The transition word Then reflects the common Hebrew conjunction, but the context seems to require a logical connector showing that David’s action was based on what he had learned from Ziba.

Sent and brought: these two verbs may in some cases be translated by a single verb. The idea is to send someone to bring another person back. Other languages may say “sent someone to get him” or “sent a message to tell him to come.” In the following verse he did indeed come to David.

The repetition of the information in the previous verse may be considered heavy or awkward. It may then be omitted as in Good News Translation. But if the information is repeated, the same advice regarding structure in the previous verse will apply here.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

While Good News Translation usually breaks the text down into smaller sentences than Revised Standard Version, in this case Good News Translation takes the independent sentence at the beginning of this verse and makes it into a relative clause introducing the following clause. Translators should look for the structure that will be most natural.

Mephibosheth: see also comments on 4.4. This name is the cause of some confusion, because the same name is given as “Meribbaal” in 1 Chr 8.34 and 9.40. New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible read “Meribbal” here in 2 Samuel. The people of Israel came to dislike the name “Baal” and to considered it shameful because of its association with the a foreign deity. For this reason, when this word was included as a part of a personal name, it was changed to “bosheth,” which means “shame” in Hebrew. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the spelling “Mephibaal” in this verse and also in verses 9-13, and suggests that the spelling was changed to Mephibosheth in the Masoretic Text for theological reasons. Compare the situation with the names Eshbaal and Ishbosheth in 2.8.

Son of Saul: since it is Jonathan who was the son of Saul, it may be more natural in some languages to indicate that Mephibosheth was the “grandson of Saul,” as has been done in Good News Translation. This may serve to keep the focus on the relationship between Mephibosheth and Saul.

Fell on his face: this expression has already been discussed in 1 Sam 17.49 and 20.41.

Did obeisance: see the comments on 1 Sam 24.8.

Behold, your servant: similar to the response of Ziba in verse 2, this form of address shows great respect for the king. Bible en français courant says “It is indeed I, your Majesty,” using the normal form of address to royalty and confirming that the person speaking to the king is in fact who he thinks he is. In some cases translators may say “It is I, and I am your under your authority” or simply “I am your servant.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Said: in some languages the verb here may be more naturally rendered by “answered” or “responded” in this context.

Do not fear: it was customary in the time of David for relatives of overthrown rulers to be put to death. And in view of the history of the relationship between David and Mephibosheth’s grandfather, Saul, Mephibosheth had every reason to be afraid. However, the positive association between David and Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father, proved to be more important than the conflict between David and Saul.

I will show you kindness: the keyword kindness is repeated here (see verses 1 and 3). Note that New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh in all three cases uses the expression “keep faith with.” And the verbal expression is actually one that is emphatic. Both King James Version and Goldman have “I will surely show thee kindness,” and Fox says “for I will show, yes, show you loyalty.”

Restore: while the verb used here means “give back,” David was not actually giving land back that Mephibosheth himself had owned beforehand. The previous possession goes back to Saul, his grandfather. For this reason it may not be possible in certain languages to use a verb like “restore” or “give back.” Rather it will be more natural to say simply “give.” This was, in fact, a royal grant, since the king had the authority to give but also to take back again (compare 16.4).

Saul your father: the Hebrew for father could also refer to “ancestor.” Saul was actually the grandfather of Mephibosheth, and this should probably be made clear in translation as has been done in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Revised English Bible, as well as in Good News Translation.

Eat at my table: literally “eat bread at my table.” In addition to restoring the property of the house of Saul, Mephibosheth was also invited to be a guest at meals with the king, which was a special privilege (compare 1 Kgs 2.7; 18.19; 2 Kgs 25.27-29). It is not clear whether these words are to be understood literally or whether they mean “and you may live here with me at the palace!” (New Living Translation). Most translations give a rather literal translation of the Hebrew: “you yourself shall eat at my table always” (New Revised Standard Version) and “you will have a regular place at my table” (Revised English Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

He: because it may be possible to misunderstand the reference of this pronoun, it may be better to replace it by the name, Mephibosheth. This is done by New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible as well as Good News Translation. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh also does this, but it puts the name in brackets.

