2 Samuel 15:21

21 But Ittai answered the king and said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {my lord the king lives}, surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be."

2 Samuel 15:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 15:21

And Ittai answered the king, and said
With an oath, as follows:

[as] the Lord liveth, and [as] my lord the king liveth;
which he took to confirm what he after says, and to put an end to the debate between them:

surely, in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or
life, even there also will thy servant be;
signifying that he would attend him wherever he went, hazard his life in his cause, and live and die with him.

2 Samuel 15:21 In-Context

19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why [are] you also coming with us? Return and stay with the king, for you [are] a foreigner; moreover, you [are] an exile. {You [are] far from your place}.

20 Yesterday when you came and {today}, I have caused you to wander by going with us. Now I [am] going to where I [am] going; return and let your brothers return. [May] loyal love and faithfulness [be] with you."

21 But Ittai answered the king and said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {my lord the king lives}, surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be."

22 Then David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." So Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all of the little children who [were] with him.

23 All of the land [was] weeping [with] a loud voice as all the people [were] passing by and the king [was] crossing through the Wadi Kidron, and all the people [were] passing {on the road to the wilderness}.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "The life of Yahweh"
• [b]. Literally "the life of my lord the king"