King James Version

2 Samuel 16:2

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֧אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…הַמֶּ֛לֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).צִיבָ֖אtsivaZibaצִיבָאnoun, proper name — “Ziba”H6717Tsiba, an IsraeliteZiba.מָהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.אֵ֣לֶּהelehtheseאֵלֶּהpronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).לָּ֑ךְlakhetoלָּ֑ךְpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to”toוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…צִ֠יבָאtsivaZibaצִיבָאnoun, proper name — “Ziba”H6717Tsiba, an IsraeliteZiba.הַחֲמוֹרִ֨יםhachamorimthe assחֲמוֹרdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “the ass”, the ordinary formH2543a male ass (from its dun red)(he) ass.לְבֵיתleveytto familyבַּיִתpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “to family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…הַמֶּ֜לֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.לִרְכֹּ֗בlirkovto on backרָכַבpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to on back”, the to-form of the verbH7392to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle); causatively, to place upon (for riding or generally), to despatchbring (on (horse-) back), carry, get (oneself) up, on (horse-) back, put, (cause to, make to) ride (in a chariot, on, -r), set.ולהלחםvlhlchmand to the breadלֶחֶםconjunction, preposition, definite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “and to the bread”, the ordinary formH3899food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)(shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.וְהַלֶּ֤חֶםvehalechemand the breadלֶחֶםconjunction, definite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “and the bread”, the ordinary formH3899food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)(shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.וְהַקַּ֨יִץ֙vehaqayitsand the summerקַיִץconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and the summer”, the ordinary formH7019harvest (as the crop), whether the product (grain or fruit) or the (dry) seasonsummer (fruit, house).לֶאֱכ֣וֹלleekholto eatאָכַלpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to eat”, the to-form of the verbH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.הַנְּעָרִ֔יםhanarimthe boyנַעַרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the boy”, the ordinary formH5288(concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age)babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).וְהַיַּ֕יִןvehayayinand the wineיַיִןconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and the wine”, the ordinary formH3196wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxicationbanqueting, wine, wine(-bibber).לִשְׁתּ֥וֹתlishtotto banquetשָׁתָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to banquet”, the to-form of the verbH8354to imbibe (literally or figuratively)[idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of H8248 (שָׁקָה).)הַיָּעֵ֖ףhayaefthe faintיָעֵףdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the faint”, the ordinary formH3287fatigued; figuratively, exhaustedfaint, weary.בַּמִּדְבָּֽרbamidbarin desertמִדְבָּרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in desert”, the ordinary formH4057a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)desert, south, speech, wilderness.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

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.'

World English Bible

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 those who are faint in the wilderness may drink.”

Darby Translation

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.

Douay-Rheims

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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Σιβὰ, τί ταῦτά σοι; καὶ εἶπε Σιβὰ, τὰ ὑποζύγια τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἐπικαθῆσθαι, καὶ οἱ ἄρτοι καὶ οἱ φοίνικες εἰς βρῶσιν τοῖς παιδαρίοις, καὶ ὁ οἶνος πιεῖν τοῖς ἐκλελυμένοις ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.