Did obeisance: since Mephibosheth had already bowed down to the king (see verse 6 above where the verb is the same), Good News Translation here adds the word “again.” While it is hardly common language, the verb “grovel” used by Anchor Bible captures the meaning well.

Your servant: this is once again an indirect way used by Mephibosheth to refer to himself. In most languages it will be better to use the first person singular pronoun. The respect shown by the use of this expression is conveyed in Good News Translation by the addition of the word “sir.”

A dead dog: in the Old Testament dogs were not seen as favorably as in certain cultures today. To refer to someone else as a dog was a very serious insult (see 2 Sam 16.9; compare also 1 Sam 17.43; 24.14; and 2 Sam 3.8). If a person calls himself a dog, this is a way of showing his self-humiliation. The addition of the adjective “dead” simply adds to the degradation. In some languages it will be more meaningful to say something like “I am as worthless as a dead dog.”

In some languages the structure of this verse will need to be altered as in Good News Translation, giving first the statement of self-debasement as a separate sentence and then the expression of astonishment at the gracious act of the king. This expression may or may not be in the form of a question as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. It is possible to say “I am amazed that you are so kind to me!” or “It is astonishing that you even pay attention to me!”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Saul’s servant: the Hebrew term for servant here is not the same as in verse 1 above. The word here is translated “steward” by New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Anchor Bible. New American Bible has “attendant.” But many versions take it as having exactly the same meaning as the term used in verse 1. Since Saul was already dead at this time, it may be better in many languages to say “who used to be Saul’s steward” or “who had attended Saul.”

The inverted structure of the direct quotation in Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew but may be unnatural in some languages. Good News Translation puts the subject and main verb first in what David says here. This is followed by the grammatical object.

The verb rendered I have given in Revised Standard Version represents a verb form that emphasizes the fact that a firm decision has been made, but it may be unnatural to translate as a past tense in other languages. Several modern English versions represent this verb form by a present tense, “I give” (An American Translation and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); “I am giving” (New American Bible); “I assign” (Revised English Bible).

Your master’s son: this refers to Mephibosheth, who was actually Saul’s grandson (see verse 6). It will be better in many cases to translate son as “grandson” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Revised English Bible as well as Good News Translation) and to mention the name of Mephibosheth specifically. The term “grandson” should also be used in the same context in verse 10 and 19.24.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Your sons: while the term so translated may be used to refer to children in general, in this context the focus seems to be on male children.

Till the land: the verb used here is a very general one meaning “to serve” or “to work.” It has the same root as the word for “servants” later in this verse. To “work the land” (Anchor Bible and Anderson) means doing all those things necessary to make it produce crops. The English verb till may therefore be a bit too limited. New International Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh as well as Good News Translation use the verb “farm.”

Bring in the produce: the noun produce does not translate anything explicit in the text. It is rather implied in the verb having the general meaning bring in. The text does not specify the place to which the produce is to be brought. Some interpreters take the Hebrew verb bring in to mean “gather” or “harvest” in this context. It is the logical next step after cultivating the land. Others understand the verb to mean “bring in to Jerusalem [from the farmland owned by Saul’s family].”

Your master’s son: this phrase occurs twice in this verse in the Masoretic Text, but in the first occurrence of these words, some Hebrew manuscripts and one form of the ancient Greek translation have “your master’s house.” This reading of the Septuagint is the basis for “your master’s household” (Revised English Bible and Anderson) and “your master’s family” (New Jerusalem Bible). The reading of the Septuagint is recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives it a {B} rating. The difference between the Hebrew text, as represented by Revised Standard Version, and the form of the Greek text, followed by Good News Translation, is this: the Hebrew text seems to say that food is to be “brought in” to Jerusalem to feed Mephibosheth [ your master’s son] in Jerusalem, where he will eat at David’s table (so New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The Greek text says that the food is to be brought into the house where Saul’s descendants live in order to feed them, while David himself will feed Mephibosheth (so Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

Whichever text is followed, it may be wise to remind the reader who the master is. Good News Translation follows the recommended reading but uses a more dynamic rendering.

