Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 19:29
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
29. Thou and Ziba divide the land ] This is usually supposed to be a compromise between the two claimants, either because David suspected the truth of Mephibosheth’s story, or because he was unwilling to alienate Ziba, and possibly a considerable party of Benjamites, by entirely revoking the grant to him (ch. 2Sa 16:4). But it may be a confirmation of the original arrangement by which Ziba was to be Mephibosheth’s tenant, and as he certainly did not cultivate the land for nothing, might be said to share it with him.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Unable to get to the bottom of the story, and perhaps unwilling to make an enemy of Ziba, David compromised the matter by dividing the land, thus partially revoking his hasty sentence 2Sa 16:4. We still see the impatient temper of David.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 29. I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.] At first, David gave the land of Saul to Mephibosheth; and Ziba, his sons, and his servants, were to work that land; and to Mephibosheth, as the lord, he was to give the half of the produce. Ziba met David in his distress with provisions, and calumniated Mephibosheth: David, too slightly trusting to his misrepresentation, and supposing that Mephibosheth was actually such a traitor as Ziba represented him, made him on the spot a grant of his master’s land. Now he finds that he has acted too rashly, and therefore confirms the former grant; i.e. that Ziba should cultivate the ground, and still continue to give to Mephibosheth, as the lord, the half of the produce. This was merely placing things in statu quo, and utterly annulling the gift that he had made to Ziba. But why did he leave this treacherous man any thing? Answer,
1. He was one of the domestics of Saul, and David wished to show kindness to that house.
2. He had supplied him with the necessaries of life when he was in the greatest distress; and he thinks proper to continue him in his old office, by way of remuneration.
But it was certainly too great a compensation for his services, however then important, when all the circumstances are considered.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? For as Ziba was present, so doubtless he was not silent, but said and did what he could to make good his former charge; which must needs occasion many words before the king. And the king was not now at leisure for long debates, and therefore makes an end of the matter.
I have said, to wit, within myself; I have considered the matter as far as now I can, and upon the whole am come to this resolution, wherein I expect that thou and he do both acquiesce. Or, I do now say; I pronounce this sentence in the cause.
Thou and Ziba divide the land: the meaning is either,
1. The land shall be divided between thee and him, as it was by my first order, 2Sa 9:10; he and his sons managing it, and supporting themselves out of it, as they did before, and giving the rest of the profits thereof to thee. And to this the following words may well enough be accommodated, Yea, let him take all, to wit, to his own sole use.
Or, 2. The right and profits of the land shall be equally divided between you. It seems a very rash and harsh sentence, and very unbecoming Davids wisdom, and justice, and gratitude to Jonathan; and Ziba seems to have deserved death for falsely accusing his master of treason, rather than a recompence. But the whole transaction of the matter is not here set down. Possibly Ziba might bring plausible pretences to justify his accusation; and it might be pretended that Mephibosheth neglected the trimming and dressing himself only in policy, and that for a season, till David and his family had destroyed one another by their civil wars, and given him a fit opportunity to take the crown. So that David might really be at a loss what to determine. And Ziba had given proof of his affections to David by an act of kindness which could not be without hazard to himself, 2Sa 16:1,2, which Mephibosheth had not done. And possibly this was only a present sentence, and David resolved to examine things more thoroughly when he had more leisure, and then to make a more full and final determination of the business; which also he might do, though it be not here recorded; for we must not think that nothing was done and said about such things but what is mentioned in Scripture. Besides, Ziba being a powerful man, and the crown not yet firmly fixed upon the kings head, David might think fit to suspend his final sentence till a more convenient season, and not now to provoke him too much by taking away all his estate from him at once, but to proceed against him by degrees. Howsoever, this is certain, we cannot pass a right judgment upon this action of Davids, unless we understood all the circumstances of it, which we cannot pretend to do.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the king said unto him, why speakest thou any more of thy matters?…. Of his father’s family, and the injuries done by them to David, and of the benefits and favours which he had received from David, or of his temporal affairs, of his estate, which David had given away to Ziba:
I have said, thou and Ziba divide the land; revoking his last grant to Ziba, which gave him all that belonged to Mephibosheth, 2Sa 16:4; he established his first decree, that Ziba should have half the profit of the land for tilling it, and the other half be given to Mephibosheth; he did not choose to punish Ziba for slandering his master, being inclined to clemency and mercy, and determined to show no severity at that time; and might be in some fear of Ziba, being a considerable man, lest he should raise a new insurrection, if he bore hard upon him; besides, he might have a large share in his affection, having made a present to him in the time of his distress, and was one of the first that came to meet him upon his return, 2Sa 19:17.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(29) Divide the land.When Ziba came to David with his false report about Mephibosheth, David had instantly transferred to him all his masters possessions (2Sa. 16:4); he now saw the injustice of his hasty action, and ought at least to have reversed it, if not to have punished Ziba besides. Either, however, because he had still some doubt of the real merits of the case, or more probably because he was unwilling for political reasons to offend Ziba, he resorts to that halfway and compromise course which was both weak and unjust. The circumstances of the case, the continued mourning of Mephibosheth, the silence of Ziba, concur with the physical infirmity of Mephibosheth to show the truth of his story.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
29. Why speakest thou any more of thy matters David evidently felt that Mephibosheth had been injured, and yet it is possible he may have had some suspicion. At all events, he had not now the time nor patience to investigate closely a matter of this kind, and therefore he dismissed it in the quickest way.
Thou and Ziba divide the land This was not, as some have held, a reversal of his decision in favour of Ziba, for before that Mephibosheth possessed the whole estate of Saul, (2Sa 9:9,) and Ziba was merely a servant, but now he retains only half. The king was desirous that no one should be made unhappy on that joyful day of his restoration; and Mephibosheth obtains and enjoys again the royal favour, and Ziba is much better off than he was before David’s flight.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 19:29. I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land He first gave the whole in property to Mephibotheth, and afterwards to Ziba: and yet, I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land, must refer to some former determination of David with respect to the estate. But no such determination is to be found, except that original one, ch. 2Sa 9:10 in which the estate was divided between Mephibosheth and Ziba, the whole to Mephibotheth in property; and to Ziba, for taking care of it, sufficient to maintain himself and family out of the profits it produced: so that this was in reality confirming the original grant, and restoring Mephibosheth to the possession of the whole, upon the same terms on which the possession was at first granted him. It was certainly a revocation of the grant to Ziba, who therefore could claim no part of the estate by that grant, nor by any other; for there was no other than that by which he was allowed a proper maintenance out of it: so that, if David was too hasty in giving Mephibosheth’s estate to Ziba, he did, upon being undeceived, immediately restore it to Mephibosheth, and thereby discovered his great regard to truth and equity, and the firmness of his affection and friendship to Jonathan and his family: and though he confirmed the original grant, thereby leaving to Ziba and his family a maintenance out of the estate, it was out of respect even to Saul, of whose house Ziba was, and as a recompense for that seasonable supply which he brought him when he was forced, by the unnatural rebellion of Absalom his son, to abandon the capital. Houbigant interprets the passage in the same manner. Dr. Delaney is of opinion, that the 37th Psalm was written by David for Mephibosheth’s consolation under Ziba’s calumny.
REFLECTIONS.David now enters Jerusalem in triumph, and there Mephibosheth comes to congratulate him, who, during the king’s exile, had spent his time in mourning, neglecting his person, and neither trimming nor dressing himself for so long a time. David, who, from Ziba’s misrepresentation, suspected Mephibosheth not only of great ingratitude, but of base designs, is surprised, in answer to his inquiry why he had not followed him, to find how blameless he was, and how vilely he had been imposed upon; yet Mephibosheth is so sensible of David’s goodness in his past favours towards him, and so rejoiced in his present return, that he presumes not to controvert the royal grant to Ziba, but refers the matter wholly to the king’s wisdom. David hereupon settles the estate on the former footing; not punishing Ziba as he deserved, because that was a day of mercy, or in return for the real service done him, though with so wicked a purpose; and thus Mephibosheth is again reinstated in his inheritance. Note; (1.) In times of public distress, we are called to weeping and mourning. (2.) Wicked servants do their masters unutterable injuries. (3.) A good man sits loose to his own interest, compared with the interests of God’s church and people.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 19:29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
Ver. 29. I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. ] Condemnatur hic Mephiboshethus ex asse. David now, in haste, and full of business, passeth an unjust sentence; intending, perhaps, to be better informed hereafter: and not willing at present to displease Ziba, by taking back from him all that he had given him. The Hebrews say, that because David broke his oath made to Jonathan, and divided Mephibosheth’s land, that afterward his kingdom was divided in Rehoboam’a days. Abulensis thinketh that David made Mephibosheth amends for this wrong some other way.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I have said. Compare 2Sa 9:10. David Rev 16:4, and falls back on 2Sa 9:10.
Thou and Ziba. Compare 2Sa 16:4.
the land: i.e. Saul’s estate.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Why speakest: Job 19:16, Job 19:17, Pro 18:13, Act 18:15
Thou: Deu 19:17-19, Psa 82:2, Psa 101:5
Reciprocal: 2Sa 9:9 – I have given
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 19:29. Thou and Ziba divide the land The land shall be divided between thee and him, according to my first order, chap. 2Sa 9:10; he and his sons managing it, and supporting themselves out of it, as they did before, and giving the rest of the profits thereof to thee. It is easy to perceive, from this answer of David, that he saw Mephibosheths innocence, and the error of his former credulity, and therefore could not bear to hear of it. But he had now no time to discuss the matter more fully: and, therefore, all that he could do for the present was to restore him to his estate, and leave both him and his accuser in their former condition, till he could inquire further. However Ziba might have been faulty toward Mephibosheth, he had been signally faithful and useful to David; and to condemn him unheard, as he had Mephibosheth, was to run the risk of a second rash decision; a decision that might be now as unseasonable as rash, while any rebellion subsisted in his dominions.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19:29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the {o} land.
(o) David did evil in taking his land from him before he knew the cause, but much worse, that knowing the truth, he did not restore them.