He said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore me, &c. This was a fiction, but not badly contrived; for the family of David being so divided, and one part enraged against another, it was possible they might destroy one another by mutual wounds; and the people, being tired out by civil wars, might think of restoring the kingdom to the family of Saul their former sovereign, of which family Mephibosheth was the principal branch. Then said the king, Behold, thine are all that pertained to Mephibosheth A rash sentence, and unrighteous, to condemn a man unheard upon the single testimony of his accuser and servant. But David's mind was both clouded by his trouble, and biased by Ziba's great and seasonable kindness. And he thought, probably, Ziba would not dare accuse his master, except on good grounds, of so great a crime as that of being a traitor, which, if false, might be so easily disproved. Ziba said, that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king Thus he hypocritically pretends to value the king's favour more than the gift he had bestowed upon him.
Related Commentaries of 2 Samuel 16:3
2 Samuel 16:3-4
3 And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humblya beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.