Hebrew word · H1663

גִּתִּי

hagiti

Gath

A person from Gath. In Samuel this means the Philistine city of Gath. Other places carried 'Gath' in their names, e.g. Gath-rimmon, a Levite town (Josh 21:24–25), and Gath-hepher.

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Gittite = "belonging to Gath"

an inhabitant of Gath

Another spelling of gat (גַּת "Gath" H1661)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Samuel 6:11

Range of meaning

A person from Gath. In Samuel this means the Philistine city of Gath. Other places carried 'Gath' in their names, e.g. Gath-rimmon, a Levite town (Josh 21:24–25), and Gath-hepher.

Against the English

Every version says 'the Gittite', which is accurate but tells the reader nothing. Few readers know that the same label is used for Goliath's countrymen and for Ittai, David's Philistine officer.

Used elsewhere in the period

Goliath is 'of Gath' (1 Sam 17:4). Ittai the Gittite, a foreigner in exile who is loyal to David, appears in 2 Sam 15:18–22, and 600 Gittites served in David's guard (15:18). David himself had lived at Gath under King Achish (1 Sam 27). Chronicles counts an Obed-edom among the Levite gatekeepers and musicians (1 Chr 15:18, 24; 16:5, 38; 26:4–8).

From the study of 2 Samuel 6:10

Range of meaning

A word saying where someone comes from: 'man of Gath'. Gath ('winepress') was one of the five Philistine cities, and the word is also part of Israelite place names such as Gath-rimmon and Gath-hepher.

Against the English

Most versions keep 'the Gittite'. NLT's 'of Gath' makes the place explicit but settles which Gath was meant.

Used elsewhere in the period

Goliath 'the Gittite' (2 Sam 21:19); Ittai the Gittite and 600 Gittite men loyal to David (2 Sam 15:18-22; 18:2). David had lived under the king of Gath (1 Sam 27). Gath-rimmon was a Levitical town (Josh 21:24-25).

Similar words

Where it appears

Joshua · 1

  1. Joshua 13:3 הַגִּתִּ֔י the Gittite[s]

    from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;

    Here: The realm of Gath (Tell es-Safi), the inland city facing Judah's lowlands. Goliath came from here.

2 Samuel · 7

  1. 2 Samuel 6:10 הַגִּתִּֽי׃ the Gittite

    So he was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

    Here: 'The man from Gath.' In Samuel this word normally means someone from the Philistine city of Gath: Goliath (21:19) and Ittai with David's 600 Gittite followers (15:18-22). That is striking, because the ark had once struck Gath with plague (1 Sam 5:8-9).

  2. 2 Samuel 6:11 הַגִּתִּ֖י the Gittite

    Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and all his household.

    Here: Identifies him as from Gath. Elsewhere in Samuel 'Gittite' means someone from the Philistine city of Gath (Goliath, 1 Sam 17:4; Ittai, 2 Sam 15:19). The Philistines had earlier suffered terribly while holding the ark (1 Sam 5).

  3. 2 Samuel 15:18 הַגִּתִּ֞ים the Gittites

    and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.

  4. 2 Samuel 15:19 הַגִּתִּ֔י the Gittite

    Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.

    Here: 'The man from Gath', one of the five Philistine cities and the hometown of Goliath. In one word the label marks Ittai as a Philistine and an outsider.

  5. 2 Samuel 15:22 הַגִּתִּי֙ the Gittite

    “March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

  6. 2 Samuel 18:2 הַגִּתִּ֑י ס the Gittite

    He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”

  7. 2 Samuel 21:19 הַגִּתִּ֔י the Gittite

    Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

1 Chronicles · 2

  1. 1 Chronicles 13:13 הַגִּתִּֽי׃ the Gittite

    So he did not move the ark with him to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

    Here: Someone from a place called Gath. Elsewhere this usually points to the Philistine city of Gath, home of Goliath (and of Ittai the Gittite, 2 Sam 15:19). It could also mean the Levite town of Gath-rimmon.

  2. 1 Chronicles 20:5 הַגִּתִּ֔י the Gittite

    Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.