2 Samuel 9:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do." So Mephibosheth ate at David 's table, like one of the king 's sons.

NIV: Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

NASB: Then Ziba said to the king, 'In accordance with everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.' So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.

CSB: Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do all my lord the king commands." So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons.

NLT: Ziba replied, 'Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.' And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.

KJV: Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

NKJV: Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”

In 2 Samuel 9:9–13, David unknowingly sets up a betrayal. He asked Saul's former servant, Ziba, if any of Saul's heirs are still alive. Ziba brings him Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son. David gives Mephibosheth Saul's land and tells Ziba and his sons to farm it. All goes well until the kingdom is in turmoil and Ziba tells David that Mephibosheth is vying for the crown. It's not true; it's Ziba's attempt to get the land for his own sons. Mephibosheth stays loyal to David, just like his father did (2 Samuel 16:1–4; 19:24–30).

In 2 Samuel 9, David keeps his promise to show kindness to Jonathan's children. Mephibosheth is Jonathan's only living son. David brings him to Jerusalem and gives him a place at the king's table as if he were David's own son. In addition, David gives full ownership of Saul's lands to Mephibosheth, telling Saul's servant Ziba that he and his sons now serve Saul's grandson as their new master. Ziba will later tell David Mephibosheth has betrayed him, but it's a lie: Ziba's attempt to keep the land for his own (2 Samuel 16:1–4; 19:24–30).

In 2 Samuel 9, David takes care of Jonathan's last son, as he promised (1 Samuel 20:14–17). David finds Jonathan's son Mephibosheth and invites him to Jerusalem. David gives Mephibosheth Saul's lands and tells Saul's former servant Ziba to farm the estate. In an attempt to keep the land for his own sons, Ziba will tell David that Mephibosheth betrayed him and is trying to regain the crown. When he can, Mephibosheth corrects the lie and rededicates himself to David (2 Samuel 16:1–4; 2 Samuel 19:24–30).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.