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2 Samuel 16:2

Ziba

1 When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

“Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”

3 “Where is your master’s grandson?” asked the king. And Ziba answered, “Indeed, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my grandfather.’”

4 So the king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I humbly bow before you,” said Ziba. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king!”

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
“Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
KJV
And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
WEB
The king said to Ziba, “What do you mean by these?” Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that those who are faint in the wilderness may drink.”
ASV
And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king`s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink.
DARBY
And the king said to Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruits for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink.
BLB
And the king said to Ziba, “What [are] these to you?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys [are] for the house of the king to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those who are faint to drink in the wilderness.”
ÅB
Da sa kongen til Siba: Hva vil du med dette? Siba svarte: Asenene skal kongens husfolk ha til å ride på, og brødet og sommerfruktene skal være til mat for tjenerne, og vinen til drikke for dem som blir utmattet i ørkenen.
OTB
Kongen sa til Siba, "Hva mener du å gjøre med disse?" Siba sa, "Eslene er for kongens husstand å ri på, brødet og sommerfruktene er for de unge mennene å spise, og vinen er for den som blir trett i ørkenen å drikke."
B1930
Da sa kongen til Siba: Hvad vil du med dette? Siba svarte: Asenene skal kongens husfolk ha til å ride på, og brødet og sommerfruktene skal være til mat for tjenerne, og vinen til drikke for dem som blir utmattet i ørkenen.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 2 Samuel 17:29

    honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

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  • Judges 10:4

    He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.

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  • Judges 5:10

    You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder

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  • 2 Samuel 15:23

    Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.

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  • Ezekiel 37:18

    When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’

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  • 1 Samuel 25:27

    Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.

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  • Genesis 33:8

    “What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.

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  • Judges 8:4–5

    Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.

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