2 Samuel 19:26

“My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Mephibosheth addresses King David upon arriving in Jerusalem to meet him after the king’s return from exile. The words — רִמָּ֑/נִי (ri.Ma./ni) = he betrayed me [H7411] and אֲדֹנִ֥/י (a.do.N/i) = O lord/my [H113] frame his plea, establishing the king’s authority while accusing Ziba of treachery. The thread — Mephibosheth’s physical limitation echoes 2 Samuel 4:4, while his reliance on Ziba and the provision of donkeys recalls 2 Samuel 9:3 and 2 Samuel 16:2. Why it lands — The text states Mephibosheth’s disability prevented travel and that Ziba deceived him, requiring the reader to evaluate his defense against David’s prior interactions with the same servant and the practical demands of royal judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּאמַ֕רva/i.yo.Marand/ he said אֲדֹנִ֥י'a.do.N/iO lord/ my הַמֶּ֖לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king עַבְדִּ֣י'av.D/iservant/ my רִמָּ֑נִיri.Ma./nihe betrayed/ me כִּֽי־ki-for אָמַ֨ר'a.Marhe said עַבְדְּךָ֜'av.de./Khaservant/ your אֶחְבְּשָׁה־'ech.be.shah-let me saddleלִּי֩l/ifor <the>/ myselfהַחֲמ֨וֹרha./cha.Morthe/ donkey וְאֶרְכַּ֤בve./'er.Kavso/ I may ride עָלֶ֙יהָ֙'a.Lei./haon/ it וְאֵלֵ֣ךְve./'e.Lekhso/ I may go אֶת־'et-with הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king כִּ֥יkifor פִסֵּ֖חַfi.Se.ach[is] lame עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃'av.De./khaservant/ your

King James Version

And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.

Cross-references

2 Samuel 4:4 And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
2 Samuel 9:3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.”
2 Samuel 16:2 “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”