2 Samuel 20:26

Contextual Overview

²³Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; ²³ Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; ²³Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; ²³ Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; ²³ Ioab was ouer all the hoast of Israel, and Banaia the sonne of Iehoida was ouer the Cerethites & Phelethites. ²³ Joab was captain of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Kerethites and Pelethites. ²³ And Joab was over all the army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites. ²³ Now Jo'ab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada was in command of the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites; ²³ Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; ²³ Now Ioab was ouer all the hoste of Israel, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada was ouer the Cherethites, and ouer the Pelethites.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ira: 2 Samuel 23:38, 1 Chronicles 11:40, Ithrite

Jairite: Judges 10:4, Judges 10:5

chief ruler: or, prince, 2 Samuel 8:18, Genesis 41:43, Genesis 41:45, Exodus 2:14, Exodus 2:16, The Hebrew is cohen ledawid, which might be rendered, a priest of David; and so the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic. The Chaldee has rav, a chief or prince. Probably he was a kind of domestic chaplain or seer to the king. 2 Samuel 24:11, 2 Chronicles 35:15

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 4:5 - the principal Psalms 132:1 - all his afflictions

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Ira also the Jairite,.... Which some take to be the same with Ira the Ithrite, 2 Samuel 23:38; a son of Jether or Ithra the Israelite, 2 Samuel 17:25; though others suppose he was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 2 Samuel 23:26; and so the Targum here calls him Ira the Jairite, which was of Tekoah; and Tekoah being the chief place in Israel for oil olive d, with which the lamps were lighted, Jarchi thinks he had the name of Jairite from Jair, which signifies to enlighten; but rather he was a descendant from Jair the Gileadite, and perhaps was a great friend to David when in Gilead, and from whence he brought him and promoted him: for he

was a chief ruler about David; a prime minister, an intimate friend, the chief of his privy council; perhaps he succeeded Ahithophel; it is much we hear nothing of Hushai.

d Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ira the Jairite - Not mentioned before: perhaps the same as “Ira an Ithrite” (marginal reference), i. e., an inhabitant of Jattir in the hill country of Judah Joshua 15:48; 1 Samuel 30:27. Perhaps we ought to read “Ithrite,” for “Jairite.”

A chief ruler ... about David - More simply and clearly, “was David’s kohen” (2 Samuel 8:18 note). In the early part oph David’s reign his own ons were כהן kôhên (chief rulers). The deaths of Amnon and Absalom, and the dissensions in the family, had probably caused the change of policy in this respect.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 20:26. Ira - was a chief ruler about David. — The Hebrew is לדויד כהן cohen ledavid, a priest to David; and so the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic. The Chaldee has רב rab, a prince, or chief. He was probably a sort of domestic chaplain to the king. We know that the kings of Judah had their seers, which is nearly the same: Gad was David's seer, 2 Samuel 24:11, and Jeduthun was the seer of King Josiah, 2 Chronicles 35:16.

The conclusion of this chapter is very similar to the conclusion of 2 Samuel 8:16-18, where see the notes.