אִתַּי
𐤀𐤕𐤉
Itay
H863 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name, borne by multiple individuals in the Hebrew Bible. Most notably, refers to (1) Ittai the Gittite, a loyal Philistine commander who supported David during Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 15:19–22; 18:2, 5, 12), and (2) a Judahite leader in David's army (2 Samuel 23:29; 1 Chronicles 11:31; 27:29). The name plausibly means 'with me' or 'neighbor,' derived from the word 'with' or 'near.' Lexically, it functions strictly as a personal name, not as a common noun or adjective.
Semantic Range
personal name, used for a Philistine (Gittite) leader and for a Judahite military figure; implies association, nearness, or fellowship etymologically but functions only as a proper noun in biblical Hebrew
Root / Etymology
Root: אֵת (et), meaning 'with, near.' אִתַּי is likely formed with the pronominal suffix, yielding 'with me.' The form may display a dialectal or regional spelling variation (אִיתַי). Many personal names in biblical Hebrew are theophoric or relational, and this one expresses proximity or association. The etymology is generally accepted but not absolutely certain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
As a personal name, אִתַּי is attested in narratives spanning both Philistine and Israelite settings, reflecting a degree of onomastic overlap among related Semitic peoples and their neighbors during the Iron Age. The two principal bearers of the name occupy military leadership roles in David's reign; contextual clues do not indicate an explicit religious or ethnic significance, but rather a descriptive or relational naming tradition. Later translations, including the KJV, sometimes render אִתַּי as 'Ittai' or 'Ithai,' which do not reflect the probable original meaning of the name but serve to distinguish its bearers. In English translation traditions, the name of the principal Gittite commander appears among David's loyalists but is never rendered as a common noun. The semantic connection to 'with, near' is purely etymological and is not deployed as a lexical adjective in narrative texts. The name itself illustrates the fluidity of proper names across Israelite, Judahite, and neighboring cultures, especially in the era of Davidic monarchy.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or אִיתַי; from אֵת; near; Ittai or Ithai, the name of a Gittite and of an Israelite; Ithai, Ittai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
את (ʾ-t) — with, near, accompaniment, association
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3487 | יַת | object-marker them |
| H5842 | עֵט | object-marker |
| H6256 | עֵת | object marker |
| H6261 | עִתִּי | with me |
| H853 | אֵת | object-marker |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H863-01 |
אִתַּ֣י | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me | 9 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 15:19 | אִתַּ֣י | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 15:21 | אִתַּ֛י | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 15:22 | אִתַּ֖י | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 15:22 | אִתַּ֤י | itay-2 | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 18:2 | אִתַּ֣י | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 18:5 | אִתַּי֙ | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 18:12 | אִתַּי֙ | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
2 Samuel 23:29 | אִתַּי֙ | itay | HNp |
Ittai | With-me |
H863-01 |
1 Chronicles 11:31 | אִיתַ֣י | itay | HNp |
Ithai | With-me |