Ittai

18All his servants marched past him. So did the Cherethites and the Pelethites. Six hundred men from the city of Gath marched past the king too.

And 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.

NoteThe Cherethites and the Pelethites came from other lands. They were soldiers hired to guard the king. Gath was a city in a nearby country called Philistia.

19The king said to Ittai, a man from Gath, "Why are you coming with us? Go back and stay with the new king. You came here from another country, far from your home."

Then 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.

NoteBy "the new king" David means Absalom. David thinks Absalom will take his place.

20"You only came here yesterday. Why should I make you wander around with us? I do not even know where I am going. Go back, and take your countrymen with you. May God be kind and faithful to you."

Whereas 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.

21Ittai answered the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as you live, I will stay with you. Wherever you are, I will be there too, whether it means life or death."

And 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.

Note"As the LORD liveth" was a way of making a very strong promise. It meant, I truly mean this.

22David said to Ittai, "Then come along." So Ittai marched on with all his men and all the little children with them.

And 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.

1David counted the soldiers who were with him. He picked leaders for large groups and for small groups.

And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

NoteDavid was the king of Israel. His own son Absalom had taken the throne. Now David's men had to fight Absalom's men.

2David split the army into three parts. Joab led one part. Abishai, Joab's brother, led one part. Ittai, a man from the city of Gath, led one part. The king said, "I will march out with you too."

And David sent forth a third part of the people 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. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

NoteGath was a Philistine city, not an Israelite one. Ittai came from there, but he chose to help David.

3But the people said, "You must not come. If we run away, no one will care about us. Even if half of us die, no one will care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better if you help us from inside the city."

But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

NoteThe soldiers mean the enemy wants the king most of all. If David stays safe, the army still has its leader.

4The king said, "I will do what you think is best." So the king stood beside the city gate. All the soldiers marched out in groups, large and small.

And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

NoteCities had a high wall all around them. The gate was the way in and out. Kings often stood or sat there to watch and to judge.

5The king gave an order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He said, "Be gentle with the young man Absalom, for my sake." All the soldiers heard the king say this about Absalom.

And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

6So David's army marched out to fight the army of Israel. The battle happened in the forest of Ephraim.

So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

NoteEphraim was the name of one of Israel's big families. The forest was named after them.

7There David's men beat the army of Israel. Many men were killed that day. Twenty thousand died.

Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

NoteThese men were Israelites too. They had chosen to follow Absalom instead of David.

8The fighting spread out all over the countryside. That day the forest killed more men than the swords did.

For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

NoteThe forest had deep holes, steep rocks, and thick trees. Men got lost or fell and did not come out.