2 Samuel 16:3

3 The king said, "And where is your master's son?" Ziba said to the king, "He remains in Jerusalem; for he said, "Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.' "

2 Samuel 16:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 16:3

And the king said, and where [is] thy master's son?
&c.] The son of Saul, who was Ziba's master, meaning Mephibosheth:

and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he abideth at Jerusalem;
as there was reason for it, since he was lame of both his feet, ( 2 Samuel 9:13 ) , though he could have rode upon an ass, and followed the king, as he proposed to do; but his servant deceived him, and carried off the asses to serve a purpose for himself, see ( 2 Samuel 19:26 ) ;

for he said, today shall the house of Israel restore unto me the
kingdom of my father;
his father Saul; which was far from his thoughts; and a most wicked suggestion of his servant to blacken his character, and get his estate from him; nor was there the least probability of the kingdom coming to him, but all the reverse; for let it go how it would with David, Absalom, and not Mephibosheth, stood fair for the kingdom.

2 Samuel 16:3 In-Context

1 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred of summer fruits, and one skin of wine.

2 The king said to Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who faint in the wilderness."

3 The king said, "And where is your master's son?" Ziba said to the king, "He remains in Jerusalem; for he said, "Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.' "

4 Then the king said to Ziba, "All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." Ziba said, "I do obeisance; let me find favor in your sight, my lord the king."

5 When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out whose name was Shimei son of Gera; he came out cursing.