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2 Samuel

2 Samuelchapter 9

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A.Is there yet any left of the house of Saul?vv. 1-5

1 Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?” 2 And there was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king inquired, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. 3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.” 4 “Where is he?” replied the king. And Ziba said, “Indeed, he is in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” 5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

B.A lame heir eats at the king's table continuallyvv. 6-13

6 And when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he fell facedown in reverence. Then David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied. 7 “Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will 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 at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?” 9 Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10 You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 And Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all that my lord the king has commanded.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s own sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both feet.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition
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Chapter summary

David asks whether any of Saul's house is left, that he may show him the kindness of God for Jonathan's sake, a search for someone to bless, in a dynasty that usually searched for rivals to kill.

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David asks whether any of Saul's house is left, that he may show him the kindness of God for Jonathan's sake, a search for someone to bless, in a dynasty that usually searched for rivals to kill. Ziba names Jonathan's son, lame of his feet, living in Lo-debar. Mephibosheth comes and falls on his face; David tells him not to fear, restores all the land of Saul, assigns Ziba's household to farm it, and adds the sentence the chapter is remembered for: 'thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.' Mephibosheth keeps the scale straight, what is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? He was lame in both his feet.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Nathan, Gad — 2 Samuel overview

  • A. 1–5 Is there yet any left of the house of Saul?
  • B. 6–13 A lame heir eats at the king's table continually
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • 2 Samuel 195 verses
    • 2 Samuel 19:17along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king
    • 2 Samuel 19:24Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely.
    • 2 Samuel 19:26“My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me,
    • 2 Samuel 19:28For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?”
    • 2 Samuel 19:29The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”
    • Read 2 Samuel 19 →
  • 2 Samuel 94 verses
    • 2 Samuel 9:1Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?”
    • 2 Samuel 9:3So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.”
    • 2 Samuel 9:7“Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will 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 at my table.”
    • 2 Samuel 9:10You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
    • Read 2 Samuel 9 →
  • 2 Samuel 163 verses
    • 2 Samuel 16:1When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
    • 2 Samuel 16:4So the king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I humbly bow before you,” said Ziba. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king!”
    • 2 Samuel 16:9Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
    • Read 2 Samuel 16 →
  • 1 Chronicles 82 verses
4 more chapters this one speaks with
  • 1 Chronicles 91 verse
  • 1 Samuel 201 verse
    • 1 Samuel 20:42And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.
    • Read 1 Samuel 20 →
  • Mark 91 verse
    • Mark 9:41Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.
    • Read Mark 9 →
  • Matthew 251 verse
    • Matthew 25:40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
    • Read Matthew 25 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.