'Is there yet any left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?' Mephibosheth, lame on both his feet, is brought from Lo-debar and eats bread at the king's table continually.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And David said: ‘Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’
verse value 4003
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jonathan" (יְהוֹנָתָֽן, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "is·there·yet" (יֶשׁ־ע֔וֹד), "left" (נוֹתַ֖ר). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Saul', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּוִ֔ד [David] (14) + הֲכִ֣י [is·it·because] (35) + יֶשׁ־ע֔וֹד [is·there·yet] (390) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + נוֹתַ֖ר [left] (656) + לְבֵ֣ית [to·the·house·of] (442) + שָׁא֑וּל [Saul] (337) + וְאֶעֱשֶׂ֤ה [and·I·will·make] (382) + עִמּוֹ֙ [with] (116) + חֶ֔סֶד [goodness] (72) + בַּעֲב֖וּר [for·the·sake·of] (280) + יְהוֹנָתָֽן [Jonathan] (521) = 4003.
Radak
"Is there yet [anyone]?" In the sense of the interrogative [ha'im, "whether/is it that"], and so [also], "Have I said, 'Give to me'?" [Job 6:22]. And the reason [Scripture] mentions this matter is that since he had prevailed in the wars and was at rest, and had set the officials and the officers in order, he recalled to mind the oath of Jonathan: that if there were among his offspring a worthy and fitting man, he would appoint him, as Jonathan had said to him, "And I will be your deputy." Therefore he asked whether any of the house of Saul remained, that he might do kindness with him for Jonathan's sake.
Ralbag
And behold it relates that it was from the goodness of David's heart that he was aroused to do kindness to the remainder of the house of Saul, and for this he placed Mephibosheth son of Jonathan at his table to eat, and returned to him all the field of Saul his father.
Metzudat David
Is there yet any that remains. Is there yet anyone remaining:
Metzudat Zion
Hakhi. The 'ki' serves in place of 'im' (if).
Malbim
The questions: And did David not know the number of Saul’s house, since he was the king’s son-in-law? He should have said: “Is there still remaining any of Saul’s house?”
"Is there still anyone remaining of the house of Saul?" It is clarified (from the fact that it did not say, "Is there still one remaining of the house of Saul?") that he knew from the survivors of the house of Saul that David was the king's son-in-law, and how could he not know the number of the men of his father-in-law's house? And he knew that his three sons had fallen in battle, and that a son remained to Jonathan, and of the seven men of his sons who were impaled by the Gibeonites — only that once David's hand grew strong, they feared for their lives, lest he kill them, like the kings of old who used to kill even their own brothers so that they would not rebel, and all the more so the seed of the first king. And they hid themselves all the days until their tracks were not known. Therefore, he asked if there is still any remaining of the house of Saul, meaning, are they still alive? And according to the explanation of Abarbanel, who held that [David] wished to appoint from them princes and judges, this follows from what was stated in the previous section, that David appointed princes and judges and those who saw the king's face. And then he asked if there is still any remaining of the house of Saul, a man of valor fit to be appointed, and he would do kindness with him to elevate him for the sake of Jonathan. And from what was stated, "for the sake of Jonathan," his intention was revealed, that his main purpose was to elevate the seed of Jonathan, his friend, between whom there was an oath of God. And when the king publicized his desire, nevertheless not one from the house of Saul came out from the holes in which they had hidden themselves.
Now there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him: ‘Are you Ziba?’ And he said: ‘Your servant is he.’
verse value 2986
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. The shortest word is "servant" (עֶ֙בֶד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·called·to·him" (וַיִּקְרְאוּ־ל֖וֹ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·to·the·house·of" (וּלְבֵ֨ית), "and·they·called·to·him" (וַיִּקְרְאוּ־ל֖וֹ). The root עבד appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "to·David" (root איל, 202x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root ציבא ("Ziba") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·David', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וּלְבֵ֨ית [and·to·the·house·of] (448) + שָׁא֥וּל [Saul] (337) + עֶ֙בֶד֙ [servant] (76) + וּשְׁמ֣וֹ [and·his·name] (352) + צִיבָ֔א [Ziba] (103) + וַיִּקְרְאוּ־ל֖וֹ [and·they·called·to·him] (359) + אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד [to·David] (45) + וַיֹּ֨אמֶר [and·said] (257) + הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ [king] (95) + אֵלָ֛יו [to·him] (47) + הַאַתָּ֥ה [are·you] (411) + צִיבָ֖א [Ziba] (103) + וַיֹּ֥אמֶר [and·said] (257) + עַבְדֶּֽךָ [Your·servant] (96) = 2986.
