Bible Word Study
יִתְרִי
Yithrîy · a Jithrite or descendant of Jether
יִתְרִי
a Jithrite or descendant of Jether
Definition
Yithrîy refers to a member of the Ithrite clan, a family group descended from a man named Jether (or Ithra). The term is used exclusively as a gentilic, identifying individuals by their familial and tribal lineage. In the biblical record, it specifically denotes warriors who served in King David's military, as seen with Ira and Gareb, who are listed among David's mighty men (2 Samuel 23:38, 1 Chronicles 11:40). The name also appears in a genealogical list for the tribe of Judah, connecting the Ithrites to the town of Kiriath-jearim (1 Chronicles 2:53).
Biblical Usage
The word Yithrîy is used only three times in the Old Testament, always as a clan or family designation. It appears in two primary contexts: military and genealogical. In the military context, it identifies two of David's valiant warriors, Ira the Ithrite and Gareb the Ithrite (2 Samuel 23:38, 1 Chronicles 11:40). In the genealogical context, it lists the Ithrites as a clan descended from Shobal, associated with the town of Kiriath-jearim within the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:53).
Etymology
Yithrîy is a patronymic noun derived from the proper name יֶתֶר (Yether, Strong's H3500), meaning 'abundance' or 'remainder.' The '-îy' suffix is a standard Hebrew ending used to indicate descent or belonging, translating to 'of Jether' or 'belonging to Jether.' Thus, the term literally means 'a descendant of Jether.'
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite society, clan and family names like Yithrîy were crucial for establishing identity, social structure, and land inheritance. Being identified as an Ithrite placed an individual within the broader tribe of Judah and connected them to a specific locality (Kiriath-jearim). The appearance of Ithrites among David's elite warriors highlights how familial clans contributed fighting units to the national army, blending tribal loyalty with royal service. יְהוּדִי (Yehûdîy, H3064) — A broader term for a member of the tribe of Judah, whereas Yithrîy specifies a sub-clan within that tribe.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]