2 Samuel 9:1

David Finds Mephibosheth

9:1 ¹ Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family ²  of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”

2 Samuel 9:3

9:3 The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family, ³  that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.”

2 Samuel 16:2

16:2 The king asked Ziba, “Why did you bring these things?” ⁴  Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the loaves of bread ⁵  and the summer fruit are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the desert.” ⁶ 

[9:1]  ¹ sn 2 Samuel 9–20 is known as the Succession Narrative. It is a literary unit that describes David’s efforts at consolidating his own kingdom following the demise of King Saul; it also provides the transition to subsequent leadership on the part of David’s successor Solomon.

[9:1]  ² tn Heb “house.”

[9:3]  ³ tn Heb “house.”

[16:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “What are these to you?”

[16:2]  ⁶ 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.

[16:2]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds “to drink.”