The Pesukim in Divrei ha'Yamim 1, 2:21 & 22, list Ya'ir as the grandson of Peretz ben Yehudah. Why does the Pasuk here refer to him as "ben Menasheh"?
Ramban: Because his mother was the daughter of Machir ben Menasheh. It seems that Ya'ir went to live with his mother's family and received his inheritance together with them and became known as a 'ben Menasheh'.
What is the significance of the fact that Ya'ir named the villages after himself?
Are Ya'ir and Chavos Ya'ir the same as Ya'ir ha'Gil'adi and Chavos Ya'ir mentioned in Shoftim (10:4)?
Ramban: Refer to 32:41:1:1.
Radak (10:4): This would be astounding. If so, Ya'ir was more than three hundred years old 1 ! We can say that it is a different Ya'ir 2 , and Chavos Ya'ir are not the same cities. 3
Abarbanel (10:4): Shoftim discusses Ya'ir ben ha'Gil'adi; he is not Ya'ir ben Menasheh. However, we can say that they are the same Chavos Ya'ir; it does not say that Ya'ir ha'Gil'adi conquered them.
Metzudas David (Divrei ha'Yamim 1:2:23): They are not the same. Ya'ir ben Seguv (in Divrei ha'Yamim) called his cities Chavos Ya'ir, because he had the same name as Ya'ir ben Menasheh, and also many cities. Ya'ir ha'Gil'adi called his cities Chavos Ya'ir for the same reasons.
Yalkut Shimoni (Shoftim 3, 42) states that Ya'ir ha'Gil'adi from Chavos Ya'ir was from the tribe of Menasheh. If the source to say so is the name 'ha'Gil'adi', why did he add 'from Chavos Ya'ir'? It seems that he holds that he is the same Ya'ir who conquered Chavos Ya'ir, which were in Menasheh's portion. However, it could be another support that he was from Menasheh, since he lived in Menasheh's portion (if they are the same Chavos Ya'ir - PF).
If all the years of subjugation are included in the years of serenity, Ya'ir lived until three hundred and two year after Yetzi'as Mitzrayim. However, the Ibn Ezra (Bamidbar 32:41) learns from Divrei ha'Yamim 1:2:21, 22 that Ya'ir 'ben Menasheh' was the grandson of Machir ben Menasheh's daughter. If so, perhaps he was born in the Midbar, after Yetzi'as Mitzrayim (PF).
One opinion in Bava Basra 121b says that Ya'ir ben Menasheh died in the battle against Ai.
Malbim: They were Chavos ha'Gil'ad. He called them Chavos Ya'ir, for he had a semblance of the strength of Ya'ir ben Menasheh. Kara Es always refers to the actual name. Kara followed by the prefix Lamed (or here, Lahem Yikre'u) is a nickname.
Are Ya'ir and Chavos Ya'ir the same as Ya'ir ben S'guv and his cities mentioned in Divrei ha'Yamim (1:2:22 & 23)?
Ibn Ezra: They are one and the same. He is called 'ben Menasheh', because he was the grandson of Machir ben Menasheh's daughter. 1
Metzudas David: No. Refer to 32:41:151:3.
