David's compatriot living at the time of United Monarchy
Ziba, a servant of Saul's household, became a servant of David and played a role in the conflict between David and Mephibosheth.
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Ziba was a servant of Saul's household who later became a servant of King David. He first appears in the narrative when David inquires about any remaining members of Saul's family to whom he can show kindness. Ziba informs David about Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, who was lame in both feet. David grants Mephibosheth all of Saul's land and appoints Ziba, along with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, to manage the property on Mephibosheth's behalf. Later, during Absalom's rebellion, Ziba meets David with supplies and falsely claims that Mephibosheth had hoped to regain the kingdom. David then grants Ziba all of Mephibosheth's possessions. After Absalom's death, when David returns to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth explains that Ziba had deceived him, and David divides the land between Ziba and Mephibosheth. Ziba's actions throughout the story suggest that he was an opportunist seeking to gain favor and wealth through his service to the king.
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Post; statue, “a servant of the house of Saul” (2 Sam. 9:2), who informed David that Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan, was alive. He afterwards dealt treacherously toward Mephibosheth, whom he slanderously misrepresented to David.
(statue), a servant of Saul whom David made steward of Saul’s son Mephibosheth. (2 Samuel 9:2-18; 16:1-4; 19:17,29) [Mephibosheth] (B.C. 1023.)
ZI'BA (statue), a servant of Saul, 2 Sam 19:17, whom David appointed a sort of steward to Mephibosheth. 2 Sam 9:2-12.
ZI'BA (statue), a servant of Saul, 2 Sam 19:17, whom David appointed a sort of steward to Mephibosheth. 2 Sam 9:2-12.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
13 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6717
And there was a servant of the house of Saul named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king inquired, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied.
So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathanʼs son, who is lame in both feet.”
“Where is he?” replied the king. And Ziba said, “Indeed, he is in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.”
Then the king summoned Saulʼs servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your masterʼs grandson all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.
You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your masterʼs grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your masterʼs grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
And Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all that my lord the king has commanded.” So Mephibosheth ate at Davidʼs table like one of the kingʼs own sons.
And Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth.
When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
“Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the kingʼs household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
“Where is your masterʼs grandson?” asked the king. And Ziba answered, “Indeed, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my grandfather.’”
So the king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I humbly bow before you,” said Ziba. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king!”
along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king
The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.