2Sa 9:1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
Is there yet any that is left - David recollecting the covenant made with his friend Jonathan, now inquires after his family.
that I may show him kindness, for Jonathan's sake - not for Saul's sake, who had been his implacable enemy; but for Jonathan's sake, his dear friend, whose memory was precious to him. It was customary when defeating an enemy to kill all surviving members of the royal household. In this case, David merely wanted to extend kindness to the remaining family member. This seems to be a long time after David had become king; for Mephibosheth, after an inquiry found out, was now he was married, and had a young son, 2Sa_9:12. He was five years of age when his father was slain, and twelve when David was made king over all Israel.
2Sa 9:2 And 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.
And there was of the house of Saul a servant - there was a servant that belonged to Saul's family; not that any of Saul's family was a servant.
2Sa 9:3 And 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.
that I may show the kindness of God unto him - great kindness, some large favor or benefit. This kindness is in imitation of God, or such as he had sworn in the presence of God to show; and that is expressed in the same language, 1Sa_20:14-15 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, so that I do not die, but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David, every one, from the face of the earth.
the kindness of God - That is, the highest degree of kindness; besides which, this kindness was according to the covenant of God made between him and Jonathan.
2Sa 9:4 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 Lodebar.
Machir - David reaped the fruit of his kindness to Mephibosheth, for, when he fled from Absalom, Machir, the son of Ammiel, was one of those who were most liberal in providing him and his army with necessaries.
Lodebar - Evidently on the east of Jordan River, and in the neighborhood of Ish-bosheth’s capital, Mahanaim.
And the king said unto him, where is he - In what part of the land, city, or town, does he dwell.
2Sa 9:5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
2Sa 9:6 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!
Mephibosheth - Also called Meribbaal (and Meribaal, 1Ch_9:40). The two names seem to have the same meaning: Bosheth, shame, being the equivalent for Baal, and Mephi (scattering or destroying, being equivalent to Merib (contending with).
He fell on his face – as subject to a king, although perhaps with some trepidation. Such generosity to a fallen rival as David showed in restoring him his paternal property seemed to him scarcely credible.
he answered, behold thy servant - he answered to his name, and owned his subjection to David, and was ready to take the oath of allegiance to him, and give him homage, and serve him in what way he could.
2Sa 9:7 And 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.
And thou shalt eat bread at my table - This was kindness, (giving up the land was justice), and it was the highest honor that any subject could enjoy, as we may see from the reference made to it by our Lord, Luk_22:30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. For such a person David could do no more. His lameness rendered him unfit for any public employment.
for Jonathan thy father's sake - whom he loved as his own soul, and to whom he had sworn that he would not cut off his kindness from his house for ever, and now remembering his oath was determined to observe it:
and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father - his grandfather, such sometimes being called fathers; Saul’s family estate, which had fallen to David in right of his wife (Num_27:8), or been forfeited to the crown by Ish-bosheth’s rebellion (2Sa_12:8), was provided (2Sa_9:11; also 2Sa_19:28), for enabling Mephibosheth to maintain an establishment suitable to his rank, and Ziba appointed steward to manage it, on the condition of receiving one-half of the produce in remuneration for his labor and expense, while the other moiety was to be paid as rent to the owner of the land (2Sa_19:29).
2Sa 9:8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
And he bowed himself and said - In token of gratitude, and as a sign of humility, and of the sense he had of his unworthiness to enjoy such a favor: Mephibosheth’s humility of expression is painful. It was perhaps in part the result of his helpless lameness, and of the other misfortunes of his life.
A dead dog - The wild dogs are the natural objects of contempt and dislike.
Bowed himself - It is good to have the heart humbled under humbling providences. If when divine providence brings our condition down, divine grace brings our spirits down, we shall be easy.
2Sa 9:9 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.
Saul’s servant - Josephus calls him one of Saul’s freedmen. The difference this would make in Ziba’s position would only be that instead of paying in the fruits of the confiscated land to David, he would have to pay them to Mephiboseth.
I have given unto thy master's son - meaning either, as some think, the son of Mephibosheth, Micha; or rather Mephibosheth himself, the grandson of Saul, whose servant Ziba had been:
As David was a type of Christ, his Lord and Son, his Root and Offspring, let his kindness to Mephibosheth remind us of the kindness and love of God our Savior to fallen man, to whom he was under no obligation, as David was to Jonathan. The Son of God seeks this lost and ruined race, who sought not after him. He comes to seek and to save them!
2Sa 9:10 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 alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Thou therefore, and thy sons shall till the land - It seems that Ziba and his family had the care of the whole estate, yielding part of the produce to the family of Mephibosheth. Ziba’s duty and interest was to take proper care of the ground, for the better it was cultivated the more it produced; and his portion would consequently be the greater.
Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat always at my table - wherefore the land was to be tilled not for him personally, but for his family, and for what uses he should think fit to put the produce of it to. Although Mephibosheth himself ate daily as a guest at the king's table, he had to make provision as a royal prince for the maintenance of his own family and servants, as he had children according to 2Sa_9:12 and 1Ch_8:34. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants (2Sa_9:10), with whom he had probably been living in Gibeah, Saul's native place, and may perhaps have hitherto farmed Saul's land.
2Sa 9:11 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.
Said the king - There is nothing in the Hebrew to warrant the insertion of these words. The words are: “So Mephibosheth ate at my table as one of the king’s sons.” The narrator is David himself.
So shall thy servant do - The promises of Ziba were fair and specious, but he was a traitor in his heart, as we shall see in the rebellion of Absalom, and David’s indulgence to this man is a blot in his character; at this time however he suspected no evil.
2Sa 9:12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
According to one commentary, Mephibosheth was five years old at Saul’s death. He may have been thirteen at David’s accession to the throne of Israel. In the eighth year of David’s reign over all Israel he would have been twenty-one. His having a son at this time indicates that we are about the 10th year of David’s reign.
Micha - Or Micah; who, as far as is known, was Mephibosheth’s only son, and had a numerous descendents 1Ch_8:34, 1Ch_8:35; 1Ch_9:40, 1Ch_9:41.
2Sa 9:13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.
Did eat continually at the king’s table - He was fit for no public office, but was treated by the king with the utmost respect and affection.
So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem - Either in some apartments in the king's palace, or in some house in the city provided for him.
