Ira

Ira is a personal name borne by three different men in the records of David's reign. They are gathered under a single umbrella because the name is shared, not because the men are: one serves at court, and the other two stand among the king's military elite. The brief notices that survive show how thinly drawn most of David's named officers are, and how the Chronicler's lists preserve names the narrative books do not return to.

Ira the Jairite

The first Ira appears at the close of the catalogue of David's officers: "and also Ira the Jairite was chief ruler to David" (2Sa 20:26). The notice stands by itself, after Zadok and Abiathar have already been listed as priests, and gives Ira a position attached to the king's person rather than to a tribal contingent or a military rank.

Ira the Ithrite

The second Ira belongs to the roster of David's mighty men. He is named, with his clansman Gareb, among the warriors of the Thirty: "Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite," (2Sa 23:38). The Chronicler preserves the same pair in the same order: "Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite," (1Ch 11:40). Nothing else is recorded of him; his place in the list is the whole notice.

Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite

The third Ira is identified by his father and his town. He too belongs to David's heroes: "Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite," (2Sa 23:26), and again in the parallel catalogue, "Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite," (1Ch 11:28). The Chronicler's later list of monthly division-commanders adds the only operational detail given for any of the three Iras: "The sixth [captain] for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand" (1Ch 27:9). His clan is from Tekoa, and his command rotates into service for the sixth month of the year.