Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for II Samuel 9:9

וַיִּקְרָ֣א הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָ֛א נַ֥עַר שָׁא֖וּל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה לְשָׁאוּל֙ וּלְכָל־בֵּית֔וֹ נָתַ֖תִּי לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him: ‘All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master’s son.

Rashi on II Samuel

I have given to the son of your master. The king is permitted to transfer an estate1From its previous rightful owner to another person of his choice. This is Rebbe Yosi’s view in Sanhedrin 20b that those royal powers spoken of in Shmuel are to be taken literally as belonging to the king and not just a means of frightening the people into respecting the king which is Rebbe Yehudi’s view there in Sanhedrin, (See also Tosfos, ibid). as it is said (Shmuel I, 8:14) Within the jurisdiction of the monarchy is [the power] to take their fields and their vineyards and to give it to his servants.
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