Ira

From Bible Exegesis

Citizen; wakeful.

(1.) A Tekoite, one of David's thirty warriors (2Sa_23:26).

(2.) An Ithrite, also one of David's heroes (2Sa_23:38).

(3.) A Jairite and priest, a royal chaplain (2Sa_20:26) or confidential adviser (compare 2Sa_8:18; 1Ch_18:17).

ī´ra (עירא, ‛īrā); Εἲρας, Eíras):

(1) A person referred to in 2Sa_20:26 as “priest” (so the Revised Version (British and American) correctly; the King James Version “a chief ruler,” the American Standard Revised Version “chief minister”) unto David. The translation of the Revised Version (British and American) is the only possible one; but, according to the text, Ira was “a Jairite,” and thus of the tribe of Manasseh (Num_32:41) and not eligible to the priesthood. On the basis of the Peshitta some would correct “Jairite” of 2Sa_20:26 into “Jattirite,” referring to Jattir, a priestly city within the territory of Judah (Jos_21:14). Others point to 2Sa_8:18 margin, “David's sons were priests,” as an indication that in David's time some non-Levites were permitted to serve - in some sense - as priests.

(2) An “Ithrite,” or (with a different pointing of the text) a “Jattirite,” one of David's “thirty” (2Sa_23:38 parallel 1Ch_11:40); possibly identical with (1).

(3) Another of David's “thirty,” son of Ikkesh of Tekoa (2Sa_23:26; 1Ch_11:28) and a captain of the temple guard (1Ch_27:9).