And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame of his feet.
And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold, thy servant!
And David said unto him, Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the {Hebrew: field.}land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son.
And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do. {Or, But Mephibosheth eateth &c.}As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.
And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.
Querverweise zu 2. Samuel 9,8 2Sam 9,8
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head that belongeth to Judah? This day do I show kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David; and yet thou chargest me this day with {Or, the fault of this woman }a fault concerning this woman.
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
Jehovah therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and {Hebrew: give sentence for me.}deliver me out of thy hand.
Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Jehovah: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.
And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's {Or, loaf}bread and cast it to the dogs.
But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.