Original Word: יִתְרָא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yithra'
Pronunciation: yith-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (yith-raw')
KJV: Ithra
NASB: Ithra
Word Origin: [by variation for H3502 (יִתרָה - abundance)]

1. Jithra, an Israelite (or Ishmaelite)

Ithra

By variation for yithrah; Jithra, an Israelite (or Ishmaelite) -- Ithra.

see HEBREW yithrah

Word Origin
from yathar
Definition
father of Amasa
NASB Translation
Ithra (1).

יִתְרָא proper name, masculine father of Amasa 2 Samuel 17:25 (see III. יֶתֶר 3).

Name and Identity

יִתְרָא (Ithra) appears once in the Masoretic Text, at 2 Samuel 17:25. He is the husband of Abigail, sister of Zeruiah, and therefore brother-in-law to Jesse’s son David. Parallel narrative material in 1 Chronicles 2:17 calls the same man “Jether the Ishmaelite,” demonstrating a variant spelling and a difference in ethnic designation (see “Textual Observations” below).

Biblical Context

During Absalom’s rebellion, David’s nephew Amasa replaces Joab as commander of the insurgent army. Scripture records:

“Now Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Israelite, who had married Abigail daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah the mother of Joab” (2 Samuel 17:25).

This terse note supplies three layers of context:

1. Military—Absalom seeks legitimacy by appointing a commander with Davidic blood ties.
2. Familial—Ithra’s marriage into Jesse’s household places him, and his son Amasa, in close proximity to David’s inner circle.
3. Political—Joab’s displacement by Amasa sows seeds for later conflict that culminates in Joab’s murder of Amasa (2 Samuel 20:8–10).

Genealogical Significance

• Jesse → Zeruiah (mother of Joab, Abishai, Asahel) and Abigail → Amasa → Ithra (Jether).
• Thus Ithra is the grandfather of the man destined—however briefly—to lead Israel’s forces. His inclusion in the genealogy shows the Chronicler’s concern to anchor Amasa’s bloodline within Judah while also acknowledging a mixed ancestry.
• The marriage of an Ishmaelite/Israelite to a Judean woman illustrates the Old Testament’s occasional incorporation of outsiders who embrace the covenant community (compare Ruth the Moabitess and Uriah the Hittite).

Textual Observations

• 2 Samuel 17:25 (Ketiv) reads “יִתְרָא הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי” (“Ithra the Israelite”), while 1 Chronicles 2:17 reads “יֶתֶר הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִי” (“Jether the Ishmaelite”).
• The consonantal difference between יִתְרָא (yitrāʾ) and יֶתֶר (yeter) is minimal, the latter being the more common spelling elsewhere (Strong’s 3500).
• Explanations range from a scribal error (confusing יִשְׂרָאֵלִי and יִשְׁמְעֵאלִי) to intentional redaction: Chronicles may stress Ishmaelite origin to explain why Amasa, though related to David, never attains the same level of acceptance as Joab.
• The Septuagint supports the Samuel reading, translating Ἰεθρά ὁ Ἰσραηλίτης, whereas the Chronicler’s Greek text preserves “the Ismaelite.” The coexistence of both readings cautions against dogmatism and encourages careful textual comparison.

Historical Implications

1. Social Mobility: Ithra’s rise from either Ishmaelite or Israelite stock to a position where his son commands a royal army reflects the permeability of leadership structures in the united monarchy.
2. Tribal Tensions: Joab’s eventual killing of Amasa may partly reflect suspicion toward a commander whose paternal line is perceived as foreign.
3. Covenant Expansion: If Ithra was indeed Ishmaelite, his presence within Judah pre-figures the later prophetic vision of Gentile inclusion (Isaiah 2:2–4).

Ministerial Reflections

• God’s Sovereignty in Family Lines: The Lord works through mixed and even contentious lineages to accomplish His purposes. David’s house contains both the valor of Joab and the outsider blood of Ithra—yet God’s redemptive plan progresses.
• Caution in Leadership Appointments: Absalom’s pragmatic promotion of a relative (Amasa) demonstrates that human calculations often overlook deeper issues of character and loyalty. Spiritual leadership must rest on faithfulness to God more than kinship ties.
• Grace toward the Outsider: Whether Israelite or Ishmaelite, Ithra’s incorporation into the Davidic family anticipates the Messiah’s call that “many will come from east and west and will recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Matthew 8:11).

Key References

2 Samuel 17:25 (Ithra); 1 Chronicles 2:17 (Jether); compare 2 Samuel 20:8–10; 1 Kings 2:5, 32 (Amasa’s death recalled).

יִתְרָ֣א יתרא yiṯ·rā yitRa yiṯrāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts