2 Samuel 19:26 kjv
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.
2 Samuel 19:26 nkjv
And he answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,' because your servant is lame.
2 Samuel 19:26 niv
He said, "My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, 'I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.' But Ziba my servant betrayed me.
2 Samuel 19:26 esv
He answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.' For your servant is lame.
2 Samuel 19:26 nlt
Mephibosheth replied, "My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, 'Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.' For as you know I am crippled.
2 Samuel 19 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:13 | The woman said, "The serpent deceived me..." | Deception's origin |
| Gen 27:35 | He said, "Your brother came with deception..." | Deceit by Jacob |
| Gen 29:25 | "...Why have you deceived me and given me Leah?" | Laban's deception of Jacob |
| 2 Sam 16:3-4 | Then the king said, "And where is your master's son?" Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my father.'" ...So the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." | Ziba's false accusation of Mephibosheth |
| Ps 27:12 | "...for false witnesses have risen against me..." | Suffering from false accusations |
| Prov 12:22 | Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord... | God detests lies |
| Prov 19:5 | A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. | Consequence of false witness |
| Prov 26:28 | A lying tongue hates those it crushes... | Harm of deceptive speech |
| Isa 35:6 | "...then the lame man will leap like a deer..." | Healing of the lame in prophecy |
| Matt 26:59-60 | Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus... | False witness against Jesus |
| Acts 5:1-4 | But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back part of the proceeds and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...?" | Lying to God/Holy Spirit |
| 2 Thess 2:10 | ...and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. | Deception in the last days |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. | Eternal consequence of liars |
| Deut 27:18 | "'Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind person on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'" | Protection for the vulnerable |
| Job 29:15 | I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. | Caring for the disabled |
| Job 29:16 | I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. | Justice for the oppressed/misunderstood |
| Ps 82:3 | Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. | Justice for the vulnerable |
| Mic 7:3 | The prince and the judge ask for a bribe...Thus they twist it. | Corrupt justice and bribery |
| Zech 8:16 | These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another... | Call to truthfulness |
| Eph 4:25 | Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor... | Put away falsehood |
| Col 3:9 | Do not lie to one another... | Exhortation against lying |
| Gen 50:20 | As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good... | God's sovereignty over evil deeds |
| Prov 16:2 | All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. | God discerns intentions |
| Heb 4:13 | No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. | God sees all actions and intentions |
2 Samuel 19 verses
2 Samuel 19 26 Meaning
2 Samuel 19:26 presents Mephibosheth's passionate and desperate plea to King David. He explains his absence during David's flight from Absalom by accusing his servant Ziba of deliberate deception. Mephibosheth states that he intended to join the king by saddling a donkey for himself, but Ziba prevented him and misrepresented his loyalty. He then offers his lameness as the physical reason for his reliance on Ziba and his subsequent inability to follow the king independently, highlighting his vulnerability and dependence. This verse is a direct refutation of Ziba's earlier false accusations, seeking to clear his name and reaffirm his faithfulness to David.
2 Samuel 19 26 Context
2 Samuel 19:26 takes place immediately after King David has returned to Jerusalem following the defeat of Absalom's rebellion. David is being escorted back across the Jordan River by various loyal subjects and tribes. As David prepares to enter Jerusalem, he encounters Mephibosheth, who comes to meet him looking disheveled and unkempt, a clear sign of mourning and distress. Mephibosheth's appearance contradicts Ziba's earlier report that he had stayed in Jerusalem hoping for the kingdom's restoration. David confronts Mephibosheth, asking why he did not accompany the king. This verse is Mephibosheth's detailed defense, where he explicitly accuses Ziba of deception, explaining that he intended to join David but was prevented by Ziba, whose betrayal led to his being left behind. He emphasizes his physical disability (lameness) as the reason he could not follow David independently.
2 Samuel 19 26 Word analysis
- And he answered: Implies Mephibosheth is directly responding to David's question (v. 25, "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?"). This is his moment to defend his honor and loyalty.
