Study Guide for 2 Samuel 9 by David Guzik Page 1 of 6

David Guzik :: Study Guide for 2 Samuel 9

DAVID’S KINDNESS TO MEPHIBOSHETH

A. David’s kind heart towards the house of Saul.

1. (2Sa 9:1) David’s kind question.

Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may
show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

a. Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul: In 1 Samuel 7 David
asked, “What can I do for God?” and he proposed to build a temple for the Lord.
Now David asked another question we should each ask: “What can I do for
others?”

i. David’s question showed a great love because Saul made himself an enemy
of David. It was customary in those days for the king of a new dynasty to
completely massacre anyone connected with the prior dynasty. David went
against the principle of revenge and against the principle of self-preservation
and asked what he could do for the family of his enemy.

b. That I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake: David did this because
he remembered his relationship and covenant with Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:14-15).
His actions were not only based on feelings, but also on the promise of a
covenant.

2. (2Sa 9:2-4) Ziba, a former servant of Saul, tells David about Mephibosheth, son of
Jonathan.

And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when
they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said,
“At your service!” Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of
Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king,

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“There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.” So the king said to him,
“Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir
the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

a. Ziba: David could only learn that there was a descendant of Saul still living and
could only learn where he was through this servant named Ziba. This meant that
Mephibosheth was in hiding.

b. The kindness of God: This phrase is key to understanding David’s motivation

in this chapter. David wanted to show someone else the same kindness God
showed to him.

c. There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet: We first learned of
Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 4:4. It tells us that this son of Jonathan was made lame
in his feet from an accident when they heard that his father Jonathan and his
grandfather Saul died in battle.

i. We should remember why Mephibosheth’s nurse gathered the boy and fled
in haste at the news of Saul and Jonathan’s death. She rightly feared that the
leader of a new royal dynasty would execute every potential heir of the former
dynasty (2 Samuel 4:4).

d. A son of Jonathan: This means that according to the prior dynasty of Saul,
Mephibosheth had the right to the throne. He was a son of the first-born son of the
king, and other potential heirs were dead. In a political sense David could see
Mephibosheth as a rival or a threat.

i. Later in 2 Samuel 16:5-8 we see a man named Shimei who was a partisan
for the house of Saul against David. There were at least a few in Israel who
felt that the house of Saul should still reign over the nation and that David
shouldn’t be king. Mephibosheth might draw upon these partisans and
develop a rival following.

ii. Ishbosheth was Mephibosheth’s uncle, and he waged a bloody war against
David for the throne of Israel. There was at least an outside chance that
Mephibosheth might do the same.

e. He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel: This speaks of

Mephibosheth’s low station in life. He didn’t even have his own house. Instead, he
lived in the house of another man.

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i. Machir the son of Ammiel later showed he was intensely loyal to David.
When David’s son Absalom led a rebellion against David, Machir supported
and helped David at great danger to himself (2 Samuel 17:27-29).

B. David’s kindness to Mephibosheth.

1. (2Sa 9:5-6) Mephibosheth makes a humble appearance before David.

Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of
Ammiel, from Lo Debar. Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of
Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David
said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!”

a. Then King David sent and brought him out of the house: Mephibosheth
must have been terrified when messengers from David knocked at his door and
demanded that he come with them to see the king. In the back of his mind he
anticipated the day when David would do as other kings did and massacre every
potential rival to his throne.

i. The knock on the door also meant that Mephibosheth was no longer hidden
from David. He felt secure as long as he believed the new king didn’t know
about him.

b. He fell on his face and prostrated himself: According to the custom of the
times, Mephibosheth had a lot to fear from David. Yet his fear of David was not
founded in fact, only on assumption.

i. Up to this point Mephibosheth and David never had a relationship, and it

was because Mephibosheth wanted it that way. He avoided David out of
unfounded fears.

2. (2Sa 9:7-8) David removes the fears of Mephibosheth.

So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for
Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your
grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” Then he bowed
himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead
dog as I?”

a. Do not fear: These words would be cruel or meaningless unless David gave
Mephibosheth a reason to not fear.

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b. I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake: David
made a covenant with Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20, promising to show kindness to
the descendents of Jonathan. David gladly made good on his promise, though
Jonathan was long dead.

c. Will restore to you all the land of Saul: David simply promised Mephibosheth
would receive what was his. Mephibosheth knew about these lands all along but
he was afraid to take possession of them because it would expose him before the
king. David went against all custom in showing such kindness to an heir of the
former dynasty.

d. And you shall eat bread at my table continually: This went far beyond giving
Mephibosheth what was rightly his. He gave Mephibosheth the honor of a close
relationship with the king.

i. A similar promise is given to the followers of Jesus. Jesus told the disciples
that they would eat and drink at His table in heaven (Luke 22:30).

e. What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?
Mephibosheth didn’t feel worthy of such generosity. He considered himself a dead
dog, meaning a worthless and insignificant person.

i. All the years of hiding from the king and living in fear and poverty made
Mephibosheth think of himself as worthless.

3. (2Sa 9:9-12) David’s instructions to Ziba.

And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your
master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. You therefore, and
your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in
the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your
master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and
twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the
king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for
Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s
sons.” Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who
dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth.

a. You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for
him: In addition to the land, David gave Mephibosheth servants to work the land.

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The food from the land was for Mephibosheth’s family, because he now ate at
David’s table.

b. He shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons: Mephibosheth was
happy to know that David didn’t want to kill him. To have a promise like this was
almost unbelievable.

4. (2Sa 9:13) David fulfills his promise to Mephibosheth.

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table.

And he was lame in both his feet.

a. Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: No longer hiding in fear of the king, this

descendant of Saul now lived openly among the people of God.

b. He ate continually at the king’s table: No longer in poverty and estranged

from the king, now he had great privilege before the king.

c. He was lame in both his feet: Mephibosheth’s weakness did not vanish. His
life was far better, but he was still lame.

i. David’s grace to Mephibosheth is a wonderful picture of God’s grace to us.

We are Mephibosheth.

· We are hiding, poor, weak, lame, and fearful before our King comes to us.

· We are separated from our King because of our wicked ancestors.

· We are separated from our King because of our deliberate actions.

· We separated ourselves from the King because we didn’t know him or His love
for us.

· Our King sought us out before we sought Him.

· The King’s kindness is extended to us for the sake of another.

· The King’s kindness is based on covenant.

· We must receive the King’s kindness in humility.

· The King returns to us what we lost in hiding from Him.

· The King returns to us more than what we lost in hiding from Him.

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· We have the privilege of provision at the King’s table.

· We are received as sons at the King’s table, with access to the King and
fellowship with Him.

· We receive servants from the King.

· The King’s honor does not immediately take away all our weakness and
lameness, but it gives us a favor and standing that overcomes its sting and
changes the way we think about ourselves.

ii. David’s grace to Mephibosheth is also a pattern for us in serving and

ministering to others. We are David.

· We should seek out our enemies and seek to bless them.

· We should look for the poor, weak, lame, and hidden to bless them.

· We should bless others when they don’t deserve it, and bless them more than
they deserve.

· We should bless others for the sake of someone else.

· We must show the kindness of God to others.

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