2-samuel 19:29
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And the king said to him, Why speak you any more of your matters? I have said, You and Ziba divide the land.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And the king said to him, Why speak you any more of your matters? I have said, You and Ziba divide the land.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And the king said, Say nothing more about these things. I say, Let there be a division of the land between Ziba and you.
Webster's Revision
And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
World English Bible
The king said to him, "Why do you speak any more of your matters? I say, you and Ziba divide the land."
English Revised Version (ERV)
And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
Clarke's 2-samuel 19:29 Bible Commentary
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.
Barnes's 2-samuel 19:29 Bible Commentary
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 2 Samuel 16:4. We still see the impatient temper of David.
Wesley's 2-samuel 19:29 Bible Commentary
19:29 Divide - The land shall be divided between thee and him, as it was by my first order, chap. 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.