- 'My lord, O king,': "Adoniy ha-melech" (אדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ). This deferential address highlights Mephibosheth's humility and continued respect for David's authority, contrasting sharply with Ziba's implicit portrayal of him as ambitious and disloyal. It reaffirms his submission and vassalage, even from one with royal lineage.
- 'my servant': "avdi" (עַבְדִּי). This refers to Ziba. Mephibosheth calls Ziba "my servant," emphasizing Ziba's place under his authority, which makes Ziba's betrayal all the more grievous and scandalous within the social hierarchy. It underlines Ziba's transgression against his master.
- 'deceived me': "rimmāni" (רִמָּנִי). This key verb is from the root "רמה" (ramah), meaning to betray, mislead, defraud, or deceive. It's a strong accusation, indicating intentional malice and trickery. It implies a deliberate act of betrayal, not merely a misunderstanding. This verb suggests a deep breach of trust and responsibility on Ziba's part.
- 'for your servant said,': "ki-ōmer avdecha." Here, "your servant" refers to Mephibosheth himself. This is a subtle yet significant shift. Mephibosheth refers to himself in the third person as "your servant," reinforcing his posture of humility and loyalty to David. He states his original, true intention.
- 'I will saddle a donkey for myself and ride on it': "ahbŏshāh lī ḥămōr va'ēshav alav." This reveals Mephibosheth's clear intent to join David. It shows initiative and a practical plan to overcome his disability, debunking Ziba's claim that Mephibosheth stayed in Jerusalem out of ambition. He wasn't passive but tried to act.
- 'and go with the king,': "v'elech im-ha'melech." This confirms his unwavering loyalty. His intention was to accompany David during the difficult flight, a dangerous and definitive act of allegiance during a time of great peril for the king.
- 'because your servant is lame.': "ki pisseaḥ avdecha." This provides the crucial explanation for why Mephibosheth relied on Ziba. "Pisseaḥ" (פִּסֵּחַ) means lame, disabled, or crippled in the feet. It points to his physical vulnerability and total dependence on others for movement, making him an easy target for Ziba's betrayal. This condition explains why he couldn't simply go on his own without assistance.
2 Samuel 19 26 Bonus section
The immediate cultural context emphasizes the significant social status of Ziba as Mephibosheth's chief servant; his betrayal was thus a breach of familial trust as much as a personal one. The vulnerability of Mephibosheth due to his lameness (crippled from infancy after an accident related to his father Jonathan and grandfather Saul, 2 Sam 4:4) makes him a pitiable figure, dependent on the kindness of others, especially King David's grace (2 Sam 9). This dependency meant he could not easily confirm his loyalty when isolated during Absalom's rebellion, making him an easy victim of Ziba's calculated lie. The ambiguity in David's final ruling in 2 Samuel 19:29—"You and Ziba divide the land"— suggests either that David was still somewhat unsure of Mephibosheth's absolute innocence, or that he was weary from the recent conflict and chose a compromise, or that he acknowledged Ziba's aid during his flight, however self-serving Ziba's initial motivations may have been. The polemical element lies in the stark contrast between true loyalty and cunning self-interest, revealing the destructive nature of deceit (represented by Ziba) against innocent faithfulness (represented by Mephibosheth), and implicitly challenging societal norms where the vulnerable are exploited.
2 Samuel 19 26 Commentary
Mephibosheth's plea to David in 2 Samuel 19:26 is a profound moment of clarification and self-vindication following a grave injustice. Ziba's deception not only caused Mephibosheth to lose his entire inheritance but also severely damaged his reputation with the king, presenting him as disloyal and ambitious during a critical period. Mephibosheth's language is precise: he uses "deceived me" with full intent, indicating a deliberate and malicious act by Ziba, rather than a misunderstanding. His explanation emphasizes his loyalty ("go with the king") and underscores his vulnerability ("your servant is lame"), which forced him to rely on his unscrupulous servant. This dependence was exploited. The verse highlights how deceit can manipulate perception and inflict injustice, particularly upon the vulnerable who cannot adequately defend themselves. David's response in the subsequent verses shows a weariness with the matter and a partial, yet still somewhat ambiguous, resolution, indicating the lasting stain of such betrayal even when revealed.