And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.
Parallel translations
- WEB Mephibosheth said to the king, “Yes, let him take all, because my lord the king has come in peace to his own house.”
- BSB And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!”
- NKJV Then Mephibosheth said to the king, “Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.”
- NASB And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.”
- NLT “Give him all of it,” Mephibosheth said. “I am content just to have you safely back again, my lord the king!”
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
Mephibosheth said Ziba could take everything, since he was simply glad the king had returned safely. It matters because his loyalty to David surpassed any concern for property.
Overview
Mephibosheth's willingness to surrender all the land revealed that his deepest joy was the king's safe return, not his own gain. His selflessness vindicated his earlier claim of faithfulness and contrasted sharply with Ziba's greed. The verse beautifully shows love for the king valued above earthly possessions.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Sam 1:26I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
- Acts 20:24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
- Phil 1:20According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
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 19:30 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.