Ittai

Biblical Record

Ittai is called "Ittai the Gittite." Gath was one of the principal cities of the Philistines, so Ittai was a foreigner rather than an Israelite.

When Absalom rebelled, David left Jerusalem and fled. At that time six hundred men who had followed the king from Gath passed on before David (2 Samuel 15:18). David urged Ittai to turn back, reasoning that Ittai was a stranger and an exile who had come only recently and that he had no need to follow a king who was wandering with no settled destination (2 Samuel 15:19-20). Ittai replied, "As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be" (2 Samuel 15:21). David accepted his company, and Ittai crossed over with his men and the little ones who were with him (2 Samuel 15:22).

Before the battle against Absalom, David divided his army into three parts. Joab, Abishai, and Ittai each commanded one division (2 Samuel 18:2). David ordered the three commanders to deal gently with Absalom (2 Samuel 18:5, 12). Ittai's later activities are not recorded in Scripture.

Significance in Scripture

The story of Ittai is read as an example of a foreigner who remained loyal to the king of Israel to the end. Absalom, David's own son, betrayed his father; by contrast, Ittai, a foreigner, stood by the king in his time of crisis. Ittai's oath is often presented alongside the words that Ruth, a Moabite woman, spoke to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:16-17).

The New Testament does not mention Ittai.

Interpretations and Debates

• Question of faith: Because Ittai swore by the name of the LORD, many interpreters hold that he had come to believe in the God of Israel. The text, however, does not directly describe his faith.
• Connection with David: David once stayed in Gath while fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 27). Some therefore speculate that the bond between David and Ittai's band dates from that period. The text, however, presents Ittai as one who had come only recently and does not otherwise explain their relationship.
• Another man of the same name: The list of David's mighty men separately names "Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin" (2 Samuel 23:29). He is regarded as a different person from Ittai the Gittite.
• Typological reading: Some preachers liken Ittai to a disciple who follows Christ to the end. This is an interpretation for the purpose of application, not a claim made by the text itself.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, the account of Ittai is sometimes used as a text on loyalty and devotion. His declaration that he would remain by the king's side "whether in death or life" is quoted especially often. Compared with major biblical figures, he appears to be treated relatively rarely in Sunday school curricula or in hymns and worship songs.