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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Samuel 19:29

The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.”

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Mephibosheth;   Rashness;   Slander;   Ziba;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mephibosheth;   Ziba;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prophet;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mephibosheth;   Ziba;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Ziba;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Samuel, Books of;   Ziba;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Joram;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Mephibosheth ;   Ziba ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Mephibosheth;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Zi'ba;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Mephibosheth;   Samuel, Books of;   Ziba;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The king said to him, Why speak you any more of your matters? I say, You and Tziva divide the land.
King James Version
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
Lexham English Bible
Then the king said to him, "Why should you speak any more about the matter? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land."
English Standard Version
And the king said to him, "Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land."
New Century Version
The king said to him, "Don't say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will divide the land."
New English Translation
Then the king replied to him, "Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together."
Amplified Bible
The king said to him, "Why speak anymore of your affairs? I have said, 'You and Ziba shall divide the land.'"
New American Standard Bible
So the king said to him, "Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, 'You and Ziba shall divide the land.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the king said vnto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I haue said, Thou, and Ziba deuide the landes.
Legacy Standard Bible
So the king said to him, "Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.'"
Contemporary English Version
David answered, "You've said enough! I've decided to divide the property between you and Ziba."
Complete Jewish Bible
For all my father's household deserved death at the hand of my lord the king; nevertheless you placed your servant with those who eat at your own table. I deserve nothing more; so why should I come crying any more to the king?"
Darby Translation
And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
Easy-to-Read Version
The king said to Mephibosheth, "Don't say anything more about your problems. This is what I have decided: You and Ziba will divide the land."
George Lamsa Translation
And the king said to him, You have spoken more than enough, I have already commanded that you and Ziba shall divide the fields.
Good News Translation
The king answered, "You don't have to say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will share Saul's property."
Literal Translation
And the king said to him, Why do you speak any more of your matters? I have said, You and Ziba share the land.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The kynge sayde vnto him: What speakest thou yet more of thy matter? I haue sayde: Thou and Siba parte the londe betwene you.
American Standard Version
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
Bible in Basic English
And the king said, Say nothing more about these things. I say, Let there be a division of the land between Ziba and you.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king said vnto him: Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I haue saide, Thou and Ziba deuide the landes betweene you.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For all my father's house were deserving of death at the hand of my lord the king; yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet? or why should I cry any more unto the king?'
King James Version (1611)
And the king said vnto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I haue said, Thou and Ziba diuide the land.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any longer of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Siba shall divide the land.
English Revised Version
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
Berean Standard Bible
The king replied, "Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the kyng seide to hym, What spekist thou more? that that Y haue spoke is stidefast; thou and Siba depart possessyouns.
Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith to him, `Why dost thou speak any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba -- share ye the field.'
Update Bible Version
And the king said to him, Why speak anymore of your matters? I say, You and Ziba divide the land.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
World English Bible
The king said to him, Why speak you any more of your matters? I say, You and Ziba divide the land.
New King James Version
So the king said to him, "Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, "You and Ziba divide the land."'
New Living Translation
"You've said enough," David replied. "I've decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you."
New Life Bible
The king said to him, "Why speak any more of how things are with you? I have decided that you and Ziba should divide the land."
New Revised Standard
The king said to him, "Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then the king said unto him, Wherefore shouldst thou speak any further of thine affairs? I have said - Thou and Ziba, shall share the land.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then the king said to him: Why speakest thou any more? what I have said is determined: thou and Siba divide the possessions.
Revised Standard Version
And the king said to him, "Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land."
THE MESSAGE
"That's enough," said the king. "Say no more. Here's my decision: You and Ziba divide the property between you."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the king said to him, "Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, 'You and Ziba shall divide the land.'"

Contextual Overview

24Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. 25When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you come with me?” 26“My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said: ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride it and go with the king’—for your servant is lame. 27Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do whatever you think best. 28For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?” 29The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.”30Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all!”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why speakest: Job 19:16, Job 19:17, Proverbs 18:13, Acts 18:15

Thou: Deuteronomy 19:17-19, Psalms 82:2, Psalms 101:5

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 9:9 - I have given

Cross-References

Genesis 8:1
God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside.
Genesis 12:2
I will make you into a great nation,I will bless you,I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing.
Genesis 19:23
The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar.
Genesis 19:31
Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us as is the custom of all the land.
Genesis 19:32
Come, let’s get our father to drink wine so that we can sleep with him and preserve our father’s line.”
Genesis 19:33
So they got their father to drink wine that night, and the firstborn came and slept with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
Genesis 30:22
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb.
Deuteronomy 9:5
You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the Lord your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to fulfill the promise he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Nehemiah 13:14
Remember me for this, my God, and don’t erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services.
Nehemiah 13:22
Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the city gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king said unto him, why speakest thou any more of thy matters?.... Of his father's family, and the injuries done by them to David, and of the benefits and favours which he had received from David, or of his temporal affairs, of his estate, which David had given away to Ziba:

I have said, thou and Ziba divide the land; revoking his last grant to Ziba, which gave him all that belonged to Mephibosheth, 2 Samuel 16:4; he established his first decree, that Ziba should have half the profit of the land for tilling it, and the other half be given to Mephibosheth; he did not choose to punish Ziba for slandering his master, being inclined to clemency and mercy, and determined to show no severity at that time; and might be in some fear of Ziba, being a considerable man, lest he should raise a new insurrection, if he bore hard upon him; besides, he might have a large share in his affection, having made a present to him in the time of his distress, and was one of the first that came to meet him upon his return, 2 Samuel 19:17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Unable to get to the bottom of the story, and perhaps unwilling to make an enemy of Ziba, David compromised the matter by dividing the land, thus partially revoking his hasty sentence 2 Samuel 16:4. We still see the impatient temper of David.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 19:29. I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. — At first, David gave the land of Saul to Mephibosheth; and Ziba, his sons, and his servants, were to work that land; and to Mephibosheth, as the lord, he was to give the half of the produce. Ziba met David in his distress with provisions, and calumniated Mephibosheth: David, too slightly trusting to his misrepresentation, and supposing that Mephibosheth was actually such a traitor as Ziba represented him, made him on the spot a grant of his master's land. Now he finds that he has acted too rashly, and therefore confirms the former grant; i.e. that Ziba should cultivate the ground, and still continue to give to Mephibosheth, as the lord, the half of the produce. This was merely placing things in statu quo, and utterly annulling the gift that he had made to Ziba. But why did he leave this treacherous man any thing? Answer,

1. He was one of the domestics of Saul, and David wished to show kindness to that house.

2. He had supplied him with the necessaries of life when he was in the greatest distress; and he thinks proper to continue him in his old office, by way of remuneration.

But it was certainly too great a compensation for his services, however then important, when all the circumstances are considered.


 
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