Radak
"And to the house of Saul he was a servant." He was a Canaanite slave, and he belonged to Saul and to his household after him, as it is written, "And you shall keep them as an inheritance for your children after you" (Leviticus 25:46). And the sons of Ziba and all his servants were slaves to the house of Saul, as it is stated, "And all the members of Ziba's household were servants to Mephibosheth" (2 Samuel 9:12), for the slaves, their children, and all that they possessed belonged to their masters. And so it appears from the words of our Sages of blessed memory, that Ziba was a Canaanite slave. And so it appears from the verses. And if you were to say, "If so, what did David give him when he said, 'Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is yours'" (2 Samuel 16:4)? Is it not the case that whatever a slave acquires, his master acquires? Nevertheless, it was the king's decree, and the king has the power to take from one and give to another.
Metzudat David
A slave. He was a Canaanite slave:
"Your servant": This means: I, your servant — I am Ziba.
Malbim
And the house of Saul had a servant [who was] the steward of his household; they summoned him to inquire from him where they were. And as for what the king said, "Are you Ziba?"—this too can be interpreted as asking him whether he was still Ziba, meaning an unfreed slave, or whether he had been freed from the house of Saul, for those who were freed would change their names to a Jewish name, like converts. And he replied, "Your servant," meaning that he is still a servant.
And the king said: ‘Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?’ And Ziba said to the king: ‘Jonathan has yet a son, who is lame on his feet.’
verse value 3851
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 78 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "son·of" (בֵּ֥ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Jonathan" (לִיהוֹנָתָ֖ן, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "is·there·none" (הַאֶ֨פֶס), "to·Jonathan" (לִיהוֹנָתָ֖ן). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "to·the·king" (root איל, 202x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Radak
"Is there yet a man?" – Does it not mean "Is there no one else?" And I wonder why Jonathan's Targum rendered it, "Is there [any]?"
“The kindness of God.” Because of the oath of God that was between them:
"Smitten in the legs." As its Targum [renders it]: "He was lame in his two legs," meaning that he was injured when he fell, and both of his legs were crippled. And "smitten" [nakheh] is an adjective in the construct form.
Metzudat David
"Is there yet none?" And is there not yet a man of the house of Saul? This is a rhetorical question, for surely there is still one remaining. And I will do for him a great and abundant kindness. For when one wishes to magnify something, he supports it with the word "God." Similarly, [it is written in] 1 Samuel 15: "And there was a great fear of God."
"Yet another son." There remained yet another son.
"Crippled of feet." This refers to one who has a broken foot and limps.
Metzudat Zion
The nothing. The none, and so (Genesis 47:15): the money is gone.
Stricken. A matter of breaking, and so (II Kings 23:29): Pharaoh Necho.
Malbim
"Is there no other man?"—this implies that no other man came to receive kindness. And according to Abarbanel, the phrase "Is there no man" is precise, meaning "Is there no man worthy of being appointed?" And he added, "And I will show him a divine kindness," in order to include all the house of Saul, even though he is not of the seed of Jonathan, for it did not say, "for the sake of Jonathan." And he replied to him that a son of Jonathan was found, but he was lame in his feet and unfit to be appointed.
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.’
verse value 2183
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "he" (ה֑וּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·said·to·him" (וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "where?" (אֵיפֹ֣ה), "behold·he" (הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא), "in·Lo" (בְּל֥וֹ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said·to·him" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "to·the·king" (root איל, 202x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root מכיר ("Machir") in II Samuel. First appearance of the root לו ("in·Lo") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ [and·said·to·him] (293) + הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ [king] (95) + אֵיפֹ֣ה [where?] (96) + ה֑וּא [he] (12) + וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + צִיבָא֙ [Ziba] (103) + אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [to·the·king] (126) + הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא [behold·he] (72) + בֵּ֛ית [house·of] (412) + מָכִ֥יר [Machir] (270) + בֶּן־עַמִּיאֵ֖ל [son·of·Ammiel] (203) + בְּל֥וֹ [in·Lo] (38) + דְבָֽר [Debar] (206) = 2183.
