New English Translation
2 Samuel 9:10
10You will cultivate the land for him – you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce and it will be food for your master’s grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest 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
8Then Mephibosheth bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?” 9Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson. You will cultivate the land for him – you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce and it will be food for your master’s grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do everything that my lord the king has instructed his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth was a regular guest at David’s table, just as though he were one of the king’s sons. 12Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household 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“Treat fairly the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, because they helped me when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.
- 2 Samuel 9:7David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. You will be a regular guest at my table.”
- 2 Samuel 19:28After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! What further claim do I have to ask the king for anything?”
- 2 Kings 25:29Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.
- Luke 14:15When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feast 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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