2 Samuel 16:1-9

Ziba Brings Provisions

1 Now David passed a little from beyond the summit, and suddenly Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth [was] there to meet him [with] a pair of saddled donkeys; on them [were] two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred raisin cakes, [with] a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine.
2 The king said to Ziba, "{What do you want to accomplish by bringing these}?" And Ziba said, "The donkeys [are] for the king's household to ride [on]; the bread and the summer fruit [are] for the young men to eat, and the wine [is] for the faint in the wilderness to drink.
3 Then the king said, "Where [is] the son of your lord?" And Ziba said to the king, "He [is] living in Jerusalem for he said, 'Today the house of Israel shall return the kingdom of my father to me.'"
4 The king said to Ziba, "Look, all that [was] Mephibosheth's is yours." Ziba said, "I hereby do obeisance; may I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king."

Shimei Curses David

5 King David came up to Bahurim and suddenly a man from there [was] coming out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name [was] Shimei the son of Gera. {He was cursing as he came out}.
6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David and at all the people and at all the mighty warriors on his right and on his left.
7 Shimei said while cursing him, "Go out, go out, [you] {man of bloodshed}, [you] {man of wickedness}.
8 Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul {whom you have supplanted as king}, and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you [are] in disaster for you [are] a man of blood."
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head."

2 Samuel 16:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 16

In this chapter is an account of Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, getting his inheritance by misrepresentation of him, and by presents to David, 2Sa 16:1-4; and of Shimei's cursing David as he passed along, which David bore patiently, and would not suffer others to avenge it on him, 2Sa 16:5-14; and of Hushai's offer of his service to Absalom, who admitted him to be of his privy council, 2Sa 16:15-19; and of the counsel which Ahithophel gave, 2Sa 15:20-23.

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Literally "What are these to you?"
  • [b]. Literally "[He was] coming out, coming out and cursing"
  • [c]. Literally "man of bloods"
  • [d]. Literally "and man of the wickedness"
  • [e]. Literally "who you have reigned in place of him"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.