2 Samuel 16:2

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָ֖א מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר צִ֠יבָא הַחֲמוֹרִ֨ים לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לִרְכֹּ֗ב *ולהלחם **וְהַלֶּ֤חֶם וְהַקַּ֙יִץ֙ לֶאֱכ֣וֹל הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וְהַיַּ֕יִן לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת הַיָּעֵ֖ף בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

Transliteration

And wayyōʾmer the hammelek to Ṣîbāʾ, "Mâ-ʾēlleh to you?" And wayyōʾmer Ṣîbāʾ, "The haḥămôrîm for bêṯ-hammelek to lirkōb, and the halleḥem and the haqqayiṣ for leʾĕkôl the hannəʿārîm, and the hayyayin for lištôṯ the hayyāʿēf in the midbar."

Grammar Details

*wayyōʾmer*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
*hammelek*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the king
*Mâ-ʾēlleh*: interrogative + demonstrative pronoun - what are these
*haḥămôrîm*: definite article + noun, masculine plural - the donkeys
*bêṯ-hammelek*: noun construct + definite article + noun - house of the king/royal household
*lirkōb*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to ride
*halleḥem*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the bread/food
*haqqayiṣ*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the summer fruit
*leʾĕkôl*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to eat
*hannəʿārîm*: definite article + noun, masculine plural - the young men/servants
*hayyayin*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the wine
*lištôṯ*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to drink
*hayyāʿēf*: definite article + adjective, masculine singular - the weary/faint
*midbar*: noun, masculine singular - wilderness/desert

Word Meanings

*ולהלחם/וְהַלֶּ֤חֶם*: textual variant - either 'and to fight' or 'and the bread'
*bêṯ-hammelek*: king's household/royal family/royal court
*hannəʿārîm*: young men/servants/attendants
*hayyāʿēf*: the weary one/fatigued person/exhausted one
*midbar*: wilderness/desert/uninhabited land

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

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Children and early teens
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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

2 Sam 17:29 : 29 and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
Judg 10:4 : 4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
Judg 5:10 : 10 Tell [of it], ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich carpets, And ye that walk by the way.
Judg 8:4-5 : 4 And Gideon came to the Jordan, [and] passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing. 5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.
Gen 21:29 : 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
Gen 33:8 : 8 And he said, What meanest thou by all this company which I met? And he said, To find favor in the sight of my lord.
1 Sam 14:28 : 28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food this day. And the people were faint.
1 Sam 25:27 : 27 And now this present which thy servant hath brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
2 Sam 15:1 : 1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2 Sam 15:23 : 23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
2 Sam 19:26 : 26 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 with the king; because thy servant is lame.
Prov 31:6-7 : 6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, And wine unto the bitter in soul: 7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more.
Ezek 37:18 : 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

2 Sam 16:1
91%
1And when David was a little past the top [of the ascent], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2 Sam 16:3-4
2 verses
77%
3And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; for he said, To-day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
4Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, O king.
1 Sam 16:20
74%
20And Jesse took an ass [laden] with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
2 Sam 17:27-29
3 verses
74%
27And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
28brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched [grain], and beans, and lentils, and parched [pulse],
29and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
1 Sam 25:18
74%
18Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
1 Chr 12:39-40
2 verses
74%
39And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had made preparation for them.
40Moreover they that were nigh unto them, [even] as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, victuals of meal, cakes of figs, and clusters of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep in abundance: for there was joy in Israel.
Judg 19:19
73%
19Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants: there is no want of anything.
2 Sam 9:9-11
3 verses
72%
9Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son.
10And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in [the fruits], that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, [said the king], he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.
2 Chr 2:15
72%
15Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:
2 Sam 19:28-30
3 verses
72%
28For all 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 that I should cry any more unto the king?
29And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
30And Mephibosheth said unto the king, yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house.
2 Sam 19:25-26
2 verses
71%
25And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?
26And 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 with the king; because thy servant is lame.
2 Sam 9:2-4
3 verses
71%
2And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame of his feet.
4And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
2 Sam 16:14
70%
14And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.
2 Sam 19:17
70%
17And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went through the Jordan in the presence of the king.
1 Kgs 13:23
70%
23And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, [to wit], for the prophet whom he had brought back.
Judg 19:21
69%
21So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
1 Chr 16:3
69%
3And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a portion [of flesh], and a cake of raisins.
1 Sam 30:11-12
2 verses
69%
11And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink.
12And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
2 Sam 6:19
68%
19And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a portion [of flesh], and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed every one to his house.
1 Sam 17:17
68%
17And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry [them] quickly to the camp to thy brethren;
1 Sam 10:2
67%
2When thou art departed from me to-day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found; and, lo, thy father hath left off caring for the asses, and is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
2 Sam 19:32-33
2 verses
67%
32Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
33And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem.
1 Sam 25:8
67%
8Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
1 Sam 30:16
67%
16And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
1 Sam 8:16
67%
16And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
1 Sam 9:5
67%
5When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off caring for the asses, and be anxious for us.
1 Sam 30:21
67%
21And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
Isa 36:17
67%
17until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
Judg 8:15
67%
15And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
1 Kgs 4:28
66%
28Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they unto the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge.
1 Kgs 2:7
66%
7But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table; for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.
2 Chr 2:10
66%
10And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
1 Sam 25:11-12
2 verses
66%
11Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?
12So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.
2 Chr 28:15
66%
15And the men that have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, unto their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
2 Sam 19:35
66%
35I am this day fourscore years old: can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?