Mephibosheth at the King's Table

"Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness [ḥesed] for Jonathan's sake?" Ziba: "Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet." He is in the house of Machir at Lo-debar.

Mephibosheth falls on his face. "Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually." "What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?"

David tells Ziba, who has fifteen sons and twenty servants, to farm the land for Mephibosheth. "So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet."

Kindness and politics

Keeping a rival dynasty's heir at the royal table is known elsewhere: Jehoiachin eats at the Babylonian king's table (2 Kings 25:29). David's ḥesed fulfils his oath (1 Samuel 20:14–17) and also keeps Saul's heir under watch. Both can be true.

Ziba and Mephibosheth

Ziba will accuse Mephibosheth of treason (16:3), and Mephibosheth will deny it (19:24–30). The story never fully settles who told the truth.