2 Samuel 9:2

2 There was of the house of Sha'ul a servant whose name was Tziva, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, Are you Tziva? He said, Your servant is he.

2 Samuel 9:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 9:2

And [there was] of the house of Saul a servant whose name [was]
Ziba
Or there was a servant that belonged to Saul's family; not that any of Saul's family was a servant; and this servant the Jews commonly say was a Canaanitish servant, and who upon the death of his master was not made free, but became the inheritance and possession of his children after him, ( Leviticus 25:46 ) ; though Josephus ^F14 says he was made free by Saul:

and when they had called him unto David;
who it seems was now at court, or in Jerusalem, on some account or another; or was in David's service, in some inferior post or another; however, having been a quondam servant of Saul, it was thought he could give the best intelligence of his family, and whether any were living, and therefore was sent for; and when he was come into the king's presence,

the king said unto him, [art] thou Ziba?
for he had been told before by some of his courtiers what his name was:

and he said, thy servant [is he];
or my name is Ziba, and I am at thy command.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 5.

2 Samuel 9:2 In-Context

1 David said, Is there yet any who is left of the house of Sha'ul, that I may show him kindness for Yonatan's sake?

2 There was of the house of Sha'ul a servant whose name was Tziva, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, Are you Tziva? He said, Your servant is he.

3 The king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Sha'ul, that I may show the kindness of God to him? Tziva said to the king, Yonatan has yet a son, who is lame of his feet.

4 The king said to him, Where is he? Tziva said to the king, Behold, he is in the house of Makhir the son of `Ammi'el, in Lo-Devar.

5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Makhir the son of `Ammi'el, from Lo-Devar.