2 Samuel 19:28

28 "For 1all my father's household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king; 2yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king?"

2 Samuel 19:28 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 19:28

For all [of] my, father's house were but dead men before my
lord the king
Or "men of death" F13; worthy of death, not on account of Saul's persecution, for which his family did not deserve to suffer; rather for the attempt of Ishbosheth to get the kingdom from him, which might be deemed treason, and so the family was tainted for it; though the sense may be only this, that their lives lay at his mercy, and that if he had dealt with rigour and severity towards them, as was usual for princes to do towards the family of their predecessors, who had any claim to the kingdom, put them to death, this would have been their case:

yet didst thou set thy servant among them that eat at thine own table;
which was showing him great kindness, and doing him great honour:

what right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
to ask any favour of him, or make any complaint to him.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (twm yvna) "viris mortis", Montanus.

2 Samuel 19:28 In-Context

26 So he answered, "O my lord , the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,' because your servant is lame.
27 "Moreover, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight.
28 "For all my father's household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king?"
29 So the king said to him, "Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, 'You and Ziba shall divide the land.' "
30 Mephibosheth said to the king, "Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house."

Cross References 2

  • 1. 2 Samuel 21:6-9
  • 2. 2 Sam 9:7, 10, 13

Footnotes 1

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