Gittites

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Designation of the six hundred men as inhabitants of Gath, and of their leader Ittai, who followed David at Absalom's revolt.  2 Samuel 15:18-22;  2 Samuel 18:2 . Goliath also was a Gittite.  2 Samuel 21:19;  1 Chronicles 20:5 . Obed-edom, though a Levite, was also called a Gittite, probably because of residing at Gath or Gath-rimmon.  2 Samuel 6:10,11;  1 Chronicles 13:13 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(See Gath ) The 600 who followed David from Gath under "Ittai the Gittites," "a stranger and an exile" ( 2 Samuel 15:18-20). Obed Edom, being a Levite, must have derived his title "the Gittite" from some incidental connection with Gath; others derive his name from the Levitical city of Gath-rimmon ( 2 Samuel 6:10); but it seems strange if "Gittite" be used in one sense of Ittai of Gath, and in a different sense of Obed Edom ( 1 Chronicles 26:4).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See Gath .

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Gittites . See Gath.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

git´ı̄ts ( גּתּים , גּתּי , gittı̄m , plural of gittı̄ ): The inhabitants of Gath. They are mentioned along with the inhabitants of the other chief Philistine cities in   Joshua 13:3 . It would seem that numbers of them emigrated to Judah, for we find 600 of them acting as a bodyguard to David with Ittai at their head ( 2 Samuel 15:18;  2 Samuel 18:2 ). Obed-edom, to whom David entrusted the ark when he was frustrated in bringing it into the city of David, was a Gittite ( 2 Samuel 6:11 f;   1 Chronicles 13:13 ). The Gittites seem to have been remarkable for their great stature ( 2 Samuel 21:19;  1 Chronicles 20:5 ).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Git´tites, inhabitants or natives of Gath . Obed-edom, although a Levite, is called a Gittite , possibly because he had been with David when at Gath, but much more probably from his being a native of Gath-rimmon, which was a city of the Levites. There seems no reason for extending this interpretation to Ittai , seeing that David expressly calls him 'a stranger' (foreigner), and, what is more, 'an exile.' He was at the head of 600 men, who were also Gittites, for they are called his 'brethren.' They appear to have formed a foreign troop of experienced warriors, chiefly from Gath, in the pay and service of David; which they had perhaps entered in the first instance for the sake of sharing in the booty obtainable in his wars. We can conceive that the presence of such a troop must have been useful to the king in giving to the Hebrew army that organization and discipline which it did not possess before his time.