2 Samuel 9
9
David Finds Mephibosheth
1#sn 2 Samuel 9–20 is known as the Succession Narrative. It is a literary unit that describes David’s efforts at consolidating his own kingdom following the demise of King Saul; it also provides the transition to subsequent leadership on the part of David’s successor Solomon. Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family#tn Heb “house.” of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”
2 Now 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.”#tn Heb “your servant.” 3 The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family,#tn Heb “house.” 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.” 4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.
5 So King David had him brought#tn Heb “sent and took him.” from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in#tn Heb “from.” Lo Debar. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground.#tn Heb “he fell on his face and bowed down.” David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.”#tn Heb “Look, your servant.”
7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. You will be a regular guest at my table.”#tn Heb “and you will eat food over my table continually.” 8 Then Mephibosheth#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity. bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”#tn Heb “What is your servant, that you turn to a dead dog which is like me?”
9 Then 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. 10 You will cultivate#tn Heb “work.” the land for him – you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce#tn The Hebrew text implies, but does not actually contain, the words “its produce” here. and it will be#tc The words “it will be,” though present in the MT, are absent from the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate. food for your master’s grandson to eat.#tn Heb “and he will eat it.” But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Ziba 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#tn Heb “eating.” at David’s table,#tc Heb “my table.” But the first person reference to David is awkward here since the quotation of David’s words has already been concluded in v. 10; nor does the “my” refer to Ziba, since the latter part of v. 11 does not seem to be part of Ziba’s response to the king. The ancient versions are not unanimous in the way that they render the phrase. The LXX has “the table of David” (τῆς τραπέζης Δαυιδ, th" trapezh" Dauid); the Syriac Peshitta has “the table of the king” (patureh demalka’); the Vulgate has “your table” (mensam tuam). The present translation follows the LXX. just as though he were one of the king’s sons.
12 Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem,#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.
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2 Samuel 9
9
Covenant Loyalty to Mephibosheth
1Then David inquired, “Is there anyone still left from the house of Saul, so that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2Now there was a servant from Saul’s house whose name was Ziba, so they summoned him to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” “Your servant,” he said.
3The king asked him, “Is there still anyone from the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” “There is still a son of Jonathan,” Ziba said to the king, “with crippled legs.”
4“Where is he?” the king said to him. Ziba said to the king, “He’s there, in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.”
5So King David sent word and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6Then Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan son of Saul, came to David, fell on his face and prostrated himself. “Mephibosheth!” David said. “Behold your servant!” he answered. “Don’t be afraid,”
7David said to him, “for I will surely 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 bread at my table.”
8Then he bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should turn to look at such a dead dog like me?”
9Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his household I have given to your master’s son.
10So you, you and your sons and your servants will till the land for him, and you will bring in the yield so that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son will always eat bread at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.
11Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” Thus Mephibosheth used to eat at the table just like one of the king’s sons.
12Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were servants to Mephibosheth.
13But Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table regularly, though he was crippled in both his legs.
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