Mephibosheth

2022-10-18

I feel bad for Mephibosheth (or Meribbaal), the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul. He was lame in both his feet because of an accident when he was five. David fetched him after the death of Saul to show kindness to him. Jonathan’s son ate with the king, while Ziba, a servant of Saul’s household, tended to his estate.

While the king was running from his son Absalom, this Ziba came to David to say that Mephibosheth had defected. David in turn gave Mephibosheth’s property to the servant. When Absalom was dead, Mephibosheth told David that his servant had deceived him. David then split the estate between Mephibosheth and Ziba. How do we know who was right? It is all in what the narrator says:

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. (2 Samuel 19:24)

Mephibosheth even was publicly willing to forfeit his inheritance. Being lame, it would not be easy for him to follow after David. The son of Jonathan got a raw deal. However, at least he was spared when the descendants of Saul were executed for the sake of the Gibeonites.

Mephibosheth is an example who was thankful for what the king had done for him in the past. Even when Ziba lied about him, he maintained a good attitude. This Ziba was an opportunist who presumably hung out with the likes of Shimei (cf. 2 Samuel 19:16-20); their ways were a lot alike.