2 Samuel 9:10

10 You are to work the land for him, you, your sons and your slaves. Harvest the crops, so that your master's [grand]son will have food to feed his family; but M'fivoshet your master's [grand]son will always eat at my table."Tziva had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.

2 Samuel 9:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 9:10

Thou therefore, thy sons, and thy servants
Which were many, and whose numbers are after given:

shall till the land for him;
manure it, plough it, sow it, and reap it:

and thou shall bring in [the fruits];
the corn, and oil, and wine, the land produces:

that thy master's son may have food to eat;
meaning either Micha, the son of Mephibosheth, since Mephibosheth seems to be distinguished from him, and opposed to him in the next clause: and who would stand in no need of food from any other quarter, being a guest at the king's table continually; or else Mephibosheth, who by this means would have a sufficiency for his son and servants, and in which Ziba's family and servants would have a share:

but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat always at my table;
wherefore the land was to be tilled not for him personally, but for his family, and for what uses he should think fit to put the produce of it to:

now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants:
who were enough to cultivate a considerable quantity of land.

2 Samuel 9:10 In-Context

8 He prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant that makes you pay such attention to a dead dog like me?"

9 The king called to Tziva, Sha'ul's servant, and said to him, "I have given everything Sha'ul and his family owned to your master's [grand]son.

10 You are to work the land for him, you, your sons and your slaves. Harvest the crops, so that your master's [grand]son will have food to feed his family; but M'fivoshet your master's [grand]son will always eat at my table."Tziva had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.

11 Tziva said to the king, "Your servant will do everything my lord the king commands his servant, although M'fivoshet has been eating at my table as one of the king's descendants."

12 M'fivoshet had a young son whose name was Mikha. Everyone living in Tziva's house was a servant of M'fivoshet.