2 Samuel 9:5-13

Mephibosheth Brought to David. 2 Samuel 9:5-13

5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually,
8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.
10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, who name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.

5.

What was Mephibosheth's attitude toward David? 2 Samuel 9:6

Mephibosheth showed reverence for David. When he came unto David's presence, he fell on his face and honored the king. Later, David told him that he should not be afraid and assured him that he would show kindness to him. Mephibosheth was not like Ish-bosheth, his uncle, who had tried to keep David off the throne. He evidently harbored no ill will towards David, although Ziba later accused him of staying behind in Jerusalem at the time of the revolt of Absalom in hope that the people of Israel would make him king. Mephibosheth denied this after David returned, and so it is impossible to tell whether he ever had any hope of ruling himself (2 Samuel 16:3). Had anybody else become king, he might well have killed Mephibosheth as the sole surviving heir of the preceding regal family.

6.

What land was owned by Saul? 2 Samuel 9:7

With all the misfortune self-inflicted upon Saul and his family, he would retain possession of the ancestral home of Kish. This land was restored to the house of Saul in the person of Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was grateful. He asked David why he had deigned to look upon ... such a dead dog. The character displayed by Mephibosheth here and in the later appearances he makes in the Biblical narrative depict the results of chronic disappointment, disaster, suspicion, and treachery upon a sensitive mind. Mephibosheth was broken in spirit, and taking possession of the family's tract of land in the tribe of Benjamin was small compensation for all he must have suffered.

7.

Was David's kindness unusual? 2 Samuel 9:8

It was very uncommon for any member of a kingly family to treat the heir of a rival house in such consideration. This was a very unusual kindness. It is almost without parallel in the history of mankind.
Receiving this kind of treatment at the hand of the new king was so surprising to Mephibosheth that he referred to himself as a dead dog. He knew that he did not personally deserve the treatment that he received from David, but he was grateful for it. The recognition afforded Mephibosheth was sufficient to humble even the proudest oriental. The special mark of favor in giving him a place at the king's table is all the more noteworthy in view of Mephibosheth's physical imperfection.

8.

What duties were given to Ziba? 2 Samuel 9:10

Ziba had cared for the land of Saul at one time, and so David arranged that Ziba should cultivate the land and bring its produce to Mephibosheth. The income from the property would provide for his support, since his presence in the court of David would rather increase than diminish his expenses. The extent of the estate is indicated by the force that is needed to cultivate itZiba's fifteen sons, and twenty servants (2 Samuel 9:10 b).

9.

Who was Mephibosbeth's son? 2 Samuel 9:12

Verses twelve and thirteen are something of an appendix to the actual narrative of chapter nine, although they are evidently by the same author. The verses give further information as to the line of Saul. Mephibosheth had one son whose name was Micha. He is also mentioned in the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 8:34. David had remembered his covenant and had shown kindness to Jonathan's descendants. Mephibosheth was given the rank of a prince, eating at the king's table and having jurisdiction over suitable property as well as a group of servants. The unfortunate nature of his infirmity was the only thing that could detract from his happy state, and it is mentioned as the final statement of the chapter.