2 Samuel 9:8
New International Version
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

New Living Translation
Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”

English Standard Version
And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

Berean Standard Bible
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”

King James Bible
And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

New King James Version
Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

New American Standard Bible
Again he prostrated himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should be concerned about a dead dog like me?”

NASB 1995
Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?”

NASB 1977
Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?”

Legacy Standard Bible
So he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?”

Amplified Bible
Again Mephibosheth lay himself face down and said, “What is your servant, that you would be concerned for a dead dog like me?”

Christian Standard Bible
Mephibosheth paid homage and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?”

American Standard Version
And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he worshiped and he said: “What is your Servant that you have looked at me, for I am as a dead dog!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Memphibosthe did obeisance, and said, Who am I thy servant, that thou hast looked upon a dead dog like me?

Contemporary English Version
Mephibosheth knelt down again and said, "Why should you care about me? I'm worth no more than a dead dog."

Douay-Rheims Bible
He bowed down to him, and said: Who am I thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?

English Revised Version
And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Mephibosheth bowed down [again] and answered, "Who am I that you would look at a dead dog like me?"

Good News Translation
Mephibosheth bowed again and said, "I am no better than a dead dog, sir! Why should you be so good to me?"

International Standard Version
Mephibosheth bowed low again and asked, "Who am I, your servant, that you would pay attention to a dead dog like me?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he bowed down, and said: 'What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?'

Literal Standard Version
And he bows himself and says, “What [is] your servant, that you have turned to the dead dog—such as I?”

Majority Standard Bible
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”

New American Bible
Bowing low, he answered, “What am I, your servant, that you should pay attention to a dead dog like me?”

NET Bible
Then Mephibosheth bowed and said, "Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?"

New Revised Standard Version
He did obeisance and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I?”

New Heart English Bible
He bowed down, and said, "What is your servant, that you should look on such a dead dog as I am?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?

World English Bible
He bowed down, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look at such a dead dog as I am?”

Young's Literal Translation
And he boweth himself, and saith, 'What is thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog -- such as I?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David and Mephibosheth
7“Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 8Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?” 9Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 24:14
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?

2 Samuel 3:8
Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth's accusation. "Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?" he asked. "All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!

2 Samuel 16:9
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!"

2 Samuel 24:14
David answered Gad, "I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

2 Kings 8:13
"But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?" said Hazael. And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."


Treasury of Scripture

And he bowed himself, and said, What is your servant, that you should look on such a dead dog as I am?

a dead dog

2 Samuel 3:8
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?

2 Samuel 16:9
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

1 Samuel 24:14,15
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea…

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Bowed Boweth Dead Dog Face Mephibosheth Note Notice Obeisance Prostrated Regard Servant Shouldest Shouldst Turned
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Bowed Boweth Dead Dog Face Mephibosheth Note Notice Obeisance Prostrated Regard Servant Shouldest Shouldst Turned
2 Samuel 9
1. David by Ziba sends for Mephibosheth
7. For Jonathan's sake he restores to him all that was Saul's
9. He makes Ziba his farmer














Verse 8. - A dead dog. At first sight this extreme self-humiliation makes us look on Mephibosheth as a poor creature, whom early misfortune and personal deformity had combined to depress But really this is to impose on an Oriental hyperbole a Western exactness of meaning. When in the East your entertainer assures you that everything he has to his last dirhem is yours, he nevertheless expects you to pay twice the value foreverything you consume; but he makes his exaction pleasant by his extreme courtliness. So Ephron offered his cave at Machpelah to Abraham as a free gift, but he took care to obtain for it an exorbitant price (Genesis 23:11, 15). Mephibosheth described himself in terms similar to those used by David of himself to Saul (1 Samuel 24:14); but he meant no more than to express great gratitude, and also to acknowledge the disparity of rank between him and the king.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Mephibosheth bowed down
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֕חוּ (way·yiš·ta·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

and said,
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“What
מֶ֣ה (meh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is your servant,
עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ (‘aḇ·de·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

that
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you should show regard
פָנִ֔יתָ (p̄ā·nî·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

for
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

a dead
הַמֵּ֖ת (ham·mêṯ)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

dog
הַכֶּ֥לֶב (hak·ke·leḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3611: A dog, a male prostitute

like me?”
כָּמֽוֹנִי׃ (kā·mō·w·nî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when


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OT History: 2 Samuel 9:8 He did obeisance and said What (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 9:7
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