English · ASV

2 Samuel 9

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

David Seeks Saul's Descendant 1–5

1
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? ​
2
And 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. ​
3
And 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. ​
4
And 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. ​
5
Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

David Shows Covenant Kindness 6–8

6
And 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!
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 did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? ​

Land Restoration and Ziba's Appointment 9–13

9
Then 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. ​
10
And 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. ​
11
Then 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.
12
And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. 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 he was lame in both his feet. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Samuel 9

Verse 1

shew him kindness — Chesed, loyal covenant kindness, the word Jonathan used when he asked David, 'thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever' (1 Sam 20:15). 'Left' is yathar, to remain over. David's search keeps the covenant Jonathan made with his house, sworn in 1 Sam 20:16–17.

Verse 2

Ziba — The servant is called by ebed, the word he answers with, 'Thy servant is he'. He is the one summoned to tell David of Saul's house, and he returns in the story with asses and provisions and a report against his master (2 Sam 16:1–4), and again with 'his fifteen sons and his twenty servants' (2 Sam 19:17).

Verse 3

the kindness of God — The chesed David means is the one Jonathan asked for as 'the kindness of the LORD' (1 Sam 20:14), pledged before God. The answer is a son 'lame on his feet'; the cause is told in 2 Sam 4:4, where his nurse fled with him at five years old and he fell. Titus 3:4 speaks of 'the kindness and love of God our Saviour'.

Verse 4

Lodebar — The house of Machir son of Ammiel is where Jonathan's son is found. The same man appears later at Mahanaim, 'Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar', bringing beds, food and vessels to David and his people in the wilderness (2 Sam 17:27–29).

Verse 7

eat bread at my table continually — David gives three things: removal of fear, restoration of 'all the land of Saul', and a place at the king's shulchan (table) with tamid (continually). David later charges Solomon to seat the sons of Barzillai there (1 Kings 2:7), and Mephibosheth recalls, 'yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table' (2 Sam 19:28).

Verse 8

a dead dog — The phrase David used of himself before Saul, 'after a dead dog, after a flea' (1 Sam 24:14), and which Abishai uses of Shimei (2 Sam 16:9). These are the only three places the KJV has it. His 'bowed himself' is shachah, to bow down in homage.

Verse 9

thy master's son — David speaks of Saul as Ziba's 'master' (adon) and gives to the master's son 'all that pertained to Saul and to all his house'. The grant is later cut back in two stages: 'thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth' (2 Sam 16:4), then 'Thou and Ziba divide the land' (2 Sam 19:29).

Verse 10

fifteen sons and twenty servants — Ziba's household is to till the land and bring in the fruits for Mephibosheth's house. The word for 'food' here is lechem, the same word as the 'bread' Mephibosheth eats 'alway' at David's table, so the land supplies the house and the king supplies the table. The same numbers recur in 2 Sam 19:17.

Verse 12

Micha — Chronicles gives Mephibosheth's name as Meribbaal and records the line: 'Meribbaal begat Micah', whose sons were Pithon, Melech, Tarea and Ahaz (1 Chr 8:34–35). Through this young son Jonathan's line continues.

Verse 13

lame on both his feet — Pisseach, lame, the condition that began in the fall of 2 Sam 4:4. He lives in Jerusalem and eats 'continually at the king's table', as David spared him in 2 Sam 21:7 'because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan'.