1 And David saith, `Is there yet any left to the house of Saul, and I do with him kindness because of Jonathan?'
and not only while I am alive dost thou do with me the kindness of Jehovah, and I die not, but thou dost not cut off thy kindness from my house unto the age, nor in Jehovah's cutting off the enemies of David, each one from off the face of the ground.' And Jonathan covenanteth with the house of David, and Jehovah hath sought `it' from the hand of the enemies of David; and Jonathan addeth to cause David to swear, because he loveth him, for with the love of his own soul he hath loved him.
And it cometh to pass, when he finisheth to speak unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan hath been bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loveth him as his own soul. And Saul taketh him on that day, and hath not permitted him to turn back to the house of his father. And Jonathan maketh -- also David -- a covenant, because he loveth him as his own soul, and Jonathan strippeth himself of the upper robe which `is' upon him, and giveth it to David, and his long robe, even unto his sword, and unto his bow, and unto his girdle.
And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God, and saith unto him, `Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father doth not find thee, and thou dost reign over Israel, and I am to thee for second, and also so knoweth Saul my father.' And they make a covenant both of them before Jehovah; and David abideth in the forest, and Jonathan hath gone to his house.
Jesus, therefore, having seen `his' mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he was loving, he saith to his mother, `Woman, lo, thy son;' afterward he saith to the disciple, `Lo, thy mother;' and from that hour the disciple took her to his own `home'.
because of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ; I entreat thee concerning my child -- whom I did beget in my bonds -- Onesimus, who once was to thee unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to thee, whom I did send again, and thou him (that is, my own bowels) receive,
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Commentary on 2 Samuel 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
2Sa 9:1-12. David Sends for Mephibosheth.
1-7. David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul—On inquiry, Saul's land steward was found, who gave information that there still survived Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan who was five years old at his father's death, and whom David, then wandering in exile, had never seen. His lameness (2Sa 4:4) had prevented him from taking any part in the public contests of the time. Besides, according to Oriental notions, the younger son of a crowned monarch has a preferable claim to the succession over the son of a mere heir-apparent; and hence his name was never heard of as the rival of his uncle Ish-bosheth. His insignificance had led to his being lost sight of, and it was only through Ziba that David learned of his existence, and the retired life he passed with one of the great families in trans-jordanic Canaan who remained attached to the fallen dynasty. Mephibosheth was invited to court, and a place at the royal table on public days was assigned him, as is still the custom with Eastern monarchs. Saul's family estate, which had fallen to David in right of his wife (Nu 27:8), or been forfeited to the crown by Ish-bosheth's rebellion (2Sa 12:8), was provided (2Sa 9:11; also 2Sa 19:28), for enabling Mephibosheth to maintain an establishment suitable to his rank, and Ziba appointed steward to manage it, on the condition of receiving one-half of the produce in remuneration for his labor and expense, while the other moiety was to be paid as rent to the owner of the land (2Sa 19:29).
10. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants—The mention of his sons and the slaves in his house was to show that Mephibosheth would be honored with an equipage "as one of the king's sons."
12. Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micah—Whether born before or after his residence in Jerusalem, cannot be ascertained. But through him the name and memory of the excellent Jonathan was preserved (see 1Ch 8:34, 35; 9:40, 41).