Christian Standard Bible
2 Samuel 9:10
10You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
2 Samuel 9:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
- English Standard Version (ESV)And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall always eat at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of 2 Samuel 9:10
8Mephibosheth paid homage and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?” 9Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons. 12Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants.
Read all of 2 Samuel 92 Samuel 9:10 word by word
וְעָבַ֣דְתָּ לּ֣וֹ אֶֽת־הָאֲדָמָ֡ה אַתָּה֩ וּבָנֶ֨יךָ וַעֲבָדֶ֜יךָ וְהֵבֵ֗אתָ וְהָיָ֨ה לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ לֶּ֙חֶם֙ וַאֲכָל֔וֹ וּמְפִיבֹ֙שֶׁת֙ בֶּן־אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ יֹאכַ֥ל תָּמִ֛יד לֶ֖חֶם עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִ֑י וּלְצִיבָ֗א חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר בָּנִ֖ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים עֲבָדִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thou therefore, and thy sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- shall tillעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: labourH5647
- the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- for him, and thou shalt bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- that thy master’sאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- sonבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- may have foodלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- but Mephiboshethמְפִיבֹשֶׁתmephîybôsheth mephibôsheth · MephiboshethH4648
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- alwayתָּמִידtâmîyd · continuallyH8548
- at my tableשֻׁלְחָןshûlchân · tableH7979
- Now Zibaצִיבָאtsîybâ' · ZibaH6717
- had fifteenעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
- had fifteenחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
- and twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 9:10
- 1 Kings 2:7“Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
- 2 Samuel 9:7“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”
- 2 Samuel 19:28For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?”
- 2 Kings 25:29So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life.
- Luke 14:15When one of those who reclined at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 9:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Thou therefore, and thy sons - shall till the land - It seems that Ziba and his family had the care of the whole estate, and cultivated it at their own expense, yielding the half of the produce to the family of Mephibosheth. Ziba was properly the hind, whose duty and interest it was to take proper care of the ground, for the better it was cultivated the more it produced; and his half would consequently be the greater.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10Fifteen sons - See 2 Samuel 19:17, marginal reference.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-13Verses 9-13 As David was a type of Christ, his Lord and Son, his Root and Offspring, let his kindness to Mephibosheth remind us of the kindness and love of God our Saviour to fallen man, to whom he was under no obligation, as David was to Jonathan. The Son of God seeks this lost and ruined race, who sought not after him. He comes to seek and to save them!Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-13David showed mercy to Mephibosheth, the disabled son of Jonathan. This account appears between reports of David’s military victories (2 Samuel 8:1–18, 10). Its placement shows that David not only achieved success in war but also cared for individuals and acted with compassion.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants--The mention of his sons and the slaves in his house was to show that Mephibosheth would be honored with an equipage "as one of the king's sons."Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 9:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 9
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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