II Samuel 15:18-22 · Bible study
2 Samuel 15:18-22 Commentary: The Loyalty of Ittai the Gittite
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Ittai's vow to David in exile shows extraordinary loyalty.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A foreign commander's vow to stay with David in exile, illustrating covenant loyalty beyond nationality or self-interest.
- Key words: foreigner (nokhri), exile (goleh), covenant loyalty (chesed), truth (emet).
- Main debate: Were the 600 Gittites Philistine mercenaries (Keil, JFB) or devoted converts (Matthew Henry, Wesley)?
- Theological theme: Unconditional allegiance to God's anointed, foreshadowing the call to follow Christ whatever the cost.
- Best use: Preaching on commitment, discipleship, and the nature of true loyalty in times of crisis.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
18and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
20In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”
21But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”
22“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
WEB World English Bible 2000
18All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Return, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner and also an exile. Return to your own place.
20Whereas you came but yesterday, should I today make you go up and down with us, since I go where I may? Return, and take back your brothers. Mercy and truth be with you.”
21Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there also.”
22David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him.
KJV King James Version 1769
18And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.
20Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.
21And Ittai answered the king, and said, 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.
22And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
18And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return, and abide with the king: for thou art a foreigner, and also an exile; return to thine own place.
20Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I may? return thou, and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth be with thee.
21And Ittai answered the king, and said, As Jehovah liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will thy servant be.
22And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
18And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.
19And the king saith unto Ittai the Gittite, `Why dost thou go--thou also--with us? turn back--and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger, and also an exile thou--to thy place.
20Yesterday is thy coming in, and to-day I move thee to go with us, and I am going on that which I am going! --turn back, and take back thy brethren with thee, --kindness and truth.'
21And Ittai answereth the king and saith, `Jehovah liveth, and my lord the king liveth, surely in the place where my lord the king is--if for death, if for life, surely there is thy servant.'
22And David saith unto Ittai, `Go and pass over;' and Ittai the Gittite passeth over, and all his men, and all the infants who are with him.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
18And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed over before the king.
19And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and besides, thou hast emigrated to the place where thou [dwellest].
20Thou didst come yesterday, and should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I can? Return and take back thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee!
21And Ittai answered the king and said, [As] Jehovah 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.
22And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
18And all his servants walked by him, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the Gethites, valiant warriors, six hundred men who had followed him from Geth on foot, went before the king.
19And the king said to Ethai the Gethite: Why comest thou with us: return and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and art come out of thy own place.
20Yesterday thou camest, and to day shalt thou be forced to go forth with us? but I shall go whither I am going: return thou, and take back thy brethren with thee, and the Lord will shew thee mercy, and truth, because thou hast shewn grace and fidelity.
21And Ethai answered the king, saying: As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth: in what place soever thou shalt be, my lord, O king, either in death, or in life, there will thy servant be.
22And David said to Ethai: Come, and pass over. And Ethai the Gethite passed, and all the men that were with him, and the rest of the people.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 15:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree on the central narrative: David, fleeing Absalom, releases Ittai the Gittite from obligation, but Ittai swears to stay with him whatever comes. The identity of the six hundred Gittites is more debated. Matthew Henry and Wesley view them as Philistine proselytes who embraced Israel's faith. Keil and Delitzsch, along with Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, see them as foreign mercenaries David had enlisted during his time in Gath. Barnes connects them to David's original band of six hundred outlaws from 1 Samuel 23:13 and 27:2, arguing the group eventually became all Gittites. The Cambridge Bible notes a possible Septuagint variant that reads “Gibb” instead of “Gittites,” though the Masoretic text is retained. On Ittai's oath, Keil clarifies that the Hebrew phrase ‘im-ki means “assuredly,” confirming the force of his pledge. All sources celebrate Ittai's faithfulness as a model of devotion to God's anointed king.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Philistine mercenaries: David's mention of Ittai as a 'foreigner' and the presence of the Cherethites and Pelethites as a bodyguard (2 Sa 8:18)
- Devoted proselytes: Ittai's oath by Yahweh and Matthew Henry's interpretation that they embraced the true religion
What is clear: That Ittai and his six hundred men chose loyalty over safety, following David into exile with a vow that echoes Ruth's covenant of faithfulness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the 600 Gittites | All agree they were a band from Gath under Ittai's command. | Some see them as Philistine mercenaries (Keil, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown); others as converts to Judaism (Matthew Henry, Wesley). |
| Meaning of 'foreigner and exile' | David acknowledges Ittai's outsider status and risks. | Whether this refers to Ittai's recent migration from Gath or his permanent alien status in Israel. |
| Ittai's oath | It expresses absolute, unconditional loyalty. | The precise syntax (אם כּי) may emphasize 'assuredly' (Keil) or function as a standard oath formula. |
| David's motive for releasing Ittai | David does not want to impose on a newcomer. | Whether this is pure altruism or also political prudence, avoiding involving foreigners in a dynastic struggle. |
Historical & Cultural Context
David's flight from Absalom is one of the most poignant scenes in Samuel. The coup had caught him unprepared; he left Jerusalem with his household, his bodyguard, and a crowd of loyalists. Among them were the Cherethites and Pelethites, mercenary troops from Philistine regions who served as David's personal guard (2 Samuel 8:18, 20:23). The six hundred Gittites, commanded by Ittai, added to this foreign presence.
Gath was a Philistine city, home of Goliath, but David had spent time there during his outlaw years (1 Samuel 27:3). The number six hundred recalls the band that gathered around him in the wilderness (1 Samuel 23:13, 25:13). Barnes draws a direct line: the original group probably mixed Israelites with Gittites, until Ittai's men became entirely of Gathite origin. Their presence with families, “all the little ones” (v.22), suggests they had settled in Israel and cast their lot with David.
When David calls Ittai a “foreigner and also an exile,” he acknowledges that Ittai had no tribal stake in Israel. The phrase “you came but yesterday” (v.20) indicates a recent migration, perhaps after David had conquered Gath (2 Samuel 8:1). David's offer to release him is both gracious and political: he does not want to drag a newcomer into what might be a losing cause. Yet Ittai's response mirrors Ruth's classic vow (Ruth 1:16-17). By crossing the Kidron Valley with David, he chooses solidarity over safety, aligning himself with the king whom God has anointed but whom human events have humbled.
Textual Notes
The Masoretic Text is well-established for 2 Samuel 15:18, 22. The main textual question concerns verse 18, where the Septuagint (Vaticanus) reads “Gibb” (a place name) instead of “Gittites,” possibly reflecting a different Hebrew vorlage. The Cambridge Bible notes this variant but the majority of witnesses support “Gittites.” In verse 20, the Chethib (what is written) is אניעְך (‘ano’akha), a Hiphil form meaning “I will make you wander”; the Keri (what is read) prefers אניעך with a different vowel pointing, but the sense is the same. No significant variants affect the overall meaning of the passage.
Reception History
Ittai's declaration has been read across Jewish and Christian traditions as a paradigm of steadfast loyalty. Early Christian writers compared him to Ruth, whose similar vow to Naomi (Ruth 1:16, 17) is quoted verbatim in the margin of many manuscripts. In the medieval period, Ittai was celebrated as a model of the righteous proselyte, a Gentile who attaches himself to God's people in their moment of weakness. Reformation commentators like Geneva and Matthew Henry saw in his story an image of the believer's commitment to Christ, who also was rejected and fled into obscurity before his vindication. Hymns honouring faithfulness under trial sometimes allude to Ittai's words, though no single hymn title has become standard.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- David's vulnerability: The king is fleeing his own son. His servants, bodyguard, and foreign troops pass before him, a king stripped of his throne, yet still commanding loyalty.
- David's gracious release: David urges Ittai to return, citing his foreignness and recent arrival. He refuses to pressure a newcomer into exile. This reflects the heart of a shepherd-king who thinks of others before himself.
