2 Samuel 19:29 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Divide the land. — When Ziba came to David with his false report about Mephibosheth, David had instantly transferred to him all his master’s possessions (2 Samuel 16:4); he now saw the injustice of his hasty action, and ought at least to have reversed it, if not to have punished Ziba besides. Either, however, because he had still some doubt of the real merits of the case, or more probably because he was unwilling for political reasons to offend Ziba, he resorts to that halfway and compromise course which was both weak and unjust. The circumstances of the case, the continued mourning of Mephibosheth, the silence of Ziba, concur with the physical infirmity of Mephibosheth to show the truth of his story.