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.
Parallel translations
- 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.”
- 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.”
- NKJV And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?” So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”
- NASB And the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “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, for whoever is weary in the wilderness to drink.”
- NLT “What are these for?” the king asked Ziba. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ziba explains the donkeys, food, and wine are for the king's household and weary travelers. He presents himself as David's thoughtful supporter.
Overview
Ziba details how each gift will serve David's people in the wilderness, reinforcing his appearance of devotion. The provision is genuinely useful to the exhausted refugees. Still, the narrative invites caution, since Ziba's generosity is paired with a self-serving charge against Mephibosheth.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 2 Sam 17:29And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
- Judg 10:4And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
- Judg 5:10Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
- 2 Sam 15:23And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
- 1 Sam 14:28Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.
- Gen 33:8And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
- 1 Sam 25:27And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
- Ezek 37:18And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
- 2 Sam 15:1And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
- Prov 31:6–7Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
- 2 Sam 19:26And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.
- Judg 8:4–5And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
- Gen 21:29And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 16:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.