2 Samuel 16:2
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And the king said to Siba: What mean these things? And Siba answered: The asses are for the king's household to sit on: and the loaves and the figs for thy servants to eat, and the wine to drink if any man be faint in the desert.

What meanest

Genesis 21:29 And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewelambs which thou hast set apart?

Ezekiel 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak to thee, saying: Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by this?

The asses. This is the eastern mode of speaking when presenting any thing to a great man: `This is for the slaves of the servants of your majesty;' when at the same time the presents are intended for the sovereign himself, and it is so understood.

2 Samuel 15:1 Now after these things Absalom made himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

2 Samuel 19:26 And he answering, said: My lord, O king, my servant despised me: for I thy servant spoke to him to saddle me an ass, that I might get on and go with the king: for I thy servant am lame.

Judges 5:10 Speak, you that ride upon fair asses, and you that sit in judgment, and walk in the way.

Judges 10:4 Having thirty sons, that rode on thirty ass colts, and were princes of thirty cities, which from his name were called Havoth Jair, that is, the towns of Jair, until this present day, in the land of Galaad.

for the young

1 Samuel 25:27 Wherefore receive this blessing, which thy handmaid hath brought to thee, my lord: and give it to the young men that follow thee, my lord.

that such

2 Samuel 15:23 And they all wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself went over the brook Cedron, and all the people marched towards the way that looketh to the desert.

2 Samuel 17:29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and fat calves, and they gave to David and the people that were with him, to eat: for they suspected that the people were faint with hunger and thirst in the wilderness.

Judges 8:4,5 And when Gedeon was come to the Jordan, he passed over it with the three hundred men that were with him: who were so weary that they could not pursue after them that fled. . . .

1 Samuel 14:28 And one of the people answering, said: Thy father hath bound the people with an oath, saying: Cursed be the man that shall eat any food this day. (And the people were faint.)

Proverbs 31:6,7 Give strong drink to them that are sad; and wine to them that are grieved in mind: . . .

Context
David and Ziba
1And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold Siba the servant of Miphiboseth came to meet him with two asses, laden with two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs, and a vessel of wine. 2And the king said to Siba: What mean these things? And Siba answered: The asses are for the king's household to sit on: and the loaves and the figs for thy servants to eat, and the wine to drink if any man be faint in the desert.3And the king said: Where is thy master's son? And Siba answered the king: He remained in Jerusalem, saying: To day, will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.…
Cross References
Judges 10:4
Having thirty sons, that rode on thirty ass colts, and were princes of thirty cities, which from his name were called Havoth Jair, that is, the towns of Jair, until this present day, in the land of Galaad.

2 Samuel 15:23
And they all wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself went over the brook Cedron, and all the people marched towards the way that looketh to the desert.

2 Samuel 17:29
And honey, and butter, and sheep, and fat calves, and they gave to David and the people that were with him, to eat: for they suspected that the people were faint with hunger and thirst in the wilderness.

Lexicon
“Why
מָה־ (māh-)
Interrogative
Strong's Hebrew 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

do you have these?”
אֵ֣לֶּה (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's Hebrew 428: These, those

said
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 559: To utter, say

the king
הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 4428: A king

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 413: Near, with, among, to

Ziba.
צִיבָ֖א (ṣî·ḇā)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6717: Ziba -- a servant in Saul's house

Ziba
צִ֠יבָא (ṣî·ḇā)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6717: Ziba -- a servant in Saul's house

replied,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 559: To utter, say

“The donkeys
הַחֲמוֹרִ֨ים (ha·ḥă·mō·w·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 2543: A male ass

are for the king’s
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 4428: A king

household
לְבֵית־ (lə·ḇêṯ-)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 1004: A house

to ride,
לִרְכֹּ֗ב (lir·kōḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 7392: To ride, to place upon, to despatch

the bread
וְהַלֶּ֤חֶם (wə·hal·le·ḥem)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3899: Food, bread, grain

and summer fruit
וְהַקַּ֙יִץ֙ (wə·haq·qa·yiṣ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7019: To awake

are for the young men
הַנְּעָרִ֔ים (han·nə·‘ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

to eat,
לֶאֱכ֣וֹל (le·’ĕ·ḵō·wl)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 398: To eat

and the wine
וְהַיַּ֕יִן (wə·hay·ya·yin)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3196: Wine, intoxication

is to refresh those
לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת (liš·tō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 8354: To imbibe

who become exhausted
הַיָּעֵ֖ף (hay·yā·‘êp̄)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3287: Fatigued, exhausted

in the wilderness.”
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech


Additional Translations
“Why do you have these?” said the king to Ziba. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s 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.”And the king said to Ziba, What mean you by these? And Ziba said, The asses be 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 be faint in the wilderness may drink.

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.

And the king said to Siba, What meanest thou by these? and Siba, said, The asses are for the household of the king to sit upon, and the loaves and the dates are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for them that are faint in the wilderness to drink.

And the king said to 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 fruits for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink.

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be 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 be faint in the wilderness may drink.

And the king said to 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.

The king said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? Ziba said, The donkeys 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.

And the king saith unto Ziba, 'What -- these to thee?' and Ziba saith, 'The asses for the household of the king to ride on, and the bread and the summer-fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for the wearied to drink in the wilderness.'
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Alphabetical: and answered are asked become bread brought desert do donkeys drink eat exhausted faint for fruit have household in is king king's men on refresh ride said summer The these those to who whoever Why wilderness wine you young Ziba

OT History: 2 Samuel 16:2 The king said to Ziba What do (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

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