II Samuel 19:17
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along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
There also came along with Shimei a thousand men of Benjamin, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants (see Sa2 9:10); and they went over the Jordan before the king, viz., through a ford, and the ferry-boat had crossed over to carry over the king's family, and to do whatever seemed good to him, i.e., to be placed at the king's sole disposal. And Shimei fell down before the king, בּעברו, i.e., "when he (David) was about to cross over the Jordan," not "when Shimei had crossed over the Jordan;" for after what has just been stated, such a remark would be superfluous: moreover, it is very doubtful whether the infinitive with בּ can express the sense of the pluperfect. Shimei said, "Let not my lord impute to me any crime, and do not remember how thy servant hath sinned."
Open source ↗We left David's army in triumph and yet David himself in tears: now here we have, I. His return to himself, by the persuasion of Joab (Sa2 19:1-8). II. His return to his kingdom from his present banishment. 1. The men of Israel were forward of themselves to bring him back (Sa2 19:9, Sa2 19:10). 2. The men of Judah were dealt with by David's agents to do it (Sa2 19:11-14) and did it (Sa2 19:15). III. At the king's coming over Jordan, Shimei's treason is pardoned (Sa2 19:16-23), Mephibosheth's failure is excused (Sa2 19:24-30), and Barzillai's kindness is thankfully owned, and recompensed to his son (Sa2 19:31-39). IV. The men of Israel quarrelled with the men of Judah, for not calling them to the ceremony of the king's restoration, which occasioned a new rebellion, an account of which we have in the next chapter (Sa2 19:40-43).
Open source ↗19:17 Ziba: See 16:1-4.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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And there was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king inquired, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied.
You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.