2 Samuel 9

1 David said, “Is there yet any who is left of Saul’s house, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

2 There was of Saul’s house a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “I am your servant.”

3 The king said, “Is there not yet any of Saul’s house, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet.”

4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

6 Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, fell on his face, and showed respect. David said, “Mephibosheth?” He answered, “Behold, your servant!”

7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father. You will eat bread at my table continually.”

8 He bowed down, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look at such a dead dog as I am?”

9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s son.

10 Till the land for him—you, your sons, and your servants. Bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth your master’s son will always eat bread at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the king’s table like one of the king’s sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. All who lived in Ziba’s house were servants to Mephibosheth.

13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. He was lame in both his feet.

Around 2 Samuel 9

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

2 Samuel 9 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

David asks a question nobody expected: is there anyone left of Saul’s house, that he may show them kindness for Jonathan’s sake? In the days when a new king usually cleared away the old line, this is remarkable. A servant of Saul’s house named Ziba is called, and he says Jonathan still has a son who is lame in both feet. His name is Mephibosheth, and he is living in Lo Debar.

David sends for him. Mephibosheth comes, falls on his face, and expects the worst. David says, “You will eat bread at my table continually.” All of Saul’s land is restored to him, and Ziba and his household are to farm it for him. Mephibosheth calls himself a dead dog. But he lives in Jerusalem and eats at the king’s table like one of the king’s sons. His young son Mica is mentioned too.

Background

David is keeping the promise he made to Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20 and to Saul in 1 Samuel 24. Mephibosheth's lameness is explained in 2 Samuel 4. The kindness of God is named in David's first question, and many readers see in the story a picture of grace shown to someone with no claim. The story is not finished here. Ziba and Mephibosheth appear again in 2 Samuel 16 and 19, and the later chapters complicate the picture.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 29 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes