And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.”
David's own son has driven him from the throne. Now he sets his men in order for the battle that will decide the kingdom, and the verse raises two questions: why does a newcomer rank with David's oldest generals, and why does the king insist on going out himself?
Order Before Battle
The delay Hushai advised worked in David's favour.
Leslie M. GrantDavid had taken full advantage of the delay that Hushai had counselled to Absalom, with large numbers of the people being gathered to David. Now the time comes for war with Absalom, who has considered himself strong with support of many of Israel also. David divides his men into three bands, well organized and ready for battle. Joab is in charge of one band, Abishai his brother in charge of a second, and Ittai over the third.
A Third for a Newcomer
Joab and Abishai were brothers and long-serving soldiers. Ittai was a stranger to Israel and new to David's service. Yet he receives an equal share of the army. One writer asks what qualified him.
H. L. RossierDavid lines up the people and puts them under Joab, Abishai, and Ittai the Gittite. Ittai was the only man the king judged worthy to hold the same rank in leading the army as its long-proven leaders. Yet Ittai had "come only yesterday," a stranger with no ties to God's people. Why raise him to such an important post at this critical moment? His wholehearted attachment to David. In the same way, the Lord entrusts us with service according to the measure of our love for Him.
That attachment came long before any promotion did.
F. A. HughesWhat drove Ittai was devotion to David. He does not seem to have been looking for any reward. In fact, he was ready to die with the king. But in 2 Samuel 18 we find David restored to the throne... and David puts a third of the people under his control.
The Stranger Who Shamed a Nation
Ittai was a foreigner who stayed loyal to a king Israel had deserted. That loyalty carried a rebuke.
The Bible TreasuryWe should also mention Ittai the Gittite. His faithfulness to David, while David was a fugitive (2 Sam. 15:19-23), rebuked an ungrateful nation. David rewarded him by making him one of the chief commanders of his army (2 Sam. 18:2).
One writer sees a larger pattern in him, reaching beyond Israel:
Morrish Bible DictionaryHe stayed faithful to David during Absalom's revolt, returned with the king, and held a command in his army... He shows how Gentiles will one day join the remnant of Israel, sharing both in the sufferings and in the reign of their Messiah, and serving Him.
The King Who Would Not Stay Behind
David's closing words are a decision to share the danger. One writer sets this against the time David stayed home while his army fought. He counts both David's resolve and the people's refusal as right.
H. L. RossierDavid wants to go out into battle with his people. They all reply: "You shall not go out." Both of these feelings are according to God. In the past David had stayed in Jerusalem instead of going out with his people (2 Sam. 11:1), and he had to bear the consequences. Now he understands that his place is with the army. But the people are right too, because they value what David is worth.
Another writer finds two motives behind David's insistence. One is a man owning his part in the disaster. The other is a father still hoping to shield his son.
J. G. BellettHe numbers the people. He sets captains over hundreds and thousands of them, and makes Joab, Abishai, and Ittai the chiefs. But he would gladly go out himself, because it was his sin that had brought all this trouble on the land. David's heart was too noble to let anyone but himself stand at the front of that trouble. Besides, he still has his heart set on Absalom, and he judges that his own presence might help to shield him.
Summary
- Devotion first. Ittai looked for no reward. He was ready to die with the king before any command was mentioned.
- Trust follows. David judged a stranger who had "come only yesterday" fit to stand with his proven generals. His attachment alone earned it.
- Measure matters. The Lord entrusts service to His own in proportion to their love for Him, not their seniority.
- Loyalty rebukes. The outsider's faithfulness exposed the ingratitude of a nation that had gone after Absalom.
- Return shared. The man who stayed with the king in exile led a third of his army and came back with him.