Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 19:28
For all [of] my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
28. were but dead men ] For David might have put them all to death. Possibly there is an allusion to the surrender of Saul’s sons to the Gibeonites (ch. 2Sa 21:6-9).
what right, &c.] Since all David’s favours to him were undeserved, he had no ground for making a complaint, and demanding the restoration of his property as a right.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Before my lord the king, i.e. before thy tribunal: we were all at thy mercy; not my estate only, (which thou hast now granted to Ziba,) but my life also was in thy power, if thou hadst dealt with rigour, and as earthly kings use to do with their predecessors and enemies children. For otherwise by the law of God Saul himself had not deserved to die by Davids hands, as David himself confessed; much less his children, who were not to die for their fathers sins, Deu 24:16. But Mephibosheth speaks like a courtier, and like an orator, aggravating matters against himself, that he might seem to justify the kings sentence, and to submit to it; and so insinuate himself unto the kings favour.
To cry any more unto the king, to wit, for the vindication of mine honour, and the restitution of my estate.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
For all [of] my, father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king,…. Or “men of death” m; worthy of death, not on account of Saul’s persecution, for which his family did not deserve to suffer; rather for the attempt of Ishbosheth to get the kingdom from him, which might be deemed treason, and so the family was tainted for it; though the sense may be only this, that their lives lay at his mercy, and that if he had dealt with rigour and severity towards them, as was usual for princes to do towards the family of their predecessors, who had any claim to the kingdom, put them to death, this would have been their case:
yet didst thou set thy servant among them that eat at thine own table; which was showing him great kindness, and doing him great honour:
what right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king? to ask any favour of him, or make any complaint to him.
m “viris mortis”, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2Sa 19:28 For all [of] my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
Ver. 28. For all of my father’s house were but dead men,] sc., For our siding with Ishbosheth.
What right therefore have I yet to cry? &c.,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
For all, &c. Some codices, ‘with one early printed edition, read “When in all the house of my father were none other than dead men”.
dead men. Hebrew men of death: i.e. doomed men. Hebrew. ‘enosh. App-14.
What right . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis (App-6), to emphasise the free grace of David.
Why speakest . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis (App-8), to show dissatisfaction with Mephibosheth’s defence. Hence his division of Saul’s estate. See note on 2Sa 19:26.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
were: Gen 32:10
dead men: Heb. men of death, 1Sa 26:16
didst thou: 2Sa 9:7, 2Sa 9:8, 2Sa 9:10, 2Sa 9:13
to cry: 2Ki 8:3
Reciprocal: Rth 2:10 – Why have 1Sa 20:31 – shall surely die 1Ki 2:7 – eat Job 2:10 – shall we receive Pro 27:10 – own Luk 22:30 – eat
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 19:28. All my fathers house were but dead men before my lord Before thy tribunal: we were all at thy mercy; not my estate only, but my life also was in thy power, if thou hadst dealt with rigour, and as earthly kings use to do with their predecessors and enemies children. What right have I yet to cry? For the vindication of my honour, and the restitution of my estate.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19:28 For all [of] my father’s house were {n} but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
(n) Worthy to die for Saul’s cruelty to you.