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2 Samuel
Chapter Nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
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.
2 Samuel 9:1 Now
David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may
show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
YLT
1And David saith, `Is there
yet any left to the house of Saul, and I do with him kindness because of
Jonathan?'
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.
2 Samuel 9:2 2 And there was a
servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had
called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
He said, “At your service!”
YLT
2And the house of Saul hath
a servant, and his name [is] Ziba, and they call for him unto David; and the
king saith unto him, `Art thou Ziba?' and he saith, `Thy servant.'
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.
2 Samuel 9:3 3 Then the king said, “Is
there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness
of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is
lame in his feet.”
YLT
3And the king saith, `Is
there not yet a man to the house of Saul, and I do with him the kindness of
God?' And Ziba saith unto the king, `Jonathan hath yet a son -- lame.'
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.
2 Samuel 9:4 4 So the king said to him,
“Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the
house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
YLT
4And the king saith to him,
`Where [is] he?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he [is] in the house of
Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar.'
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.
2 Samuel 9:5 5 Then King David sent and
brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
YLT
5And king David sendeth, and
taketh him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, of Lo-Debar,
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.
2 Samuel 9:6 6 Now when Mephibosheth the
son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and
prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is
your servant!”
YLT
6and Mephibosheth son of
Jonathan, son of Saul, cometh unto David, and falleth on his face, and doth
obeisance, and David saith, `Mephibosheth;' and he saith, `Lo, thy servant.'
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.
2 Samuel 9:7 7 So David said to him, “Do
not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake,
and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall
eat bread at my table continually.”
YLT
7And 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.'
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.
2 Samuel 9:8 8 Then he bowed himself, and
said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog
as I?”
YLT
8And he boweth himself, and
saith, `What [is] thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog -- such
as I?'
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.
2 Samuel 9:9 9 And the king called to
Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all
that belonged to Saul and to all his house.
YLT
9And 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,
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.
2 Samuel 9:10 10 You therefore, and your
sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the
harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your
master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and
twenty servants.
YLT
10and 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.
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.
2 Samuel 9:11 11 Then Ziba said to the
king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so
will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall
eat at my table[a] like one
of the king’s sons.”
YLT
11And Ziba saith unto the
king, `According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so doth
thy servant;' as to Mephibosheth, `he is eating at my table ([saith the king])
as one of the sons of the king.'
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.
2 Samuel 9:12 12 Mephibosheth had a young
son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were
servants of Mephibosheth.
YLT
12And Mephibosheth hath a
young son, and his name [is] Micha, and every one dwelling in the house of Ziba
[are] servants to Mephibosheth.
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.
2 Samuel 9:13 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in
Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both
his feet.
YLT
13And Mephibosheth is
dwelling in Jerusalem, for at the table of the king he is eating continually,
and he [is] lame of his two feet.
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.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)