2 Samuel 16:2

2 Samuel 16:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
• New International Version (NIV)The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king said to Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?” So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”

Context of 2 Samuel 16:2

1When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, was right there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred bunches of summer fruit, and a clay jar of wine. The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who become exhausted in the wilderness.” 3“Where is your master’s grandson?” the king asked. “Why, he’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied to the king, “for he said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore my grandfather’s kingdom to me.’” 4The king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I bow before you,” Ziba said. “May I find favor with you, my lord the king!”

2 Samuel 16:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָ֖א מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר צִ֠יבָא הַחֲמוֹרִ֨ים לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לִרְכֹּ֗ב וְהַלֶּ֤חֶם וְהַקַּ֙יִץ֙ לֶאֱכ֣וֹל הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וְהַיַּ֕יִן לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת הַיָּעֵ֖ף בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Zibaצִיבָאtsîybâ' · ZibaH6717
• The assesחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
• householdבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• to ride onרָכַבrâkab · to rideH7392
• and the breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• and summer fruitקַ֫יִץqayits · summerH7019
• for the young menנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• and the wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• that such as be faintיָעֵףyâ‛êph · wearyH3287
• in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• may drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 16:2

• Genesis 21:29And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?”
• Ezekiel 37:18When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things?’—
• 2 Samuel 15:1After this, Absalom got himself a chariot, horses, and fifty men to run before him.
• 2 Samuel 19:26“My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said, ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride it and go with the king’ — for your servant is lame.
• Judges 5:10You who ride on white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and who travel on the road, give praise!
• Judges 10:4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. They had thirty towns in Gilead, which are still called Jair’s Villages today.
• 1 Samuel 25:27Let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord.
• 2 Samuel 15:23Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly while all the people were marching out of the city. As the king was crossing the Kidron Valley, all the people were marching past on the road that leads to the wilderness.
• 2 Samuel 17:29honey, curds, sheep, goats, and cheese from the herd for David and the people with him to eat. They had reasoned, “The people must be hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
• Judges 8:4Gideon and the three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit.
• 1 Samuel 14:28Then one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.”
• Proverbs 31:6Give beer to one who is dying and wine to one whose life is bitter.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 16:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The asses be for the king's household - This is the Eastern method of speaking when any thing is presented to a great man: "This and this is for the slaves of the servants of your majesty," when at the same time the presents are intended for the sovereign himself, and are so understood. It is a high Eastern compliment: These presents are not worthy of your acceptance; they are only fit for the slaves of your slaves.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. The asses be for the king's household to ride on--The royal fugitives were moving on foot, not from inability to procure conveyances, but as being suitable to their present state of humiliation and penitence.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 16:2

• Food
• Mephibosheth
• Servant
• Summer
• Ziba

In the dictionaries

• Mephibosheth
• Ass
• Bahurim
• Bible, the
• David
• Faint
• Horse
• Israel, History of
• Samuel, Books of
• Solomon

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings