Easton's Bible Dictionary Citizen; wakeful. (1.) A Tekoite, one of David's thirty warriors (2 Samuel 23:26). (2.) An Ithrite, also one of David's heroes (2 Samuel 23:38). (3.) A Jairite and priest, a royal chaplain (2 Samuel 20:26) or confidential adviser (Comp. 2 Samuel 8:18; 1 Chronicles 18:17). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia IRA i'-ra (`ira'; Eiras): (1) A person referred to in 2 Samuel 20:26 as "priest" (so the Revised Version (British and American) correctly; the King James Version "a chief ruler," the American Standard Revised Version "chief minister") unto David. The translation of the Revised Version (British and American) is the only possible one; but, according to the text, Ira was "a Jairite," and thus of the tribe of Manasseh (Numbers 32:41) and not eligible to the priesthood. On the basis of the Peshitta some would correct "Jairite" of 2 Samuel 20:26 into "Jattirite," referring to Jattir, a priestly city within the territory of Judah (Joshua 21:14). Others point to 2 Samuel 8:18 margin, "David's sons were priests," as an indication that in David's time some non-Levites were permitted to serve-in some sense-as priests. (2) An "Ithrite," or (with a different pointing of the text) a "Jattirite," one of David's "thirty" (2 Samuel 23:38 parallel 1 Chronicles 11:40); possibly identical with (1). (3) Another of David's "thirty," son of Ikkesh of Tekoa (2 Samuel 23:26 1 Chronicles 11:28) and a captain of the temple guard (1 Chronicles 27:9). F. K. Farr

Multi-Version Concordance Ira (6 Occurrences) 2 Samuel 20:26 and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Samuel 23:26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Samuel 23:38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Chronicles 11:28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Chronicles 11:40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Chronicles 27:9 The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his division were twenty-four thousand. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)