以太

Ittai the Gittite was a Philistine warrior from Gath who had attached himself to David and demonstrated remarkable loyalty during Absalom's rebellion. When David fled Jerusalem, Ittai refused to leave despite David's urging, declaring: 'As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will your servant be' (2 Samuel 15:21)—an oath reminiscent of Ruth's declaration to Naomi. Ittai commanded a third of David's army in the battle against Absalom (2 Samuel 18:2), exemplifying the foreign-born loyalty that characterized the Davidic fighting force.