2 Samuel 9 (NET)

David Finds Mephibosheth1

1 Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family2 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.”3 3 The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family,4 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 brought5 from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in6 Lo Debar. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground.7 David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.”8

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.”9 8 Then Mephibosheth10 bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”11

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 cultivate12 the land for him – you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce13 and it will be14 food for your master’s grandson to eat.15 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 guest16 at David’s table,17 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,18 for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.

1sn 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. 2tn Heb “house.” 3tn Heb “your servant.” 4tn Heb “house.” 5tn Heb “sent and took him.” 6tn Heb “from.” 7tn Heb “he fell on his face and bowed down.” 8tn Heb “Look, your servant.” 9tn Heb “and you will eat food over my table continually.” 10tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 11tn Heb “What is your servant, that you turn to a dead dog which is like me?” 12tn Heb “work.” 13tn The Hebrew text implies, but does not actually contain, the words “its produce” here. 14tc The words “it will be,” though present in the MT, are absent from the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate. 15tn Heb “and he will eat it.” 16tn Heb “eating.” 17tc 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. 18map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.