Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Ziba said, “I bow down. Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king.”
Parallel Translations
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Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Ziba said, “I bow down. Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king.”
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Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
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Then said the king to Ziba: 'Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth.' And Ziba said: 'I prostrate myself; let me find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.'
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to 2 Samuel 16:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Proverbs 18:13 He who answers before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.
- Proverbs 18:17 He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.
- Exodus 23:8 “You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.
- Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
- Proverbs 19:2 It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge, nor being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way.
- 2 Samuel 14:4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
- 2 Samuel 14:10-11 The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.” Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
- 2 Samuel 14:22 Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Hebrew, I worship.
Hebrew, I worship.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Sa 16:4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold,…
2Sa 16:4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine [are] all that [pertained] unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee [that] I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
Ver. 4. Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth.] Thus poor Mephibosheth is condemned and punished causa inaudita, before he was heard speak for himself: so was the Lord Cromwell in Henry VIII’s time. His enemies durst not bring him to his answer, nor try him by his peers; but procured an Act of attainder, whereby he was condemned, before he was heard: yet the king not long after his death repented that haste, wishing him alive again, &c. David had good cause to repent and retract this his error; but did it to the halves: where we may easily observe that the best men are but men; and that it is a very dangerous thing for a magistrate to receive gifts. Olim didici quid sint munera, said one.
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And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee.] Flattering Ziba doth more harm to good David, than railing Shimei Beware of such flatters, Oι κολακες κοραχες
That I may find grace in thy sight.] Utinam semper ira me ames. {a} I do highly esteem thy gift, but much more thy favour. So should we do God’s as that which sugareth all comforts, and is the mother blessing. When Cyrus had given Artabazus a cup of gold, and Chrysantas a kiss in token of his special favour, Artabazus was discontented, and said that the kiss was better gold than the cup. {b}
{a} Vatab.
{b} Xenoph.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth; a rash…
Thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth; a rash sentence, and unrighteous, to condemn a man unheard, upon the single testimony of his accuser and servant. But David’s mind was both clouded by the deep sense of his calamity, and biassed by Ziba’s great and seasonable kindness, And he might think that Ziba would not dare to accuse his master of so great a crime, which, if false, might so easily be disproved.
I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight: thy favour is more to me than this gift; which, as a token of thy favour, I accept with all thankfulness.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then said the king to Ziba, behold, thine are…
Then said the king to Ziba, behold, thine are all that pertaineth to Mephibosheth,.... Being forfeited to the king by an overt act of treason as they had been before by the rebellion of Ishbosheth, but had been graciously restored to Mephibosheth; and had it been true what Ziba suggested, it would have been a righteous thing to have taken them from him; though it seems to be too hasty a step in David to take and give them away without further inquiry:
and Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king; he had found favour already, but seems not to be sufficiently thankful for it, and satisfied with it, but craved more and other favours, when opportunity should serve.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Behold - A rash sentence, and unrighteous to condemn…
Behold - A rash sentence, and unrighteous to condemn a man unheard, upon the single testimony of his accuser, and servant. Find grace - Thy favour is more to me, than this gift; which, as a token of thy favour, I accept with all thankfulness.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. Thine are all] This conduct of David…
Verse 4. Thine are all] This conduct of David was very rash; he spoiled an honourable man to reward a villain, not giving himself time to look into the circumstances of the case. But David was in heavy afflictions, and these sometimes make even a wise man mad. Nothing should be done rashly; he who is in the habit of obeying the first impulse of his passions or feelings, will seldom do a right action, and never keep a clear conscience.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain All. In the East, crimes are generally punished with…
All. In the East, crimes are generally punished with the loss of goods. (Calmet) --- Kings. He intimates that he had not spoken against his master, with a design to obtain his effects. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. Then said the king to Ziba — David’s…
4. Then said the king to Ziba — David’s mind was excited, and unprepared to weigh the words of this slave. It was very unlikely that Mephibosheth would entertain the hope of attaining the kingdom of his grandfather Saul, for the adherents of Absalom could not think of preferring before him the crippled son of the half-forgotten Jonathan. But after he heard that his own former familiar friend Ahithophel had turned against him, he knew not how far the conspiracy might extend.
And Ziba said — The cunning slave acknowledged the king’s favour with words characteristic of eastern sycophancy and politeness.
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I humbly beseech thee — Literally, I have bowed myself; I shall find favour in thy eyes. He was in an ecstasy of joy over his good fortune.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. Behold, thine are all, &c.] David was rash…
4. Behold, thine are all, &c.] David was rash and hasty in thus treating his grant to Mephibosheth as forfeited by treason without a word of inquiry. This unreflecting impetuosity was a marked fault of his character. Cp. 1Sa_25:13 ff.
I humbly beseech thee, &c.] Rather, I bow myself down:—equivalent to our “I lay myself at thy feet,” an Oriental expression of gratitude:—let me find favour in thine eyes, my lord, O king. Cp. 1Sa_1:18.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (4) I humbly beseech thee that I may find…
(4) I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace.—Literally, I bow myself down; let me find favour.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain I humbly beseech thee that, etc. The words are…
I humbly beseech thee that, etc. The words are really a form of grateful acceptance. "I do obeisance" (see margin), that is, "I make my humble bow: may I find favour," etc.; may the king continue to look favourably upon me.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.