The big picture
2 Samuel 9 opens in verse 1 with “And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy…”, and closes in verse 13 with “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and…” Repeated or prominent terms include king, Ziba, house, Mephibosheth, servant. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
2 Samuel · King James Version · 132 Samuel 9:1-7
1–7: David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I…
2 Samuel 9:1–7 opens with “And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness…” and reaches “And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Samuel 9 develops its own movement around king, Ziba, house, Mephibosheth, servant, with particular weight carried by David, king, house.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 4 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
2 Samuel 9:1-7
King James Version1And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?
2And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
4And 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.
5Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7And David said unto him, 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.
2 Samuel 9:8-13
8–13: He bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest…
2 Samuel 9:8–13 opens with “And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead…” and reaches “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Samuel 9 develops its own movement around king, Ziba, house, Mephibosheth, servant, with particular weight carried by Mephibosheth, king, servant.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained…” Naming Saul and Ziba keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Samuel 9:8-13
King James Version8And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.
10Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.
12And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
13So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
2 Samuel 9:1 begins with “And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Where the chapter turns
2 Samuel 9:6 forms a natural hinge: “Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And…”
The final note
2 Samuel 9:13 leaves the reader with “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words king, Ziba, house, Mephibosheth, servant, David help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Who is included in the covenant?
Noah, his descendants and every living creature. Trace the repeated wording in verses 8-17.
Why does verse 6 matter after the flood?
It grounds the protection of every human life in the continuing divine image.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.