And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.”
David is in flight from Jerusalem, and a man meets him on the road with a loaded gift. Ziba explains what each part of the load is for, but the chapter goes on to ask whether his generosity was loyal or calculating.
Comfort on the Road of Rejection
Whatever Ziba's motive, the meeting itself is a mercy in the middle of David's worst day. One writer reads the meeting as proof that God gives a willing heart its moment. That moment is now, while Jesus is still despised.
William KellyThe king was not without comfort and joy. He was not without something to console, soothe, and cheer his spirit in the day of his trouble… And so it is, dear friends: where grace is in the heart, the Lord will give the opportunity to show it. He is giving us that opportunity now, while people still despise Jesus — and they despise Him even while their words own Him as seated on the throne.
The Real Owner of the Gift
The verse never says the supplies were Ziba's. They belonged to Mephibosheth, Ziba's master. Later David asks him why he stayed behind, and the truth comes out.
Charles StanleyBut what about the fruits, and bread, and wine? "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?" (2 Sam. 19:25). And now the truth comes out. It was he who had provided the loads of fruit carried by the donkeys. But Mephibosheth was lame, so Ziba had slipped into the saddle. In that way he misrepresented Mephibosheth and played the hypocrite.
The Price Tag on the Present
The gift was not free. Ziba was carrying goods that were not his own.
F. W. GrantThe help he brings to David is credited to himself, and he finds a royal reward for it at his master's cost.
Zeal That Looks Better Than Faith
Seen from outside, Ziba is the model follower and Mephibosheth the no-show.
Charles StanleyTo all outward appearance, there seemed to be great zeal and devotion in Ziba, and he had such a beautiful form of prayer. But it was all hypocrisy within.
Commentators differ on how far Ziba's guilt went. One reads the scene more gently: the practical service was real, and the damage came from guessing at someone else's motives.
H. L. RossierHe saddles the donkeys and loads them with everything the king's companions in flight need. He spares himself no trouble… Still, this eager heart lacks uprightness — or at the very least, it credits Mephibosheth with motives that were not his. I do not believe he lies knowingly… Nothing is as dangerous as claiming to read other people's thoughts to work out their motives.
The King Believes the Wrong Man
David asks two good questions — what the load is for, and where the owner is — then acts on the answer without checking it.
Leslie M. GrantDavid was so deceived by Ziba's false words that he judged the matter without inquiry. He told Ziba that all Mephibosheth's property was now to belong to Ziba. This was an unjust judgment. He took from Mephibosheth everything that rightly belonged to him and gave it to a servant who had no right to it at all.
Two Kinds of Servant
One writer reads the three men as pictures — a rejected king, and two men who stand in very different places.
C KnappDavid is a picture of Christ in the present hour of His rejection. Ziba represents a self-righteous child of nature, and Mephibosheth a helpless child of grace… Ziba never became anything more than a "servant." Scripture calls him a servant again and again. Mephibosheth is like real Christians, who are "sons of God."
Summary
- Timing. The load arrives at David's lowest point. Where grace is in the heart, God supplies the moment to show it — and that moment is now, while the King is still refused.
- Ownership. The supplies were Mephibosheth's, not Ziba's. He was lame, so his servant took the saddle and the credit.
- Motive. Service to the rejected king can be a bid for gain. Ziba took the credit for his help and won a royal reward at his master's cost.
- Appearance. Great zeal and fine words prove nothing. Commentators differ on whether Ziba lied outright or only read motives into a man he never asked.
- Judgment. David judged without inquiry and stripped an innocent man. A gift is not evidence, and an absent man deserves a hearing.