2 Samuel 16:3
in 2 Samuel 16“Where is your master’s grandson?” asked the king. And Ziba answered, “Indeed, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my grandfather.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; for he said, To-day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
KJV
And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 16
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Thy master’s son - Meaning Saul’s grandson 2Sa 9:6. David asks the question, evidently hurt at the apparent ingratitude of Mephibosheth. It is impossible to say whether Mephibosheth was quite guiltless or not. If Ps. 116 was composed by David, and after the quelling of Absalom’s rebellion, 2Sa 16:11 may contain David’s confession of his present hasty judgment 2Sa 16:4 in the matter.
This site's exposition
a little past the top of the hill
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. The text withholds its own verdict on Ziba's honesty until Mephibosheth answers him at 19:24-30, and the reader is asked to wait as David did not.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
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 Awakening1 voice
And the king said, and where is thy master's son?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
To-day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father--Such a hope might not unnaturally arise at this period of civil distraction, that the family of David would destroy themselves by their mutual broils, and the people reinstate the old dynasty. There was an air of plausibility in Ziba's story.
To-day shall the house of Israel - What a base wretch was Ziba! and how unfounded was this accusation against the peaceable, loyal and innocent Mephibosheth!
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְאַיֵּ֖ה | veaiyeh | and where? | H346 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [is] [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲדֹנֶ֑יךָ | ʾadoneikha | master<s> your | H113 → | 333 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| צִיבָ֜א | tziva' | Ziba | H6717 → | 16 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הִנֵּה֙ | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| יוֹשֵׁ֣ב | yoshev | [he is] dwelling | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֔ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָמַ֔ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַיּ֗וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יָשִׁ֤יבוּ | yashivu | they will restore | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לִי֙ | li | to <the> me | ||
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַמְלְכ֥וּת | mamlekhut | [the] kingdom of | H4468 → | |
| אָבִֽי׃ | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְאַיֵּ֖הand where?
veaiyehH346 →
בֶּן־[is] [the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֲדֹנֶ֑יךָmaster<s> your
ʾadoneikhaH113 →333 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
צִיבָ֜אZiba
tziva'H6717 →16 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הִנֵּה֙there!
hinehH2009 →843 times
יוֹשֵׁ֣ב[he is] dwelling
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֔םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אָמַ֔רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
הַיּ֗וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
יָשִׁ֤יבוּthey will restore
yashivuH7725 →1056 times
לִי֙to <the> me
li
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
מַמְלְכ֥וּת[the] kingdom of
mamlekhutH4468 →
אָבִֽי׃father my
ʾaviH1 →1212 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
Micah 7:5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 9:4
“Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.
- Psalms 118:8–9
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
- Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
- Job 6:14–15
A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- Judges 16:5–20
The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him.…
- Jeremiah 9:4
Through
Exodus 20:16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
it leads to
- Psalms 15:3
who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 19:5
A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.
- Matthew 19:18
“Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,
- Psalms 15:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Theodoret of Cyrus, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 1.31.