2 Samuel 9:10
New International Version
You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

New Living Translation
You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.” (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

English Standard Version
And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Berean Standard Bible
You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

King James Bible
Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

New King James Version
You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

New American Standard Bible
You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson will have food to eat; nevertheless Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

NASB 1995
“You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

NASB 1977
“And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food and eat of it; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table continually.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Amplified Bible
You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Christian Standard Bible
You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.

American Standard Version
And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you shall cultivate the land for him, you and your sons and your Servants, and you shall bring bread to the son of your Master and he shall eat, and Maphibshath, son of your Master, will be eating bread at my table continuously.” And Tsiba had fifteen sons and twenty Servants

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him; and thou shalt bring in bread to the son of thy lord, and he shall eat bread: and Memphibosthe the son of thy lord shall eat bread continually at my table. Now Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Contemporary English Version
You and your 15 sons and 20 servants will work for Mephibosheth. You will farm his land and bring in his crops, so that Saul's family and servants will have food. But Mephibosheth will always eat with me at my table."

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him: and thou shalt bring in food for thy master's son, that he may be maintained: and Miphiboseth the son of thy master shall always eat bread at my table. And Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You, your sons, and your servants should farm the land for him and harvest [the crops] so that your master's family will have food to eat. However, your master's grandson Mephibosheth will always eat at my table." (Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.)

Good News Translation
You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land for your master Saul's family and bring in the harvest, to provide food for them. But Mephibosheth himself will always be a guest at my table." (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

International Standard Version
You and your servants are to farm the land on his behalf and bring in the crops in order to provide for your master's grandson. Meanwhile, Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will always have a place at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and 20 servants.)

JPS Tanakh 1917
And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread continually at my table.' Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Literal Standard Version
and you have served the land for him, you and your sons, and your servants, and have brought in, and there has been bread for the son of your lord, and he has eaten it; and Mephibosheth, son of your lord, continually eats bread at my table”; and Ziba has fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Majority Standard Bible
You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

New American Bible
You and your sons and servants must till the land for him. You shall bring in the produce, which shall be food for your lord’s household to eat. But Meribbaal, your lord’s son, shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

NET Bible
You will cultivate the land for him--you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce and it will be food for your master's grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will be a regular guest at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

New Revised Standard Version
You and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him, and shall bring in the produce, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat; but your master’s grandson Mephibosheth shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

New Heart English Bible
You shall till the land for him, you, and your sons, and your servants, and you shall bring food into your master�s house that they may eat. But Mippibaal your master's son shall eat bread always at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

World English Bible
Till the land for him—you, your sons, and your servants. Bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth your master’s son will always eat bread at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Young's Literal Translation
and thou hast served for him the land, thou and thy sons, and thy servants, and hast brought in, and there hath been to the son of thy lord bread, and he hath eaten it; and Mephibosheth son of thy lord doth eat continually bread at my table;' and Ziba hath fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David and Mephibosheth
9Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11And Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all that my lord the king has commanded.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s own sons.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 9:7
"Do not be afraid," said David, "for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table."

2 Samuel 9:11
And Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do all that my lord the king has commanded." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's own sons.

2 Samuel 16:3
"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.'"

2 Samuel 19:28
For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?"

2 Samuel 21:7
Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.

1 Kings 2:7
But show loving devotion to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

Jeremiah 52:34
And the king of Babylon provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life, until the day of his death.


Treasury of Scripture

You therefore, and your sons, and your servants, shall till the land for him, and you shall bring in the fruits, that your master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

1 Kings 2:7
But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

2 Samuel 9:7,11-13
And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually…

2 Samuel 19:28
For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?

Jump to Previous
Alway Always Bread Continually Eat Fifteen Food Fruits Master's Mephibosheth Mephib'osheth Produce Servants Table Twenty Ziba
Jump to Next
Alway Always Bread Continually Eat Fifteen Food Fruits Master's Mephibosheth Mephib'osheth Produce Servants Table Twenty Ziba
2 Samuel 9
1. David by Ziba sends for Mephibosheth
7. For Jonathan's sake he restores to him all that was Saul's
9. He makes Ziba his farmer














Verse 10. - That thy master's son may have food to eat. Instead of "son," Hebrew ben, some commentators prefer the reading of a few Greek versions, namely, "house," Hebrew, beth. But the difficulty which they seek to avoid arises only from extreme literalness of interpretation. Though Mephibosheth ate at the king's table, he would have a household to maintain - for he had a wife and son - and other expenses; and his having "food to eat" includes everything necessary, as does our prayer for "daily bread." He would live at Jerusalem as a nobleman and Ziba would cultivate his estates, paying, as is usual in the East, a fixed proportion of the value of the produce to his master. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants (slaves). He had evidently thriven; for, beginning as a slave in Saul's household, he had now several wives and many slaves of his own, and had become a person of considerable importance. He would still remain so, though somewhat shorn both of wealth and dignity in becoming only Mephibosheth's farmer.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You
אַתָּה֩ (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

and your sons
וּבָנֶ֨יךָ (ū·ḇā·ne·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

and servants
וַעֲבָדֶ֜יךָ (wa·‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

are to work
וְעָבַ֣דְתָּ (wə·‘ā·ḇaḏ·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

the ground for him
הָאֲדָמָ֡ה (hā·’ă·ḏā·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127: Ground, land

and bring in [the harvest],
וְהֵבֵ֗אתָ (wə·hê·ḇê·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

so that your master’s
אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ (’ă·ḏō·ne·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

grandson
לְבֶן־ (lə·ḇen-)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

may have
וְהָיָ֨ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

food
לֶּ֙חֶם֙ (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

to eat.
וַאֲכָל֔וֹ (wa·’ă·ḵā·lōw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

But Mephibosheth,
וּמְפִיבֹ֙שֶׁת֙ (ū·mə·p̄î·ḇō·šeṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4648: Mephibosheth -- 'dispeller of shame'

your master’s
אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ (’ă·ḏō·ne·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

grandson,
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

is always
תָּמִ֛יד (tā·mîḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 8548: Continuance, constant, ellipt, the regular, sacrifice

to eat
יֹאכַ֥ל (yō·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

at
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

my table.”
שֻׁלְחָנִ֑י (šul·ḥā·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7979: A table, a meal

Now Ziba
וּלְצִיבָ֗א (ū·lə·ṣî·ḇā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6717: Ziba -- a servant in Saul's house

had fifteen
חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה (ḥă·miš·šāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 2568: Five

sons
בָּנִ֖ים (bā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

and twenty
וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים (wə·‘eś·rîm)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

servants.
עֲבָדִֽים׃ (‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant


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OT History: 2 Samuel 9:10 You shall till the land for him (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
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