2 Samuel

2 Samuel 16:1–4

1When 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.

2“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.’”

4So 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!”

Read all of 2 Samuel 16

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Samuel 16:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When Davidוְדָוִ֗דwə·ḏā·wiḏConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
had goneעָבַ֤ר‘ā·ḇarVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
a littleמְעַט֙mə·‘aṭAdjective - masculine singularH4592 a little, fewness, a few
beyond the summitמֵֽהָרֹ֔אשׁmê·hā·rōšPreposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine singularH7218 head
Zibaצִיבָ֛אṣî·ḇāNoun - proper - masculine singularH6717 Tsiba
the servantנַ֥עַרna·‘arNoun - masculine singular constructH5288 a shaking, scattering
ofמְפִי־mə·p̄î-PrepositionH4648 Mephibosheth
Mephiboshethבֹ֖שֶׁתḇō·šeṯNoun - proper - masculine singularH4648 Mephibosheth
was thereוְהִנֵּ֥הwə·hin·nêhConjunctive waw; InterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
to meet himלִקְרָאת֑וֹliq·rā·ṯōwPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singularH7122 encounter, befall
He had a pairוְצֶ֨מֶדwə·ṣe·meḏConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH6776 couple, pair
of saddledחֲבֻשִׁ֗יםḥă·ḇu·šîmVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine pluralH2280 bind, bind on, bind up
donkeysחֲמֹרִ֜יםḥă·mō·rîmNoun - masculine pluralH2543 heap
loaded withוַעֲלֵיהֶם֩wa·‘ă·lê·hemConjunctive waw; Preposition; third person masculine pluralH5921 height
two hundredמָאתַ֨יִםmā·ṯa·yimNumber - fdH3967 hundred
of breadלֶ֜חֶםle·ḥemNoun - masculine singularH3899 bread, food
a hundredוּמֵאָ֧הū·mê·’āhConjunctive waw; Number - feminine singularH3967 hundred
clusters of raisinsצִמּוּקִ֛יםṣim·mū·qîmNoun - masculine pluralH6778 bunch of raisins
a hundredוּמֵ֥אָהū·mê·’āhConjunctive waw; Number - feminine singularH3967 hundred
summer fruitsקַ֖יִץqa·yiṣNoun - masculine singularH7019 summer, summer-fruit
and a skinוְנֵ֥בֶלwə·nê·ḇelConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH5035 skin-bottle, skin
of wineיָֽיִן׃yā·yinNoun - masculine singularH3196 wine

2 Samuel 16:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whyמָה־māh-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
do you have theseאֵ֣לֶּה’êl·lehPronoun - common pluralH428 these
askedוַיֹּ֧אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
the kingהַמֶּ֛לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
Zibaצִ֠יבָאṣî·ḇāNoun - proper - masculine singularH6717 Tsiba
repliedוַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
The donkeysהַחֲמוֹרִ֨יםha·ḥă·mō·w·rîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH2543 heap
are for the king’sהַמֶּ֜לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
householdלְבֵית־lə·ḇêṯ-Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular constructH1004 house
to rideלִרְכֹּ֗בlir·kōḇPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH7392 mount and ride, ride
the breadוּלְהַלֶּחֶםū·lə·hal·lɛ·ḥɛmConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3899 bread, food
and summer fruitוְהַקַּ֙יִץ֙wə·haq·qa·yiṣConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singularH7019 summer, summer-fruit
are for the young menהַנְּעָרִ֔יםhan·nə·‘ā·rîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH5288 a shaking, scattering
to eatלֶאֱכ֣וֹלle·’ĕ·ḵō·wlPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH398 eat
and the wineוְהַיַּ֕יִןwə·hay·ya·yinConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3196 wine
is to refresh thoseלִשְׁתּ֥וֹתliš·tō·wṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH8354 drink
who become exhaustedהַיָּעֵ֖ףhay·yā·‘êp̄Article; Adjective - masculine singularH3287 weary, faint
in the wildernessבַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃bam·miḏ·bārPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH4057 mouth

2 Samuel 16:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whereוְאַיֵּ֖הwə·’ay·yêhConjunctive waw; InterrogativeH346 Where?
is your master’sאֲדֹנֶ֑יךָ’ă·ḏō·ne·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH113 lord
grandsonבֶּן־ben-Noun - masculine singular constructH1121 son
askedוַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
the kingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
And Zibaצִיבָ֜אṣî·ḇāNoun - proper - masculine singularH6717 Tsiba
answeredוַיֹּ֨אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Indeedהִנֵּה֙hin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
he is stayingיוֹשֵׁ֣בyō·wō·šêḇVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH3427 sit, remain, dwell
in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִַ֔םbî·rū·šā·limPreposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singularH3389 Jerusalem
forכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
he has saidאָמַ֔ר’ā·marVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Todayהַיּ֗וֹםhay·yō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
the houseבֵּ֣יתbêṯNoun - masculine singular constructH1004 house
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
will restoreיָשִׁ֤יבוּyā·šî·ḇūVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH7725 turn back, return
to meלִי֙lîPreposition; first person common singular
the kingdomמַמְלְכ֥וּתmam·lə·ḵūṯNoun - feminine singular constructH4468 kingdom, dominion, reign
of my grandfatherאָבִֽי׃’ā·ḇîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH1 father

2 Samuel 16:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So the kingהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
to Zibaלְצִבָ֔אlə·ṣi·ḇāPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH6717 Tsiba
Allכֹּ֖לkōlNoun - masculine singularH3605 the whole, all
thatאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
to Mephiboshethבֹ֑שֶׁתḇō·šeṯPreposition; Noun - proper - masculine singularH4648 Mephibosheth
is now yoursהִנֵּ֣הhin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
I humbly bow before youהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֔יתִיhiš·ta·ḥă·wê·ṯîVerb - Hitpael - Perfect - first person common singularH7812 bow down
saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Zibaצִיבָא֙ṣî·ḇāNoun - proper - masculine singularH6717 Tsiba
May I findאֶמְצָא־’em·ṣā-Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singularH4672 attain to, find
favorחֵ֥ןḥênNoun - masculine singularH2580 favour, grace
in your eyesבְּעֵינֶ֖יךָbə·‘ê·ne·ḵāPreposition-b; Noun - cdc; second person masculine singularH5869 eye
my lordאֲדֹנִ֥י’ă·ḏō·nîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH113 lord
the kingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Samuel 16:1 1 Samuel 25:18 · 2 Samuel 15:32 · Jeremiah 40:10 · 1 Chronicles 12:40 · Jeremiah 40:12 · 1 Samuel 17:17–18 · 2 Samuel 15:30 · 1 Samuel 10:3 · 2 Samuel 9:2–13 · Amos 8:1 · Proverbs 29:4–5 · 2 Samuel 17:27–29

2 Samuel 16:2 2 Samuel 17:29 · Judges 10:4 · Judges 5:10

2 Samuel 16:3 2 Samuel 9:9–10

2 Samuel 16:4 Proverbs 18:13 · Proverbs 18:17 · Exodus 23:8 · Deuteronomy 19:15 · Proverbs 19:2

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.