Radak
Be-lo davar [i.e., in Lo-debar]. A place name:
Metzudat Zion
Where. Where here:
House of Makir. In the house of Makir, and the bet of use is lacking, and like it many.
Bilo-debar [in Lo-debar]. A place name, 'Lo-debar'.
Malbim
Behold, he is in the house of Machir; he is hiding there.
Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
verse value 1805
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Ammiel" (בֶּן־עַמִּיאֵ֖ל, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·he·took·him" (וַיִּקָּחֵ֗הוּ), "from·Lo" (מִלּ֥וֹ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "Debar" (root דבר, 107x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח [and·he·sent] (354) + הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [king] (95) + דָּוִ֑ד [David] (14) + וַיִּקָּחֵ֗הוּ [and·he·took·him] (135) + מִבֵּ֛ית [from·the·house·of] (452) + מָכִ֥יר [Machir] (270) + בֶּן־עַמִּיאֵ֖ל [son·of·Ammiel] (203) + מִלּ֥וֹ [from·Lo] (76) + דְבָֽר [Debar] (206) = 1805.
And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and prostrated himself. And David said: ‘Mephibosheth! ’ And he answered: ‘Behold your servant! ’
verse value 4476
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jonathan" (בֶּן־יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 832: Mephibosheth, Mephibosheth. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "upon·his·face" (עַל־פָּנָ֖יו). The root מפיבשת appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "to·David" (root איל, 202x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·bowed·down', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַ֠יָּבֹ֠א [and·came] (19) + מְפִיבֹ֨שֶׁת [Mephibosheth] (832) + בֶּן־יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן [son·of·Jonathan] (573) + בֶּן־שָׁאוּל֙ [son·of·Saul] (389) + אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד [to·David] (45) + וַיִּפֹּ֥ל [and·fell] (126) + עַל־פָּנָ֖יו [upon·his·face] (246) + וַיִּשְׁתָּ֑חוּ [and·bowed·down] (730) + וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּוִד֙ [David] (14) + מְפִיבֹ֔שֶׁת [Mephibosheth] (832) + וַיֹּ֖אמֶר [and·said] (257) + הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + עַבְדֶּֽךָ [Your·servant] (96) = 4476.
Metzudat David
Behold your servant. For he thought that the king had summoned him to take revenge upon him on account of Saul, and therefore he said: behold, your servant is ready to receive whatever punishment you decree:
Malbim
And Mephibosheth came to meet him. For initially, while he was in hiding, he concealed his name and his family lineage, and now he made public that he was Mephibosheth and that he was the son of Jonathan. And in Chronicles he is called Merib-baal. And one may say that one of his names was the name he called himself while in hiding. And the opinion of our Sages of blessed memory (Berakhot 4a) is that his primary name was Merib-baal, and he was called Mephibosheth on account of his wisdom, for he would put David to shame in matters of halakha. And the explanation is that upon his arrival, it became known that he was Mephibosheth, a great sage. And likewise, they interpreted that the servant slandered him, saying he was "without a word," meaning he lacked any matter of wisdom and understanding, whereas in truth he was full of words.
And David said to him: ‘Fear not; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore you all the land of Saul your father; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.’
verse value 6562
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֨וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֨וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·field" (אֶֽת־כׇּל־שְׂדֵ֖ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 33: your·father, your·father. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "do·not·fear" (אַל־תִּירָ֗א), "and·I·will·restore" (וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֣י), "all·field" (אֶֽת־כׇּל־שְׂדֵ֖ה). The root עשה appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "do·not·fear" (root איל, 202x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root תמיד ("continually") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 5 words.
