שמואל ב, פרק ט׳, פסוק ב׳

King David's court is searching for information about any survivors from the previous royal family. When the people surrounding the king are unable to answer his questions, they summon a veteran member of the former royal household who is deeply familiar with its inner workings, hoping he can shed light on the fate of Saul's descendants [אלשיך].

The man brought before the king is Ziba. The primary approach among commentators is that he is not a regular servant, but a Canaanite slave who originally belonged to Saul and was passed down as a permanent inheritance to his family [רד״ק, אברבנאל, מצודת דוד]. Despite his status as a foreign slave, he serves as the elder of the estate, a man of authority who has managed Saul's household for many years [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].

When the king asks if he is indeed Ziba, the inquiry serves a dual purpose. On a basic level, it simply verifies his identity [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, it also contains a deeper investigation into his personal legal standing. By asking if he still goes by his original name, the king is checking whether he remains an unfreed slave. It was customary for freed slaves to adopt a Jewish name, much like those who convert to Judaism [מלבי״ם].

Ziba's brief response confirms exactly who he is [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. At the same time, it serves as a direct answer to the king's underlying question about his social standing. By referring to himself as a servant, he explicitly admits that he was never freed and continues to hold the legal status of a slave [מלבי״ם].