2 Samuel 16:1-2

David Receives Gifts from Ziba

16:1 When David had gone a short way beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a couple of donkeys that were saddled, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of summer fruit, ¹  and a container of wine.

16:2 The king asked Ziba, “Why did you bring these things?” ²  Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the loaves of bread ³  and the summer fruit are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the desert.” ⁴ 

2 Samuel 16:1

David Receives Gifts from Ziba

16:1 When David had gone a short way beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a couple of donkeys that were saddled, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of summer fruit, ⁵  and a container of wine.

2 Samuel 1:18

1:18 (He gave instructions that the people of Judah should be taught “The Bow.” ⁶  Indeed, it is written down in the Book of Yashar.) ⁷ 

Isaiah 32:8

32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;

his honorable character gives him security. ⁸ 

¹ tn Heb “a hundred summer fruit.”

² tn Heb “What are these to you?”

³ tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading וְהַלֶּחֶם (vÿhallekhem, “and the bread”) rather than וּלְהַלֶּחֶם (ulÿhallekhem, “and to the bread”) of the Kethib. The syntax of the MT is confused here by the needless repetition of the preposition, probably taken from the preceding word.

⁴ tn The Hebrew text adds “to drink.”

⁵ tn Heb “a hundred summer fruit.”

⁶ tn Heb “be taught the bow.” The reference to “the bow” is very difficult here. Some interpreters (e.g., S. R. Driver, P. K. McCarter, Jr.) suggest deleting the word from the text (cf. NAB, TEV), but there does not seem to be sufficient evidence for doing so. Others (cf. KJV) understand the reference to be elliptical, meaning “the use of the bow.” The verse would then imply that with the deaths of Saul and Jonathan having occurred, a period of trying warfare is about to begin, requiring adequate preparation for war on the part of the younger generation. Various other views may also be found in the secondary literature. However, it seems best to understand the word here to be a reference to the name of a song (i.e., “The Bow”), most likely the poem that follows in vv. 19-27 (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT); NIV “this lament of the bow.” To make this clear the words “the song of” are supplied in the translation.

⁷ sn The Book of Yashar is a noncanonical writing no longer in existence. It is referred to here and in Josh 10:12-13 and 1 Kgs 8:12-13. It apparently was “a collection of ancient national poetry” (so BDB 449 s.v. יָשָׁר).

⁸ tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”