2 Samuel 9:10
in 2 Samuel 9You 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 always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
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.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThou 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.
This site's exposition
all that pertained to Saul and to all his house
on 2 Samuel 9:9-10
David turns from Mephibosheth to Ziba and hands over the whole estate in one sentence, then sets Ziba's own household, fifteen sons and twenty servants, to work it. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the size of that household as the very equipage that will let Mephibosheth live as one of the king's sons rather than simply receive an income. Clarke notes that Ziba keeps half the produce for his labor, so the arrangement rewards the servant who told David the truth as well as the son David chose to honor.
This site's exposition
to work the ground for him
Adam Clarke reads the harvest as the support of the household and of Mica, while Mephibosheth himself ate at the king's table. Matthew Henry reckons him well placed to grow rich. Much came in, and he had little to spend.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
David's Kindness to Jonathan's Son. 1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? 2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:93%@v1-3
Thou therefore, thy sons, and thy servants,....
Thus Mephibosheth is made very easy, having a good estate without care, and is in a fair way of being very rich, having much coming in and little occasion to spend, himself being kept at David's table.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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."
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Fifteen sons ... - See 2Sa 19:17, marginal reference.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
So will your servant do. Mephivoshes will eat at my table. Tsivoh said, "So will your servant do." And Dovid responded, "Mephivoshes will eat at my table.
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. 6 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
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָבַ֣דְתָּ | veavadta | and you will work | H5647 → | 288 times |
| לּ֣וֹ | lo | for <the> him | ||
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֲדָמָ֡ה | haadamah | the land | H127 → | 225 times |
| אַתָּה֩ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וּבָנֶ֨יךָ | uvaneikha | and sons your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַעֲבָדֶ֜יךָ | vaavadeikha | and servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וְהֵבֵ֗אתָ | veheveta | and you will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְהָיָ֨ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְבֶן־ | leven- | for [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ | ʾadoneikha | master<s> your | H113 → | 333 times |
| לֶּ֙חֶם֙ | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וַאֲכָל֔וֹ | vaakhalo | and he will eat it | H398 → | 810 times |
| וּמְפִיבֹ֙שֶׁת֙ | umefivoshet | and Mephibosheth | H4648 → | 18 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ | ʾadoneikha | master<s> your | H113 → | 333 times |
| יֹאכַ֥ל | yokhal | he will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| תָּמִ֛יד | tamid | continually | H8548 → | 104 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שֻׁלְחָנִ֑י | shulchani | table my | H7979 → | 71 times |
| וּלְצִיבָ֗א | uletziva' | and [belonged] to Ziba | H6717 → | 16 times |
| חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה | chamishah | fif- | H2568 → | 343 times |
| עָשָׂ֛ר | ʾasar | teen | H6240 → | 338 times |
| בָּנִ֖ים | banim | sons | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים | veesrim | and twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| עֲבָדִֽים׃ | ʾavadim | servants | H5650 → | 799 times |
וְעָבַ֣דְתָּand you will work
veavadtaH5647 →288 times
לּ֣וֹfor <the> him
lo
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֲדָמָ֡הthe land
haadamahH127 →225 times
אַתָּה֩you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וּבָנֶ֨יךָand sons your
uvaneikhaH1121 →4930 times
וַעֲבָדֶ֜יךָand servants your
vaavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
וְהֵבֵ֗אתָand you will bring
vehevetaH935 →2568 times
וְהָיָ֨הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
לְבֶן־for [the] son of
leven-H1121 →4930 times
אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָmaster<s> your
ʾadoneikhaH113 →333 times
לֶּ֙חֶם֙food
lechemH3899 →298 times
וַאֲכָל֔וֹand he will eat it
vaakhaloH398 →810 times
וּמְפִיבֹ֙שֶׁת֙and Mephibosheth
umefivoshetH4648 →18 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָmaster<s> your
ʾadoneikhaH113 →333 times
יֹאכַ֥לhe will eat
yokhalH398 →810 times
תָּמִ֛ידcontinually
tamidH8548 →104 times
לֶ֖חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שֻׁלְחָנִ֑יtable my
shulchaniH7979 →71 times
וּלְצִיבָ֗אand [belonged] to Ziba
uletziva'H6717 →16 times
חֲמִשָּׁ֥הfif-
chamishahH2568 →343 times
עָשָׂ֛רteen
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
בָּנִ֖יםsons
banimH1121 →4930 times
וְעֶשְׂרִ֥יםand twenty
veesrimH6242 →315 times
עֲבָדִֽים׃servants
ʾavadimH5650 →799 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 9:7“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…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 9:1
Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?”
- 2 Samuel 9:3
So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.”
- 2 Samuel 9:1
Through
2 Kings 25:29So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life.
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…
- Isaiah 61:3
to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be…
- Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
- 2 Samuel 9:7
Through
Luke 14:15When 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.”
it leads to
- Revelation 19:9
Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
- Luke 22:30
so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Luke 13:29
People will come from east and west and north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.
- Revelation 19:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.