Worthy.Bible » Parallel » 2 Samuel » Chapter 9 » Verse 7-10

2 Samuel 9:7-10 King James Version (KJV)

7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.


2 Samuel 9:7-10 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

7 And David H1732 said H559 unto him, Fear H3372 not: for I will surely H6213 shew H6213 thee kindness H2617 for Jonathan H3083 thy father's H1 sake, and will restore H7725 thee all the land H7704 of Saul H7586 thy father; H1 and thou shalt eat H398 bread H3899 at my table H7979 continually. H8548

8 And he bowed H7812 himself, and said, H559 What is thy servant, H5650 that thou shouldest look H6437 upon such a dead H4191 dog H3611 as I am?

9 Then the king H4428 called H7121 to Ziba, H6717 Saul's H7586 servant, H5288 and said H559 unto him, I have given H5414 unto thy master's H113 son H1121 all that pertained H1961 to Saul H7586 and to all his house. H1004

10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, H1121 and thy servants, H5650 shall till H5647 the land H127 for him, and thou shalt bring H935 in the fruits, that thy master's H113 son H1121 may have food H3899 to eat: H398 but Mephibosheth H4648 thy master's H113 son H1121 shall eat H398 bread H3899 alway H8548 at my table. H7979 Now Ziba H6717 had fifteen H2568 H6240 sons H1121 and twenty H6242 servants. H5650


2 Samuel 9:7-10 American Standard (ASV)

7 And David said unto him, Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

8 And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son.

10 And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in `the fruits', that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.


2 Samuel 9:7-10 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

7 And David saith to him, `Be not afraid; for I certainly do with thee kindness because of Jonathan thy father, and have given back to thee all the field of Saul thy father, and thou dost eat bread at my table continually.'

8 And he boweth himself, and saith, `What `is' thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog -- such as I?'

9 And the king calleth unto Ziba servant of Saul, and saith unto him, `All that was to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of thy lord,

10 and thou hast served for him the land, thou and thy sons, and thy servants, and hast brought in, and there hath been to the son of thy lord bread, and he hath eaten it; and Mephibosheth son of thy lord doth eat continually bread at my table;' and Ziba hath fifteen sons and twenty servants.


2 Samuel 9:7-10 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

7 And David said to him, Fear not; for I will certainly shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given to thy master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.

10 And thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in [the fruits], that thy master's son may have food to eat. And Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread at my table continually. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.


2 Samuel 9:7-10 World English Bible (WEB)

7 David said to him, "Don't be afraid of him; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore you all the land of Saul your father; and you shall eat bread at my table continually."

8 He did obeisance, and said, "What is your servant, that you should look on such a dead dog as I am?"

9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given to your master's son.

10 You shall till the land for him, you, and your sons, and your servants; and you shall bring in [the fruits], that your master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat bread always at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.


2 Samuel 9:7-10 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

7 And David said to him, Have no fear: for truly I will be good to you, because of your father Jonathan, and I will give back to you all the land which was Saul's; and you will have a place at my table at all times.

8 And he went down on his face before the king, and said, What is your servant, for you to take note of a dead dog such as I am?

9 Then the king sent for Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, All the property of Saul and of his family I have given to your master's son.

10 And you and your sons and your servants are to take care of the land for him, and get in the fruit of it, so that your master's son may have food: but Mephibosheth, your master's son, will have a place at my table at all times. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Commentary on 2 Samuel 9 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible


Introduction

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 9

This chapter relates David's inquiry after the posterity of Saul, whether any were living and where they were, 2 Samuel 9:1; and on inquiry being informed of one, he sent for him, and kindly received him, 2 Samuel 9:5; and restored to him the land of his fathers, and appointed a person to till it for him, and bring him the fruits of it, and maintained him at his own table, 2 Samuel 9:9.


