The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”
Parallel translations
- WEB The king said to him, “Why do you speak any more of your matters? I say, you and Ziba divide the land.”
- KJV And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
- NKJV So the king said to him, “Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, ‘You and Ziba divide the land.’ ”
- NASB So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’ ”
- NLT “You’ve said enough,” David replied. “I’ve decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you.”
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
David ended the dispute by ordering Mephibosheth and Ziba to divide the land. It matters because the king rendered a swift, if imperfect, judgment amid conflicting claims.
Overview
Rather than fully restoring Mephibosheth or punishing Ziba, David split the estate between them, perhaps weary of unresolvable testimony. Faithful readers note David's ruling seems less than fully just, possibly reflecting his diminished vigor after the rebellion. The verse shows that even godly judges may render incomplete justice, pointing to the need for a perfectly righteous Judge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Prov 18:13He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.
- Ps 101:5Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not endure.
- Acts 18:15But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”
- Deut 19:17–19both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
- Ps 82:2“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
- Job 19:16–17I call for my servant, but he does not answer, though I implore him with my own mouth.
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 19:29 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.