2 Samuel 9:4

Study note

Setting — David questions Ziba about the whereabouts of Jonathan’s son immediately after asking if any descendant of Saul remains. Ziba answers the king by naming the exact residence of Machir in Lo-debar.

The words — The Hebrew אֵיפֹה (’eip̄ōh) translates literally as “where?” and anchors David’s initial inquiry, while the verb וַיֹּאמֶר (wayyōmer) appears twice to mark the rapid exchange between the monarch and his servant.

The thread — The same host, Machir son of Ammiel, and the location Lo-debar reappear in 2 Samuel 17:27 when David arrives at Mahanaim and receives supplies from the same household.

Why it lands — The text records a straightforward logistical exchange that identifies a specific person and place without commentary. It requires the reader to recognize how a geographic detail named in David’s search for Saul’s line later functions as a concrete point of refuge during his flight.

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.