Radak
A field that belonged to Saul. "A field" – he used the term "field" as a general category for his inheritance, and so did Jonathan's Targum translate it: "the inheritance of Saul." What is this kindness? If it was his own property, he gave it to him, for Mephibosheth was the heir to Saul's inheritance, and there was no other heir from Jonathan. But the sons of Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, were also heirs of Saul. And even though they were sons of a concubine, how then could David have the authority to give everything to Mephibosheth? You might say that a king has the right to transfer an inheritance from one person to another, as it is written in the law of kingship. But what kindness did he perform if he took it from the other heirs and gave it to Mephibosheth? If he had given it to him from his own property, that would have been kindness. Moreover, he said, "I will restore to you," which teaches that prior to this, his inheritance had been taken from Mephibosheth and from the other heirs. Furthermore, regarding what is stated in the law of kingship, "your fields and your vineyards he shall take," we have already written in our commentaries what our Sages of blessed memory explained about it, namely that it refers only to their fruits for the time being. And it appears that this is indeed the case, as evidenced by Ahab, who asked Naboth to sell him his vineyard, and he refused. If the law of kingship allowed taking the vineyard and the field outright, why did he not simply take it? This would not have been considered robbery, for it was the law of kingship. Additionally, in the law of kingship it says, "your fields and your vineyards and your olive trees," but it does not say "your houses," indicating that it refers only to their fruits. Moreover, it says, "and he shall give them to his servants," but it does not say that he shall take them for himself. It is possible to interpret that David acquired all of Saul's inheritance because Ish-bosheth and the house of Saul were rebels against the monarchy, for it was known throughout Israel that David would be king after Saul's death, and he was anointed by the word of the Lord. Thus, they were rebels against the monarchy, and all their possessions were forfeited. And it is written, "And I gave you your master's house." Since everything was his, and he acquired it by law, when he said he would restore everything to Mephibosheth, he performed a great kindness with him. Moreover, he provided for him at his table all his days.
Metzudat David
“Fear not.” This means: I have not called you to do you evil, but rather to do you kindness for the sake of your father.
"And I will restore them to you." Perhaps David took them after the death of Ish-Bosheth, on account of his wife Michal, who was heir to [Ish-Bosheth], since he thought that no one closer in relation to the inheritance remained.
Malbim
"And I will restore to you all the field of Saul your father" – The commentators struggled with this: if he gave him his portion, what is the kindness? And if he gave him his brother's portion, how did he transfer the inheritance? See Rashi and Radak. And the correct view in my eyes is that there was a distinction between the king's acquisitions and his estate from his ancestral inheritance, in which his law is like that of every person regarding his acquisition and his estate, and between the king's acquisitions that were his by the laws of kingship – fields, vineyards, wealth, and treasures that came into his hand due to his kingship. When he was removed from kingship, they belonged to the king reigning at that time, for they were only for the sake of the kingship, not for the sake of the king. As is written in detail regarding Naboth's vineyard. And Saul was poor at first, and he accumulated wealth and fields by the laws of kingship. And when the kingship was given to David, David acquired all the acquisitions that belonged to the kingship for the sake of the kingship, especially since he conquered the house of Saul in war. And in this there was great kindness that he restored them to Mephibosheth on account of him being the son of his beloved. And he informed him that he would increase his kindness with him in two ways: 1. That he would restore to him the field of Saul, meaning all his acquisitions, and this was on account of Jonathan. 2. That he would be one of those who eat at his table, and this was on account of Mephibosheth's own merit, for only great men in Torah and wisdom would approach the king's table. And this is what is written: "And you shall eat."
And he bowed down, and said: ‘What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?’
verse value 2858
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "what?" (מֶ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·bowed·down" (וַיִּשְׁתַּ֕חוּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "you·turned" (פָנִ֔יתָ), "to·the·dog" (אֶל־הַכֶּ֥לֶב), "like·me" (כָּמֽוֹנִי). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "to·the·dog" (root איל, 202x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁתַּ֕חוּ [and·bowed·down] (730) + וַיֹּ֖אמֶר [and·said] (257) + מֶ֣ה [what?] (45) + עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ [Your·servant] (96) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + פָנִ֔יתָ [you·turned] (540) + אֶל־הַכֶּ֥לֶב [to·the·dog] (88) + הַמֵּ֖ת [that·dies] (445) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + כָּמֽוֹנִי [like·me] (126) = 2858.
