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2 Samuel 16:2

in 2 Samuel 16

“Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “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 to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses are 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 are faint in the wilderness may drink.

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.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 16

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

The 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.

This site's exposition

had gone a little beyond the summit

on 2 Samuel 16:1-4

Ziba meets the fleeing king with provisions and a claim: that Mephibosheth stayed behind at Jerusalem hoping the kingdom would be restored to Saul's house. David grants him all that pertained to Mephibosheth on that one report, without sending to ask the other side.

This site's exposition

the wine is to refresh

Ziba explains the gift: donkeys for the king's household, summer fruit and bread for the young servants, and wine for any who grow weary. The gift came at the right hour. It won Ziba a hearing.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Theodoret of Cyrus

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 1.31 · Written before 458.

proposed

It ought not to excite astonishment that Constantine was so far deceived as to send so many great men into exile: for he believed the assertions of bishops of high fame and reputation, who skillfully concealed their malice. Those who are acquainted with the Sacred …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Observe, The wine was intended for those that were faint, not for the king's own drinking, or the courtiers; it seems, they did not commonly use it, but it was for cordials for those that were ready to perish, Prov. xxxi.
And the king said unto Ziba, what meanest thou by these?....

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

One hundred portions of dried figs. Yonoson translates: "One hundred portions of dried figs."
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 16:1:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • הַמֶּ֛לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • צִיבָ֖אZiba

    tziva'H6717 →16 times

  • מָה־what?

    mah-H4100 →752 times

  • אֵ֣לֶּה[are] these [things]

    ʾelehH428 →746 times

  • לָּ֑ךְto <the> you

    lakh

  • וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • צִ֠יבָאZiba

    tziva'H6717 →16 times

  • הַחֲמוֹרִ֨יםthe donkeys

    hachamorimH2543 →96 times

  • לְבֵית־[are] for [the] household of

    leveit-H1004 →2046 times

  • הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • לִרְכֹּ֗בto ride

    lirkoH7392 →78 times

  • וְהַלֶּ֤חֶםand the bread

    uhalechemH3899 →298 times

  • וְהַקַּ֙יִץ֙and the summer fruit

    vehakayitzH7019 →

  • לֶאֱכ֣וֹל[are] to eat

    leekholH398 →810 times

  • הַנְּעָרִ֔יםthe young men

    hanearimH5288 →239 times

  • וְהַיַּ֕יִןand the wine

    vehaiyayinH3196 →141 times

  • לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת[is] to drink

    lishtotH8354 →217 times

  • הַיָּעֵ֖ףthe weary [person]

    haiyaefH3287 →

  • בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃in the wilderness

    bamidbarH4057 →270 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

16 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Samuel 17:29honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”5 worksJudges 10:4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.4 works2 Samuel 15:23Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.4 worksJudges 5:10You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder3 worksMatthew 21:5“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”3 worksGenesis 21:29and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”2 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 14:28Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are faint.”2 worksGenesis 33:8“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.2 worksJudges 8:4–5Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.2 works2 Samuel 19:26“My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me,2 works2 Samuel 15:1Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.2 worksProverbs 31:6–7Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.2 works1 Samuel 25:27Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.2 worksEzekiel 37:18When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’2 works2 Samuel 15:28See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”2 worksJohn 12:15“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey.”1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Judges 5:10

    You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder

    it leads to

    • Judges 12:14

      He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Judges 10:4

      He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.

    • Psalms 105:2

      Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.

  • Through

    Judges 10:4

    He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 32:41

      Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.

    • Judges 5:10

      You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder

    • Deuteronomy 3:14

      Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this…

  • Through

    2 Samuel 17:29

    honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 16:14

      Finally, the king and all the people with him arrived, exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.

    • Isaiah 21:14

      Bring water for the thirsty, O dwellers of Tema; meet the refugees with food.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 16 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 1.31.

Read on in 2 Samuel 16 →