2 Samuel 9

After David conquers the surrounding nations and appoints the officials of his kingdom in chapter 8, this chapter relates how David treated the house of Saul, the former royal family. Scholars commonly regard chapter 9 as the beginning of a long narrative concerned with who will succeed David on the throne.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 David asks whether anyone remains of the house of Saul to whom he may show kindness for Jonathan's sake. Ziba, a servant of Saul, is summoned and reports that a son of Jonathan, who is lame in his feet, is living in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lodebar.
• Verses 5–8 David has Mephibosheth brought to him. David promises to restore to him all the land of Saul and to have him eat at the king's table continually; Mephibosheth bows down, calling himself "such a dead dog as I am."
• Verses 9–11 David informs Ziba that he has given Mephibosheth all that belonged to the house of Saul, and he directs Ziba, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, to till the land and bring in its produce. Ziba replies that he will do as commanded.
• Verses 12–13 Mephibosheth had a young son named Micha. Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, eating at the king's table, and was lame in both his feet.

Key Verses

• 2 Samuel 9:1 "that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake" — reveals that David's relationship with Jonathan is the motive for the entire chapter.
• 2 Samuel 9:7 "thou shalt eat bread at my table continually" — promises two forms of favor: the restoration of land and a place at the king's table.
• 2 Samuel 9:8 "that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" — shows how lowly the recipient regarded himself.

People and Places

• David: King of Israel.
• Mephibosheth: Son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul. In 1 Chronicles 8 he appears under the name Merib-baal.
• Ziba: A servant of the house of Saul, who had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
• Machir: Son of Ammiel, living in Lodebar; the man in whose house Mephibosheth was staying.
• Lodebar: The place where Machir lived.
• Micha: Mephibosheth's young son.

Points for Reflection

• The word translated "kindness" in verses 1, 3, and 7 is the Hebrew hesed, meaning faithful, covenant-based love. The chapter is commonly read as David keeping the covenant he made with Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20.
• How Mephibosheth became lame is recounted not in this chapter but in chapter 4, verse 4. The relationship between Ziba and Mephibosheth is taken up again later in chapter 16 and chapter 19.
• Some scholars also detect a political motive: David may have wished to keep the descendants of Saul's house close at hand in order to keep an eye on them.
• In Christian tradition, this story of an unworthy person being seated at the king's table is often read as an illustration of God's grace. The text itself does not say this directly; such a reading is a matter of interpretation.

In the Korean Church

The story of Mephibosheth is frequently treated in sermons on the themes of grace and "the king's table."