Metzudat David
What is Your servant. What is Your servant reckoned as anything:
Malbim
And he bowed [in response] to the first kindness; and he said, "What is your servant?"—[in response] to the second, that [the king] made him one of those who eat at his table.
Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him: ‘All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given to your master’s son.
verse value 3976
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּל֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·all·his·house" (וּלְכׇל־בֵּית֔וֹ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·to·all·his·house" (וּלְכׇל־בֵּית֔וֹ), "I·gave" (נָתַ֖תִּי). The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיִּקְרָ֣א [and·called] (317) + הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ [king] (95) + אֶל־צִיבָ֛א [to·Ziba] (134) + נַ֥עַר [boy·of] (320) + שָׁא֖וּל [Saul] (337) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵלָ֑יו [to·him] (47) + כֹּל֩ [all] (50) + אֲשֶׁ֨ר [that] (501) + הָיָ֤ה [was] (20) + לְשָׁאוּל֙ [to·Saul] (367) + וּלְכׇל־בֵּית֔וֹ [and·to·all·his·house] (504) + נָתַ֖תִּי [I·gave] (860) + לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ [to·son·of·your·master] (167) = 3976.
Rashi
I gave to the son of your master. The king has permission to transfer an inheritance, as is said in the law of kingship (I Samuel 8:14): 'And your fields and your vineyards, etc., he shall take and give to his servants.'
Metzudat Zion
A youth. The servant is called a youth, because it is the way of the youth to serve the old man.
And you shall till the land for him, you, and your sons, and your servants; and you shall bring in the fruits, that your master’s son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread continually at my table.’ Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
verse value 6310
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 113 letters. Notable word values: "for·him" (לּ֣וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "for·him" (לּ֣וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·son·of·your·master" (לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 78: bread, bread. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·you·shall·serve" (וְעָבַ֣דְתָּ), "the·soil" (אֶֽת־הָאֲדָמָ֡ה), "and·your·sons" (וּבָנֶ֨יךָ). The root עבד appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 153x in II Samuel); "and·you·shall·bring·in" (root בוא, 131x in II Samuel); "and·you·shall·serve" (root עבד, 109x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'at·my·table', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 6 words.
Radak
"And you shall bring [it in]." You shall gather from the field into the house. And there are commentators who explain it in the sense of "produce" – that is to say, you shall work the land for him with all the labor required, until you gather in the produce.
"And it shall be for the son of your master." This refers to Micha son of Mefibosheth. That is to say, the produce of the land shall be bread for the son of your master, Micha, and he shall eat it.
Metzudat David
"And you shall serve him." For his needs, you shall work the land by plowing and reaping.
"And you shall bring" – you shall bring the grain into the house:
“to your master’s son.” This is Micah, who is mentioned below, and he is the son of Mephibosheth, his master.
"Son of your master." [This refers to] the son of Jonathan, his master.
Malbim
The Questions: What he said, "And there shall be bread for your master's son, and he shall eat it," contradicts what he said that Mephibosheth shall eat at his table. And initially he called him "your master's son" and only afterward "Mephibosheth." He should have said, "And he shall eat at my table." How could Ziba say that Mephibosheth shall eat at his table, when surely he shall eat at the king's table? Why did he interrupt with the statement that Mephibosheth had a young son? And why did he further relate that he always eats at the king's table?
"And you shall serve him," etc. The explanation is that those who ate at the king's table did not rely on it for their entire livelihood, for their main meals were at home, where they would prepare abundant bread for their household and friends, which sometimes exceeded the king's table in quantity. After they had eaten their fill at midday, they would come to the king's table for honor and prestige. Regarding this, he said to him: "In view of your household's needs, you shall serve him by working the land and bringing in its produce, so that your master's son may have bread and eat it." This means that he and his household and all who are attached to him shall eat from it, while Mephibosheth himself, by virtue of his stature, shall eat at my table for honor.
Then said Ziba to the king: ‘According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so shall your servant do; but Mephibosheth eats at my table as one of the king’s sons.’
verse value 3979
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 78 letters. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֖ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Mephibosheth" (וּמְפִיבֹ֗שֶׁת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 95: king, king. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "may·instruct" (יְצַוֶּ֜ה), "his·slave" (אֶת־עַבְדּ֔וֹ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "to·the·king" (root איל, 202x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
"So shall your servant do, and Mephibosheth shall eat at my table." Tziva said: "So shall your servant do"; and David replied: "And Mephibosheth shall eat at my table."