Verse 1

And David said,.... To some of his courtiers:

is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul? which question was put by him, not in order to destroy them, lest they should disturb his government, as was usual with other princes, and especially such who got their crowns by usurpation; but to prevent any suspicion of that kind in the persons he inquired of, he adds:

that I may show him kindness, for Jonathan's sake? not for Saul's sake, who had been his implacable enemy, though he had sworn to him that he would not cut off his seed; but for Jonathan's sake, his dear friend, whose memory was precious to him. Some of the Jewish writers have thought, because this follows upon the account given of the officers of David, both in his camp and court, that this question was occasioned by a thought that came into his mind, while he was appointing officers, that if there were any of Saul's family, and especially any descendant of Jonathan, that was fit for any post or office, he would put him into one; but this seems to be a long time after David had settled men in his chief offices; for Mephibosheth, after an inquiry found out, was but five years of age when his father was slain, and so but twelve when David was made king over all Israel, and yet now he was married, and had a young son, 2 Samuel 9:12; so that it was a long time after David was established in the kingdom that he thought of this; which is to be imputed to his being engaged so much in war, and having such a multiplicity of business on his hands.


Verse 2

And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba,.... Or there was a servant that belonged to Saul's family; not that any of Saul's family was a servant; and this servant the Jews commonly say was a Canaanitish servant, and who upon the death of his master was not made free, but became the inheritance and possession of his children after him, Leviticus 25:46; though JosephusF14Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 5. says he was made free by Saul:

and when they had called him unto David; who it seems was now at court, or in Jerusalem, on some account or another; or was in David's service, in some inferior post or another; however, having been a quondam servant of Saul, it was thought he could give the best intelligence of his family, and whether any were living, and therefore was sent for; and when he was come into the king's presence:

the king said unto him, art thou Ziba? for he had been told before by some of his courtiers what his name was:

and he said, thy servant is he; or my name is Ziba, and I am at thy command.


Verse 3

And the king said, is there not yet any of the house of Saul; that is, remaining or living:

that I may show the kindness of God unto him? great kindness, some large favour or benefit; for the word God added to things, as to trees, mountains, &c. serves to set forth the excellency of them; and this kindness is in imitation of God, or such as he had sworn in the presence of God to show; and that is expressed in the same language, 1 Samuel 20:14,

and Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son; a son still living:

which is lame on his feet; on both his feet, as the Targum; of which occasion; see Gill on 2 Samuel 4:4.


Verse 4

And the king said unto him, where is he?.... In what part of the land, city, or town, does he dwell?

and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he is in the house of Machir,

the son of Ammiel; a descendant of Machir, the son of Manasseh, to whom the land of Gilead was given, which lay on the other side Jordan:

in Lodebar; a place in that country, perhaps the same with Debir in Joshua 13:26. Here it may be his mother's relations lived, and here he might dwell in obscurity, and lie hid from the knowledge of David; who, it might be feared by his friends, would have dispatched him, had he known where he was. Some take it to be an appellative, and render it, as Abarbinel observes, "without anything"; as if he was so poor that he had not anything to support himself with. No mention as yet is made of his name, perhaps because the historian had given it before, 2 Samuel 4:4.


Verse 5

Then King David sent,.... Messengers; it may be Ziba, none being more proper than he that knew him, and where he was:

and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar; they demanded him in the king's name, and being delivered to them, they brought him from thence to Jerusalem.


Verse 6

Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul,.... For that was his name, though sometimes called Meribbaal, 1 Chronicles 8:34; and this was his relation to Jonathan and Saul, the son of the one, and grandson of the other:

was come unto David; to his court and palace in Jerusalem, being thither brought; for he could not go of himself, being lame:

he fell on his face, and did reverence; to him as a king, in a civil way, and in the best manner he could, considering that he was lame on his feet:

and David said, Mephibosheth; is it he? having learnt what his name was, this he expressed with great vehemency and affection, as glad that he had found one of Jonathan's posterity: and

he answered, behold thy servant! he answered to his name, and owned his subjection to David, and was ready to take the oath of allegiance to him, and give him homage, and serve him in what way he could.


