2 Samuel 19:29
in 2 Samuel 19The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
KJV
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Unable to get to the bottom of the story, and perhaps unwilling to make an enemy of Ziba, David compromised the matter by dividing the land, thus partially revoking his hasty sentence 2Sa 16:4. We still see the impatient temper of David.
This site's exposition
Thou and Ziba divide the land
on 2 Samuel 19:29-30
David cuts the dispute short rather than settling it, splitting the estate between two men whose stories cannot both be true. Barnes reads the division as David unwilling to make an enemy of Ziba while unable to disprove Mephibosheth, the same haste that marked his earlier sentence at 16:4. Mephibosheth answers by giving up his half outright, content that David has come home in peace, valuing the king's safety over the land Ziba had gained by lying.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), that is, Let it be as I first ordered it ( ch. ix. 10 ); the property shall still be vested in thee, but Ziba shall have occupancy: he shall till the land, paying thee a rent." Thus Mephibosheth is where he was; no harm is done, only Ziba goes away unpunished for his false and malicious information against his master.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And the king said unto him, why speakest thou any more of thy matters?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A 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.
I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land - At first, David gave the land of Saul to Mephibosheth; and Ziba, his sons, and his servants, were to work that land; and to Mephibosheth, as the lord, he was to give the half of the produce. Ziba met David in his distress with provisions, and calumniated Mephibosheth: David, too slightly trusting to his misrepresentation, and supposing that Mephibosheth was actually such a traitor as Ziba represented him, made him on the spot a grant of his master’s land. Now he finds that he has acted too rashly, and therefore confirms the former grant; i.e. that Ziba should cultivate the ground, and still continue to give to Mephibosheth, as the lord, the half of the produce. This was merely placing things in statu quo, and utterly annulling the gift that he had made to Ziba. But why did he leave this treacherous man any thing? Answer, 1. He was one of the domestics of Saul, and David wished to show kindness to that house. 2. He had supplied him with the necessaries of life when he was in the greatest distress; and he thinks proper to continue him in his old office, by way of remuneration. But it was certainly too great a compensation for his services, however then important, when all the circumstances are considered.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לָ֛מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| תְּדַבֵּ֥ר | tedaber | are you speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| ע֖וֹד | od | still | H5750 → | 490 times |
| דְּבָרֶ֑יךָ | devareikha | words your | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אָמַ֕רְתִּי | ʾamarti | I say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְצִיבָ֔א | vetziva' | and Ziba | H6717 → | 16 times |
| תַּחְלְק֖וּ | tachleku | you will divide | H2505 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לוֹ֙to <the> him
lo
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לָ֛מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
תְּדַבֵּ֥רare you speaking
tedaberH1696 →1141 times
ע֖וֹדstill
odH5750 →490 times
דְּבָרֶ֑יךָwords your
devareikhaH1697 →1440 times
אָמַ֕רְתִּיI say
ʾamartiH559 →5305 times
אַתָּ֣הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְצִיבָ֔אand Ziba
vetziva'H6717 →16 times
תַּחְלְק֖וּyou will divide
tachlekuH2505 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃the field
hasadehH7704 →334 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
Proverbs 18:13He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.
it leads to
- John 7:51
“Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”
- Deuteronomy 13:14
then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,
- John 7:51
Through
Psalms 82:2“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I…
- Proverbs 18:5
Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Through
Psalms 101:5Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not endure.
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,
- Psalms 18:27
For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.
- Psalms 15:3
Through
Acts 18:15But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”
it leads to
- Acts 23:29
I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
- Acts 25:19
They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
- Acts 23:29
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; 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.