2 Samuel 9:8

2 Samuel 9:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
• New International Version (NIV)Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he paid homage and said, "What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

Context of 2 Samuel 9:8

6Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” 7David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.” Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?” 9Then the king called Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

2 Samuel 9:8 word by word

וַיִּשְׁתַּ֕חוּ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מֶ֣ה עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֣י פָנִ֔יתָ אֶל־הַכֶּ֥לֶב הַמֵּ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּמֽוֹנִי׃Read the interlinear

• Again he prostratedשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
• himself and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• is your servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• that you should regardפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• a deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• dogכֶּ֫לֶבkeleb · dogH3611
• likeכְּמוֹkemô kâmô · likeH3644

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 9:8

• 2 Samuel 3:8Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman.
• 2 Samuel 16:9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head.”
• 1 Samuel 24:14After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?
• 1 Samuel 26:20Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
• Matthew 15:26And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 9:8

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Mephibosheth‘s humility of expression, even in the mouth of an Oriental, is painful. It was perhaps in part the result of his helpless lameness, and of the other misfortunes of his life. A dead dog - The wild dogs of the East, which still abound in every town, are the natural objects of contempt and dislike.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8a dead dog like me: Mephibosheth understood that anyone who might claim the throne could be killed as a potential threat to the king.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-122Sa 9:1-12. David Sends for Mephibosheth. 1-7. David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul--On inquiry, Saul's land steward was found, who gave information that there still survived Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan who was five years old at his father's death, and whom David, then wandering in exile, had never seen. His lameness (2Sa 4:4) had prevented him from taking any part in the public contests of the time. Besides, according to…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 9:8

• Dog (Sodomite?)
• Flattery
• Friendship
• Hospitality
• Humility
• Kindness
• King
• Obsequiousness

In the dictionaries

• Continually
• Dog
• Mephibosheth
• Reverence
• Bible, the
• David
• Dead
• Gesture
• Israel, History of
• Samuel, Books of

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