Mephibosheth

Biblical Account

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. He was five years old when news came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. As his nurse picked him up and fled in haste, she dropped him, and he became lame (2 Samuel 4:4).

After David came to the throne, he declared that if anyone remained of the house of Saul, he would show him kindness for Jonathan's sake. Ziba, a former servant of Saul, told him about Mephibosheth, who was living in the house of Machir in Lo-debar. David summoned him and restored to him all the land that had belonged to Saul. He also had him eat continually at the king's table, as one of the king's sons. Mephibosheth bowed down and called himself "such a dead dog as I am" (2 Samuel 9). He had a young son named Micha.

During the rebellion of Absalom, Ziba brought provisions to David as he fled. At the same time, he claimed that Mephibosheth had stayed behind in Jerusalem in the hope that the kingdom of Israel would be restored to him. David then gave Mephibosheth's property to Ziba (2 Samuel 16:1–4). When the rebellion ended and David returned, Mephibosheth came out to meet him. From the day the king had departed, he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes. He said that his servant Ziba had deceived him, and David ordered the two of them to divide the land. Mephibosheth replied that Ziba might take it all, since the king had come home in peace (2 Samuel 19:24–30). Later, when David handed over seven of Saul's descendants to the Gibeonites, he spared Mephibosheth because of his oath with Jonathan (2 Samuel 21:7). Among those handed over was another man named Mephibosheth, a son of Saul by Rizpah (2 Samuel 21:8).

Significance Within Scripture

The story of Mephibosheth is read as an example of the fulfillment of the covenant between David and Jonathan, namely the promise not to cut off kindness from Jonathan's house (1 Samuel 20:14–17). The word David used for "kindness" is understood to be the Hebrew term hesed. Mephibosheth is not mentioned directly in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debate

• The name: In 1 Chronicles 8:34 and 9:40, Jonathan's son appears as "Merib-baal." Many scholars hold that the element Baal in the original name was replaced in writing with "bosheth," meaning "shame."
• Ziba's account versus Mephibosheth's: The text does not state whose account was true. Many interpreters regard Mephibosheth as innocent, pointing to his mourning and his willingness to give up the land. Others, noting David's ruling that the land be divided, leave the question open.
• Spiritual application: Sermons across denominational lines widely use the scene of an undeserving man seated at the king's table as a picture of God's grace. This, however, is an application of the text rather than something the text itself states. It is also common to explain "Lo-debar" as meaning "a place without pasture" or "a place of nothing," but the etymology is uncertain.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, 2 Samuel 9 is frequently treated under the themes of grace and restoration. Mephibosheth's confession, "such a dead dog as I am," and the expression "the king's table" are especially often quoted. In Sunday school, the account is commonly taught as a sequel to the story of the friendship between David and Jonathan.