2 Samuel 19:28
in 2 Samuel 19For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry any more unto the king?
KJV
For all of my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Besides dyeing it black or red colors, which, however, is the exception, and not the rule in the East, there are various modes of trimming it: they train it into a massy, bushy form, swelling and round; or they terminate it like a pyramid, in a sharp point. Whatever the mode, it is always trimmed with the greatest care; and they usually carry a small comb for the purpose.
This site's exposition
my servant Ziba deceived me
on 2 Samuel 19:26-28
Mephibosheth says he meant to have his donkey saddled and ride with the king, “because I am lame”. He calls David “like the angel of God” and leaves the case in his hands. David had promised Saul's house the kindness of God at 9:3.
This site's exposition
eat at your table
Mephibosheth owns that Saul's house had no claim on David at all, recalling the place at the table granted him at 9:7. Matthew Henry carries the picture to the gospel, where dead men are spared and seated at God's table. He sees no ground for complaint.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Why should I think any thing hard that is put upon me when I hitherto been so kindly treated?" We were all as dead men before God; yet he has not only spared us, but taken us to sit at his table. How little reason then have we to complain of any trouble we are in, and how much reason to take all well that God does!
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
For all of my, father's house were but dead men before my lord the king,....
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֨א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָיָ֜ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָבִ֗י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אַנְשֵׁי־ | ʾanshei- | men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| מָ֙וֶת֙ | mavet | death | H4194 → | 156 times |
| לַאדֹנִ֣י | ladoni | to lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַתָּ֙שֶׁת֙ | vatashet | and you put | H7896 → | 83 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֔ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| בְּאֹכְלֵ֖י | beokhelei | among [those who] eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| שֻׁלְחָנֶ֑ךָ | shulchanekha | <of> table your | H7979 → | 71 times |
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יֶּשׁ־ | yesh- | [is] there | H3426 → | 140 times |
| לִ֥י | li | for <the> me | ||
| עוֹד֙ | ʾod | still | H5750 → | 490 times |
| צְדָקָ֔ה | tzedakah | righteousness | H6666 → | 157 times |
| וְלִזְעֹ֥ק | velizok | and to cry out | H2199 → | 73 times |
| ע֖וֹד | od | still | H5750 → | 490 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֨אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הָיָ֜הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
אָבִ֗יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
כִּ֤יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אַנְשֵׁי־men of
ʾanshei-H582 →566 times
מָ֙וֶת֙death
mavetH4194 →156 times
לַאדֹנִ֣יto lord my
ladoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַתָּ֙שֶׁת֙and you put
vatashetH7896 →83 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַבְדְּךָ֔servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
בְּאֹכְלֵ֖יamong [those who] eat
beokheleiH398 →810 times
שֻׁלְחָנֶ֑ךָ<of> table your
shulchanekhaH7979 →71 times
וּמַה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
יֶּשׁ־[is] there
yesh-H3426 →140 times
לִ֥יfor <the> me
li
עוֹד֙still
ʾodH5750 →490 times
צְדָקָ֔הrighteousness
tzedakahH6666 →157 times
וְלִזְעֹ֥קand to cry out
velizokH2199 →73 times
ע֖וֹדstill
odH5750 →490 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Samuel 9:10You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 9:7
“Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 14:15
When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
- 2 Samuel 9:7
Through
Genesis 32:10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:35
You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
- Genesis 24:27
saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to…
- Psalms 18:35
Through
1 Samuel 26:16This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where…
it leads to
- Psalms 102:20
to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,
- Psalms 79:11
May the groans of the captives reach You; by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death.
- 1 Samuel 20:31
For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”
- 2 Samuel 12:5
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
- Psalms 102:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Gregory the Dialogist, Dialogues; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.