Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Lo-debar - Supposed to have been situated beyond Jordan; but there is nothing certain known concerning it.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

David reaped the fruit of his kindness to Mephibosheth, for, when he fled from Absalom, Machir, the son of Ammiel, was one of those who were most liberal in providing him and his army with necessaries (marginal reference). According to 1 Chronicles 3:5, Ammiel (called inversely Eliam, 2 Samuel 11:3) was the father of Bath-sheba. If this be the same Ammiel, Machir would be Bath-sheba‘s brother. However, the name is not a very uncommon one (Numbers 13:12; 1 Chronicles 26:5, etc.).

Lo-debar - Evidently on the east of Jordan River, and in the neighborhood of Ish-bosheth‘s capital, Mahanaim 2 Samuel 17:27, but not identified by any modern traveler. Thought by some, not improbably, to be the same as Debir Joshua 13:26.

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

"The king said to him, "Where is he"? And Ziba said to the king, "He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel at Lo-debar."

"Lo-debar" is thought to have been located in northeastern Palestine east of the Jordan River and not far from Mahanaim, Ishbosheth's capital.

"Machir the son of Ammiel." Ammiel is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:5 as the father of Bathshua (Bathsheba) the mother of Solomon; thus Machir was Bathsheba's brother, making him a brother-in-law of King David. Machir was a very wealthy person who out of his love for Saul's family had taken Saul's grandson, the son of Jonathan (Mephibosheth), into his estate and cared for him. This identifies Machir as a faithful and generous person; and additional proof of this came during the rebellion of Absalom when Machir also supported and substantially aided David.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And the king said unto him, where is he?.... In what part of the land, city, or town, does he dwell?

and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he is in the house of Machir,

the son of Ammiel; a descendant of Machir, the son of Manasseh, to whom the land of Gilead was given, which lay on the other side Jordan:

in Lodebar; a place in that country, perhaps the same with Debir in Joshua 13:26. Here it may be his mother's relations lived, and here he might dwell in obscurity, and lie hid from the knowledge of David; who, it might be feared by his friends, would have dispatched him, had he known where he was. Some take it to be an appellative, and render it, as Abarbinel observes, "without anything"; as if he was so poor that he had not anything to support himself with. No mention as yet is made of his name, perhaps because the historian had given it before, 2 Samuel 4:4.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Samuel 9:4 And the king said unto him, Where [is] he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he [is] in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

Ver. 4. Behold, he is in the house of Machir … in Lodebar.] Which was a place beyond Jordan. [2 Samuel 17:27] Here, in a remote part of the country, Mephibosheth secreted and secured himself; little thinking of any court preferment, which yet God was now providing for him: his motto might be,

“ Crede mihi bene qui latuit, bene vixit ”

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

In a place beyond Jordan, 2 Samuel 17:27, where his friends thought he might be kept out of David’s sight.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

4.Machir — Josephus calls him “the principal man of Gilead.” He also showed kindness to David when he fled from Absalom. 2 Samuel 17:27.

Lodebar — A town of Gilead, not far from Mahanaim, and probably identical with Debir of Joshua 13:26. Its site is unknown.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘And the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.” ’

When David enquired of his whereabouts Ziba informed him that he was under the protection of, and in the house of, Machir, the son of Ammiel (my kinsman is God), in Lo-debar (possibly the Lidebir of Joshua 13:26 RV margin). Machir was a very wealthy man living in Transjordan (probably not far from Mahanaim - 2 Samuel 17:27-29; compare Joshua 13:26), who would later prove his genuine loyalty to David by helping to provision him and his men when David himself was fleeing from Absalom (2 Samuel 17:27-29), an act of generosity and loyalty that could also have landed him in trouble if Absalom had been victorious. But when the news reached his house that Mephibosheth had been summoned into the kings presence he too must have felt some trepidation, both for himself (he would know that he himself could only too easily be accused of harbouring a rival claimant to the throne) and for Mephibosheth. Indeed it is very probable that the depth of his love and admiration for David was increased by this incident, even though David would have been totally unaware that he was casting his bread upon the waters which would in future return manifold (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

2 Samuel 9:4. He is in the house of Machir — This Machir appears to have been a generous man, who entertained Mephibosheth out of mere compassion, not of disaffection to David: for afterward we find him kind to David himself, when he fled from Absalom. David now little thought that the time would come when he himself should need his assistance. Let us be forward to give, because we know not what we ourselves may some time want.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Lodabar, probably on the east side of the Jordan. (Calmet) --- Machir was a powerful man of the tribe of Manasses. (Menochius)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

Lo-debar = no pasture. Where the sinner is until found by God " s free grace.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Machir

17:27-29

Lo-debar

This place appears to have been situated beyond Jordan; and was probably, as Reland supposes, the same as Debir or Lidbir, Jos 13:26.