:4) after Jair brought it under Israelite control.