- Ittai's unshakeable vow: “Where my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there also.” Ittai’s oath binds him to David’s person, not David’s prospects, a picture of covenant loyalty that transcends circumstances.
Five-point outline
- The company of the fleeing king, the Cherethites, Pelethites, and Gittites
- The king's appeal, why should a foreigner share his calamity?
- The king's gift, “Mercy and truth be with you.” David blesses Ittai even as he sends him away.
- The foreigner's response, a vow sworn by Yahweh himself
- The king's acceptance, “Go and pass over.” David receives Ittai's loyalty and lets him join the march.
Illustration hooks
- Sticking with a friend in disgrace: When a leader is publicly shamed, those closest often distance themselves. Ittai does the opposite. Who in your life needs that kind of fidelity now?
- Choosing a losing side: Imagine being asked to join a protest march that everyone says will fail. Ittai knew the odds, but he did not count odds, he counted loyalty.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know when God is calling me to stay with someone in their hard times, even when it costs me?
- What does it mean to follow Jesus when following him looks foolish to the world?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a foreign commander making a life-or-death commitment to a king whose throne is collapsing. It raises questions about what loyalty really means, and to whom we give it.
Discussion questions
- What groups of people are mentioned in verses 18-19? What does each one represent in the story?
- Why does David try to send Ittai away? What reasons does he give?
- Look at the words “foreigner” and “exile.” How would Ittai have heard those labels? Did David mean them as insults or as a way to free him?
- Ittai swears “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives.” Why does he bring Yahweh into his vow? What does that tell you about his faith?
- Compare Ittai's response (v.21) with Ruth's words to Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17). What is similar? What does that connection suggest about the kind of loyalty Scripture honours?
- In verse 22, David says “Go and pass over.” What changes between David's first words to Ittai and this final acceptance?
- Where is God calling you to practice this kind of costly loyalty, to a person, a community, or a calling?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 27:3 | David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. |
| I Samuel 30:14 | We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.” |
| II Samuel 6:10 | So David would not move Yahweh’s ark to be with him in David’s city; but David carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house. |
| II Samuel 8:18 | Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers. |
| II Samuel 18:2 | David sent the people out, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.” |
| II Samuel 20:7 | Joab’s men went out after him with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. |
| II Samuel 20:23 | Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites, |
| I Kings 1:38 | So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Ittai may have been a son of Achish banished for his loyalty to
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that "passed on" means David's group crossed the Kidron brook. He explains the Gittites were a band originally from David's earlier 600 men, now including Philistine recruits. David's phrase "thou camest but yesterday" means Ittai, as a foreign sojourner, is not bound to share David's exile and should return to Absalom.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary suggests that the six hundred Gittites accompanying David may actually be his elite guard known as the Mighty Men, either recruited from Gath or named for following him from there. Ittai’s pledge to David mirrors Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, emphasizing his devotion despite being a foreigner.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill puzzles over the identity of the 600 Gittites with David. He suggests two possibilities: they were Philistine converts from Gath after David conquered it, or they were Israelites who had once fled with David to Gath. This background explains why David releases Ittai from duty, calling him a foreign exile.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies these six hundred men as a personal guard of foreign Philistine warriors David enlisted during his exile. Their commander Ittai faced a deliberate test: David ordered them to stay with Absalom, probing whether their loyalty belonged to him personally or to whatever king ruled.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Absalom's revolt as the consequence of David's own sins and the people's dissatisfaction, not merely a political accident. He emphasizes that David recognizes this disaster as divine punishment, responding with humble submission and patient trust in God's will rather than resistance or revenge.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that David's flight is not driven by cowardice but by wise concern for the city's safety and his people's lives. He notes David's tender respect for Ittai, a foreigner, releasing him from any obligation, which makes Ittai's vow of unshakable loyalty even more striking.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that Ittai and his men were Philistines from Gath, converts to the true faith won by David's example. Their loyalty in voluntarily sharing David's exile proves them true friends, showing the kind of steadfast love that should bind believers to the Son of David in every circumstance.