ı̄´ra ( עירא , ‛ı̄rā ); Εἲρας , Eı́ras ):
(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 ).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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