Verse 7

And David said unto him, fear not,.... He might observe a dejection in his countenance, a trembling in his limbs, and might discover signs of fear lest David should cut him off, because he was of the seed royal:

for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake; whom he loved as his own soul, and to whom he had sworn that he would not cut off his kindness from his house for ever, and now remembering his oath was determined to observe it:

and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; his grandfather, such sometimes being called fathers; which David had taken to him, as crown lands, or in the right of his wife; or as being confiscated by Ishbosheth's rebellion:

and thou shall eat bread at my table continually; he gave him an apartment in the court, a place at his table, admitted him to be a guest with him as long as he should live; which was a very great favour and high honour, and showed what an unshaken friendship he had for his father, and would maintain with him. This was the kindness of God he meant to show to him.


Verse 8

And he bowed himself,.... In token of gratitude, and as a sign of humility, and of the sense he had of his unworthiness to enjoy such a favour:

and said, what is thy servant, that thou shouldest look on such a dead dog as I am? one so mean, and base, and worthless; which he might say with respect to the infirmities of his body, the rejection of his family by the Lord, their attainder of high treason for rebellion against David, and the low circumstances he was brought into and now under; though one of the royal family, the son of a prince, and grandson of a king; such was his humility, and the sense he had of his being undeserving of any favour from the king, and says this with admiration and astonishment.


Verse 9

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant,.... Who had been his servant:

and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son; meaning either, as some, the son of Mephibosheth, Micha after mentioned; or rather Mephibosheth himself, the grandson of Saul, whose servant Ziba had been:

all that pertained to Saul, and to all his house; all his paternal estate, or what he had acquired, or in any wise belonged to him and his family; which David had in possession, and which he readily and cheerfully delivered up to Mephibosheth, having so great a regard to the memory of his father.


Verse 10

Thou therefore, thy sons, and thy servants,.... Which were many, and whose numbers are after given:

shall till the land for him; manure it, plough it, sow it, and reap it:

and thou shall bring in the fruits; the corn, and oil, and wine, the land produces:

that thy master's son may have food to eat; meaning either Micha, the son of Mephibosheth, since Mephibosheth seems to be distinguished from him, and opposed to him in the next clause: and who would stand in no need of food from any other quarter, being a guest at the king's table continually; or else Mephibosheth, who by this means would have a sufficiency for his son and servants, and in which Ziba's family and servants would have a share:

but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat always at my table; wherefore the land was to be tilled not for him personally, but for his family, and for what uses he should think fit to put the produce of it to:

now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants: who were enough to cultivate a considerable quantity of land.


Verse 11

Then said Ziba unto the king, according to all the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do,.... Till the land, and bring the fruits of it to Mephibosheth, for the support of his family; he promised very fair, had he been as faithful to his trust:

as for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons; which is repeated, for the confirmation of it, and to show that he should be treated with equal respect, and fare as the king's sons themselves did; though the clause "said the king" is not in the original text, and the words are thought by Abarbinel and others to be the words of Ziba continued; who promised to do what the king had ordered, though Mephibosheth had eaten at his table, as one of the king's sons, and needed not anything, and needed not to eat at the king's table; and if it was his pleasure, he would maintain him out of this estate like the son of a king; but the phrase "my table" seems to be too arrogant for Ziba to say, and rather fits the mouth of David the king.


Verse 12

And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha,.... What his age was is not said from him sprung a progeny of several generations, 1 Chronicles 8:34,

and all that dwelt in the house Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth; his sons and his servants.


Verse 13

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem,.... Either in some apartments in the king's palace, or in some house in the city provided for him; for he returned not to Lodebar, nor to any mansion house upon the estate, of Saul restored unto him:

for he did eat continually at the king's table; to which he was invited, and he accepted of:

and was lame on both his feet; or "though" he wasF14והוא "quamvis esset", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Patrick. , yet this was no objection to David, he admitted him notwithstanding his infirmity; nor any obstruction to Mephibosheth, who found ways and means to be carried to the king's table daily.