2 Samuel — Chapter 9
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1Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?”
2And there was a servant of the house of Saul named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king inquired, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied.
3So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.”
4“Where is he?” replied the king. And Ziba said, “Indeed, he is in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.”
5So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.
6And when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he fell facedown in reverence. Then David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied.
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.
10You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11And Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all that my lord the king has commanded.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s own sons.
12And Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth.
13So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both feet.
1And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?
2And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
4And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
5Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6Now 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!
7And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew 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.
8And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9Then 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.
10Thou 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 alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11Then 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.
12And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
13So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
1And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan`s sake?
2And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame of his feet.
4And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
5Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold, thy servant!
7And 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.
8And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9Then 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.
10And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in [the fruits], that thy master`s son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master`s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king commandeth 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.
12And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
13So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king`s table. And he was lame in both his feet.
1Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”
2Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.”
3The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.”
4The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5So King David had him brought from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.
6When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground. David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.”
7David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will give back to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will be a regular guest at my table.”
8Then Mephibosheth bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”
9Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson.
10You will cultivate the land for him—you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce and it will be food for your master’s grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.)
11Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do everything that my lord the king has instructed his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth was a regular guest at David’s table, just as though he were one of the king’s sons.
12Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants.
13Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.
1David said, “Is there yet any who is left of Saul’s house, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2There was of Saul’s house a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “I am your servant.”
3The king said, “Is there not yet any of Saul’s house, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet.”
4The king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
5Then king David sent, and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
6Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and showed respect. David said, “Mephibosheth.” He answered, “Behold, your servant!”
7David said to him, “Don’t be afraid; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father. You will eat bread at my table continually.”
8He bowed down, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look at such a dead dog as I am?”
9Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s son.
10Till the land for him, you, your sons, and your servants. Bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth your master’s son will always eat bread at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the king’s table, like one of the king’s sons.
12Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. All that lived in Ziba’s house were servants to Mephibosheth.
13So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem; for he ate continually at the king’s table. He was lame in both his feet.
Summary
David asks whether anyone remains of Saul's house so he can show kindness for Jonathan's sake, and learns through Saul's former servant Ziba of Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, who is lame in both feet (vv. 1-4). David summons Mephibosheth, who bows before him in fear, but David restores to him all of Saul's land and grants him a permanent place at the king's own table, treating him like one of his sons (vv. 7-11). Ziba and his household are appointed to farm the land for Mephibosheth's benefit, while Mephibosheth himself settles in Jerusalem, eating continually at the king's table despite his disability (vv. 12-13).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Lo-debar: A town in Transjordan (Gilead) where Mephibosheth has been living in obscurity — in the house of Machir
- Jerusalem: Where David brings Mephibosheth to eat at the king's table permanently — a geography of grace
- The contrast: From hiding in remote Transjordan to sitting at the king's table in the capital city
Places on this map
- Gileadnorthern JordanThe wooded highlands east of the Jordan between the Yarmuk and the Arnon, good grazing country and a source of the resin traded as balm. Being across the river left its tribes perpetually worried about being written out of Israel. Wikipedia
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
- Transjordanwestern JordanEverything east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea: the plateau taken before the river was crossed and settled by Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh, who then spent centuries anxious about being counted out. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik calls this chapter "a beautiful picture of God's grace" and traces the parallels: like Mephibosheth, we are crippled by the fall, living in a barren place, from a house in rebellion against the true King. Yet the King seeks us out — not to destroy but to show "the kindness of God." We are given a place at His table not because of our merit but because of Another's covenant (Christ's).
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 2 Samuel -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Grace That Goes Looking (v.1) — David doesn't wait for someone from Saul's house to approach him; he actively asks who's left so he can show kindness. Who in your life needs you to go find them rather than wait for them to come to you?
- Kindness Rooted in Another's Name (v.7) — David's kindness to Mephibosheth is explicitly for Jonathan's sake, not because Mephibosheth earned it. Can you receive God's kindness toward you as resting on Christ's worth rather than something you have to qualify for?
- Astonished Instead of Entitled (v.8) — Mephibosheth calls himself a dead dog, stunned that the king would even notice him, rather than asserting any claim to royal favor. Do you approach God's grace with that same sense of wonder, or have you started to expect it?
- Still Broken, Now at the Table (v.13) — Mephibosheth's condition never changes — he's still lame in both feet — but his position changes completely. What unresolved weakness are you still carrying that God hasn't removed, even while He's already changed your standing with Him?