John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And the king said unto him, where is he ? etc.] In what part of the land, city, or town, does he dwell? and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he [is] in the house of Machir , the son of Ammiel ; a descendant of Machir, the son of Manasseh, to whom the land of Gilead was given, which lay on the other side Jordan: in Lodebar ; a place in that country, perhaps the same with Debir in ( Joshua 13:26). Here it may be his mother’s relations lived, and here he might dwell in obscurity, and lie hid from the knowledge of David; who, it might be feared by his friends, would have dispatched him, had he known where he was. Some take it to be an appellative, and render it, as Abarbinel observes, “without anything”; as if he was so poor that he had not anything to support himself with. No mention as yet is made of his name, perhaps because the historian had given it before, ( 2 Samuel 4:4).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Amidst numerous affairs we are apt to forget the gratitude we owe, an the engagements we are under, not only to our friends, but to God himself. Yet persons of real godliness will have no rest till they have discharged them. And the most proper objects of kindness and charity frequently will not be found without inquiry. Jonathan was David' sworn friend, therefore he shows kindness to his son Mephibosheth. God is faithful to us; let us not be unfaithful to one another. I Providence has raised us, and our friends and their families ar brought low, we must look upon that as giving us the fairer opportunit of being kind to them.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 לו המלך4428 איפה375 הוא1931 ויאמר559 ציבא6717 אל413 המלך4428 הנה2009 הוא1931 בית1004 מכיר4353 בן1121 עמיאל5988 בלו דבר׃3810
