John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. And the king said, and where [is] thy master’s son ? etc.] The son of Saul, who was Ziba’s master, meaning Mephibosheth: and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he abideth at Jerusalem ; as there was reason for it, since he was lame of both his feet, ( 2 Samuel 9:13), though he could have rode upon an ass, and followed the king, as he proposed to do; but his servant deceived him, and carried off the asses to serve a purpose for himself, (see 2 Samuel 19:26); for he said, today shall the house of Israel restore unto me the kingdom of my father ; his father Saul; which was far from his thoughts; and a most wicked suggestion of his servant to blacken his character, and get his estate from him; nor was there the least probability of the kingdom coming to him, but all the reverse; for let it go how it would with David, Absalom, and not Mephibosheth, stood fair for the kingdom.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - Ziba belied Mephibosheth. Great men ought always to be jealous of flatterers, and to be careful that they hear both sides.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 המלך4428 ואיה346 בן1121 אדניך113 ויאמר559 ציבא6717 אל413 המלך4428 הנה2009 יושׁב3427 בירושׁלם3389 כי3588 אמר559 היום3117 ישׁיבו7725 לי בית1004 ישׂראל3478 את853 ממלכות4468 אבי׃1