The second occurrence of your master’s son may be considered unnecessary, since this information has already been given (see verses 6 and 9).

Bread: as frequently elsewhere in the Bible, the word bread is used as a substitute for “food” in general. In very many languages it will be more natural and more easily understood if translators say “food” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and New Century Version) or “things to eat.”

Eat at my table: see remarks on this expression in verse 7.

Fifteen sons and twenty servants: this is an editorial remark indicating that Ziba had the necessary workers to accomplish what David had ordered him to do. This information is placed in parentheses in a number of English versions (New International Version, New Century Version, and Anchor Bible), but in others it becomes a relative clause modifying Ziba, the subject of the following sentence (New American Bible, Revised English Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Then: the Hebrew conjunction reflected here may be left untranslated in some languages. Note that Revised English Bible and New American Bible tie the introductory statement in this verse to the comment at the end of the previous one: “Ziba, who had fifteen sons and twenty slaves, answered….” But many versions make a new paragraph at this point, which is probably a good model to follow.

Said: as in verse 7 “answered” may be more natural in this context.

My lord the king: this is a respectful way used by Ziba to refer to the king to whom he is speaking. While in some languages the pronoun “you” by itself may sound too direct and lacking in respect, it will probably be possible to add something to it to indicate respect. For example, one may say “you who are my king.” Or a separate sentence may be used to introduce the statement: “Sir, you are the king. [I will do whatever you order….]”

His servant … your servant: both of these indirect references are modest ways in which Ziba talks about himself in the presence of the king. They will be better translated in the vast majority of languages by the pronouns for “me” and “I.” This part of the verse may be translated “Whatever you command me to do, my king, that is what I will do.”

So: this reflects the common Hebrew conjunction, but its translation will depend on whether the following sentence is taken as part of what Ziba was saying. And that depends on the textual problem discussed in the following paragraph.

Mephibosheth ate at David’s table: the Hebrew text actually has “my table” instead of David’s table. Because of this some versions have taken this whole sentence as a continuation of what Ziba said rather than as a summary statement by the writer of 2 Samuel. If these are Ziba’s words, this constitutes a contradiction of the order of the king, or at least a mild protest against it. The Hebrew text is so interpreted by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and Bible en français courant, which both have notes regarding this “timid protest.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, for example, renders verse 11b as follows: “But Mephibosheth will eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”

Other versions have made this a quotation of David, adding the words “said the king” (King James Version and New King James Version ). King James Version, for example, says “As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.” The Latin Vulgate keeps the words in the mouth of Ziba but has “at your table.” However, no version consulted follows the Vulgate. The vast majority of modern translations adopt the reading of the ancient Greek version, which has made this a summary statement and reads “Mephibosheth ate at David’s table” or “… at the king’s table,” and this is recommended to other translators. It is surprising that this problem is not treated in Hebrew Old Testament Text Project or Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

While some commentators feel that the mention of Mephibosheth’s son is premature at this point, it may be that this information is presented here in order to stress David’s long-term commitment to Jonathan’s descendants.

A young son: the adjective young is a kind of diminutive that is used in various contexts of age, size, or importance. The two Hebrew words are used together to mean “younger son” (Gen 27.15, 42) or “youngest son” (Gen 9.24). Here the son in question was probably not older than ten or twelve years. Compare “little lad” in 1 Sam 20.35.

All who dwelt in Ziba’s house: that is, all the members of Ziba’s household—his family and in all likelihood his twenty servants mentioned in verse 10.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .