2 Samuel 9:3
in 2 Samuel 9So 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame of his feet.
KJV
And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 9
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd the king said, is there not yet any of the house of Saul; that is, remaining or living: that I may show the kindness of God unto him? great kindness, some large favour or benefit; for the word God added to things, as to trees, mountains, &c. serves to set forth the excellency of them; and this kindness is in imitation of God, or such as he had sworn in the presence of God to show; and that is expressed in the same language, 1Sa 20:14, and Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son; a son still living: which is lame on his feet; on both his feet, as the Targum; of which occasion; see Gill on 2Sa 4:
This site's exposition
show the kindness of God
on 2 Samuel 9:3-4
David asks for someone “to whom I can show the kindness of God”, a phrase found only here, as John Gill and Adam Clarke note. Ziba answers with the one fact David needs, that there is still Jonathan's son, “lame in both feet”, living at the house of Machir.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
33 ), enough to replenish a country, and was yet so emptied that none of it appeared; but it was a matter of enquiry, Is there any left? See how the providence of God can empty full families; see how the sin of man will do it. Saul's was a bloody house, no marvel it was thus reduced, ch. xxi.
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The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul--On inquiry, Saul's land steward was found, who gave information that there still survived Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan who was five years old at his father's death, and whom David, then wandering in exile, had never seen.
That I may show the kindness of God unto him? - That is, the utmost, the highest degrees of kindness; as the hail of God, is very great hail, the mountains of God, exceeding high mountains: besides, this kindness was according to the covenant of God made between him and the family of Jonathan.
The words behind it
20 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 |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הַאֶ֨פֶס | haefes | ¿ [is] there not | H657 → | |
| ע֥וֹד | od | still | H5750 → | 490 times |
| אִישׁ֙ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְבֵ֣ית | leveit | of [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וְאֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה | veeeseh | so I may do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| עִמּ֖וֹ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| חֶ֣סֶד | chesed | [the] covenant loyalty of | H2617 → | 247 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֑ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| צִיבָא֙ | tziva' | Ziba | H6717 → | 16 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| ע֛וֹד | od | still | H5750 → | 490 times |
| בֵּ֥ן | ben | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לִיהוֹנָתָ֖ן | lihonatan | of Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| נְכֵ֥ה | nekheh | stricken of | H5223 → | |
| רַגְלָֽיִם׃ | raglayim | both feet | H7272 → | 247 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הַאֶ֨פֶס¿ [is] there not
haefesH657 →
ע֥וֹדstill
odH5750 →490 times
אִישׁ֙anyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לְבֵ֣יתof [the] house of
leveitH1004 →2046 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וְאֶעֱשֶׂ֥הso I may do
veeesehH6213 →2628 times
עִמּ֖וֹwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
חֶ֣סֶד[the] covenant loyalty of
chesedH2617 →247 times
אֱלֹהִ֑יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
צִיבָא֙Ziba
tziva'H6717 →16 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
ע֛וֹדstill
odH5750 →490 times
בֵּ֥ןa son
benH1121 →4930 times
לִיהוֹנָתָ֖ןof Jonathan
lihonatanH3083 →81 times
נְכֵ֥הstricken of
nekhehH5223 →
רַגְלָֽיִם׃both feet
raglayimH7272 →247 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
Luke 6:36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:1–2
Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
- Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- 1 Peter 1:15–16
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
- Ephesians 4:31
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
- Ephesians 5:1–2
Through
Deuteronomy 10:15Yet the LORD has set His affection on your fathers and loved them. And He has chosen you, their descendants after them, above all the peoples, even to this day.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:37
Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by His presence and great power,
- Deuteronomy 4:37
Through
2 Samuel 4:4And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 9:6
And when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he fell facedown in reverence. Then David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied.
- 1 Chronicles 9:40
The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal, who was the father of Micah.
- 1 Samuel 29:1
Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
- 2 Samuel 9:6
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.