The Meaning of 2 Samuel 19:24 Explained

2 Samuel 19:24

KJV: And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

YLT: And Mephibosheth son of Saul hath come down to meet the king -- and he prepared not his feet, nor did he prepare his upper lip, yea, his garments he washed not, even from the day of the going away of the king, till the day that he came in peace --

Darby: And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. Now he had neither washed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

ASV: And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Mephibosheth  the son  of Saul  came down  to meet  the king,  and had neither  dressed  his feet,  nor trimmed  his beard,  nor washed  his clothes,  from the day  the king  departed  until the day  he came  [again] in peace. 

What does 2 Samuel 19:24 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 19:21-30 - A Day To Forget Injuries
Abishai's reprobation of Shimei's disloyalty was very natural; but at that supreme moment of triumph, David could afford to be magnanimous, and so he accepted Shimei's abject apology and pleading. Evidently there was a growing alienation between the king and the sons of Zeruiah.
Mephibosheth urged that Ziba had shamefully wronged and misrepresented him, taking away the ass on which he had intended to accompany the king into exile, and imputing his laxity to the hope that he might be restored to his grandfather's throne. He pointed to his disordered appearance as evidence of his intense grief. Clearly, however, David was not altogether satisfied and, desiring not to make Ziba his enemy, ruled that the estate should be divided between them. But Mephibosheth professed his willingness for his late servant to own it all. He might well feel repaid and satisfied, now that he had seen David's face once again in peace, Philippians 3:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 19

1  Joab causes the king to cease his mourning
9  The Israelites are earnest to bring the king back
11  David sends to the priest to incite them of Judah
18  Shimei is pardoned
24  Mephibosheth excused
32  Barzillai dismissed, and Chimham his son taken into the king's family
41  The Israelites expostulate with Judah for bringing home the king without them

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 19:24 mean?

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king and not he had cared for his feet nor trimmed his mustache and his clothes nor washed from the day departed the king until the day which he returned in peace
וּמְפִבֹ֙שֶׁת֙ בֶּן־ שָׁא֔וּל יָרַ֖ד לִקְרַ֣את הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְלֹא־ עָשָׂ֨ה רַגְלָ֜יו וְלֹא־ עָשָׂ֣ה שְׂפָמ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ בְּגָדָיו֙ לֹ֣א כִבֵּ֔ס לְמִן־ הַיּוֹם֙ לֶ֣כֶת הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַד־ הַיּ֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֥א בְשָׁלֽוֹם

וּמְפִבֹ֙שֶׁת֙  And  Mephibosheth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְפִיבֹשֶׁת 
Sense: grandson of Saul and son of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine; he and his brother Armoni were among the 7 victims surrendered by David to the Gibeonites to avert a famine.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שָׁא֔וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
יָרַ֖ד  came  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
לִקְרַ֣את  to  meet 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְלֹא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָשָׂ֨ה  he  had  cared  for 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
רַגְלָ֜יו  his  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
וְלֹא־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָשָׂ֣ה  trimmed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
שְׂפָמ֗וֹ  his  mustache 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂפָם  
Sense: moustache.
בְּגָדָיו֙  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
לֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
כִבֵּ֔ס  washed 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבַס  
Sense: to wash (by treading), be washed, perform the work of a fuller.
הַיּוֹם֙  the  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לֶ֣כֶת  departed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הַיּ֖וֹם  the  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בָּ֥א  he  returned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְשָׁלֽוֹם  in  peace 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.