Radak
"And Mephibosheth shall eat at my table." Although Mephibosheth eats at my table like one of the king's sons and will not need all this matter, nevertheless I will do as You commanded me to serve all the estate for Mephibosheth and his sons. And some say: "And Mephibosheth shall eat at my table" are the words of David. For after Ziba said to him, "Thus shall your servant do to prepare everything for Micha, son of Mephibosheth," David said, "And Mephibosheth shall eat at my table like one of the king's sons."
Metzudat David
And Mephibosheth. Even this is from Ziba's words, that he said: I will do according to Your words, even though until now Mephibosheth was eating at my table like one of the king's sons, and he did not need anything:
Malbim
And Ziba said, "I have undertaken to do according to the king's command, to prepare the needs of Mephibosheth's household, so that Mephibosheth may eat at my table (meaning, at the table that Ziba will prepare for him from the produce of his fields) like one of the king's sons, whose table, according to their rank, is very large and sometimes increases from the king's table."
Now Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.
verse value 3409
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "and·them·of" (וְכֹל֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·Mephibosheth" (וְלִמְפִיבֹ֥שֶׁת, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·to·Mephibosheth" (וְלִמְפִיבֹ֥שֶׁת), "young·son" (בֵּן־קָטָ֖ן), "Micha" (מִיכָ֑א). The root מפיבשת appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "slave" (root עבד, 109x in II Samuel); "young·son" (root בין, 98x in II Samuel); "and·them·of" (root כל, 95x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Micha', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְלִמְפִיבֹ֥שֶׁת [and·to·Mephibosheth] (868) + בֵּן־קָטָ֖ן [young·son] (211) + וּשְׁמ֣וֹ [and·his·name] (352) + מִיכָ֑א [Micha] (71) + וְכֹל֙ [and·them·of] (56) + מוֹשַׁ֣ב [seat] (348) + בֵּית־צִיבָ֔א [house·of·Ziba] (515) + עֲבָדִ֖ים [slave] (126) + לִמְפִיבֹֽשֶׁת [to·Mephibosheth] (862) = 3409.
Rashi
The household of Tziva. His sons and his servants.
Radak
And all the household of Ziba, his sons, and all his servants, and all the members of his household.
Metzudat David
And all who dwell. All who reside and dwell in Ziba's house, they were servants etc.:
Malbim
And to Mephibosheth, it is written that although the members of Mephibosheth’s household were few, for he had only a young son, nevertheless all of Ziba’s household were servants to Mephibosheth, to fulfill the many needs of his household, for many friends and acquaintances had already joined him, as is the custom of the great nobles who sit in the foremost ranks of the kingdom. And although their toil and labor were exceedingly great, for:
But Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and he was lame on both his feet.
verse value 3993
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֥וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Mephibosheth" (וּמְפִיבֹ֗שֶׁת, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "upon·table" (עַל־שֻׁלְחַ֥ן). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "for" (root כי, 110x in II Samuel); "he" (root הוא, 53x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'eating', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וּמְפִיבֹ֗שֶׁת [and·Mephibosheth] (838) + יֹשֵׁב֙ [dwelling] (312) + בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם [in·Jerusalem] (588) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + עַל־שֻׁלְחַ֥ן [upon·table] (488) + הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ [king] (95) + תָּמִ֖יד [continually] (454) + ה֣וּא [he] (12) + אֹכֵ֑ל [eating] (51) + וְה֥וּא [and·he] (18) + פִסֵּ֖חַ [lame] (148) + שְׁתֵּ֥י [two] (710) + רַגְלָֽיו [his·feet] (249) = 3993.
Metzudat Zion
Lame. Crippled.
Malbim
Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, and the expense and necessity in the royal city were very great. The reason he dwelt in the royal city was because he always ate at the king’s table, and it was not possible for him to dwell in another city, nor even to dwell near Jerusalem and enter daily at mealtime, for he was lame in both feet.
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim