2 Samuel 19:27

27 Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king.^[a] But my lord the king is like the Angel of God,^[b] so do whatever you think best.^[c]

2 Samuel 19:27 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 19:27

And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king
By suggesting that he stayed at Jerusalem with a view to the kingdom, hoping that the quarrel between David and Absalom would issue in the restoration of it to his father's family; which was a mere calumny, he having had no such thought, nor was there any foundation for it:

but my lord the king [is] an angel of God;
for understanding and wisdom, to discern the falsehood of such suggestions:

do therefore [what is] good in thine eyes;
condemn him or acquit him; reject him or receive him into favour; he entirely submitted himself to him, to do with him as seemed good in his sight.

2 Samuel 19:27 In-Context

25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, "Mephibosheth, why didn't you come with me?"

26 "My lord the king," he replied, "my servant [Ziba] betrayed me. Actually your servant said: 'I'll saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride it and go with the king'-for your servant is lame.

27 Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the Angel of God, so do whatever you think best.

28 For my grandfather's entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?"

29 The king said to him, "Why keep on speaking about [these] matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land."

Footnotes

• [a]. 2 Sm 16:1-4
• [b]. 2 Sm 14:17,20
• [c]. Lit do what is good in your eyes