2 Samuel 19:26

26 And he saith, `My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for thy servant said, I saddle for me the ass, and ride on it, and go with the king, for thy servant [is] lame;

2 Samuel 19:26 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 19:26

And he answered, my lord, O king, my servant deceived me
His servant Ziba, who, instead of saddling an ass for him by his order, went off with that and another himself, ( 2 Samuel 16:1 ) ; for thy servant

said, I will saddle me an ass;
he not only determined this in his own mind, but gave orders to his servant to saddle one for him:

that I may ride thereon, and go to the king, because thy servant [is]
lame;
and could not walk afoot, being lame of both his feet, ( 2 Samuel 4:4 ) ( 2 Samuel 9:3 2 Samuel 9:13 ) .

2 Samuel 19:26 In-Context

24 And Mephibosheth son of Saul hath come down to meet the king -- and he prepared not his feet, nor did he prepare his upper lip, yea, his garments he washed not, even from the day of the going away of the king, till the day that he came in peace --
25 and it cometh to pass, when he hath come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king saith to him, `Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?'
26 And he saith, `My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for thy servant said, I saddle for me the ass, and ride on it, and go with the king, for thy servant [is] lame;
27 and he uttereth slander against thy servant unto my lord the king, and my lord the king [is] as a messenger of God; and do thou that which is good in thine eyes,
28 for all the house of my father have been nothing except men of death before my lord the king, and thou dost set thy servant among those eating at thy table, and what right have I any more -- even to cry any more unto the king?'
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.