וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד הֲכִי יֶשׁ עוֹד אֲשֶׁר נוֹתַר לְבֵית שָׁאוּל וְאֶעֱשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶסֶד בַּעֲבוּר יְהוֹנָתָן

David said: Is there anyone else, another descendant, who remains of the house of Saul, and I will act kindness with him for Yehonatan’s sake? Yehonatan was David’s beloved friend, with whom he had enacted a covenant. It is possible that any surviving family members of the defeated king were hiding in an undisclosed location for fear of retribution. However, David was not searching for them to kill them, but for the opposite purpose. This is why David later tells Mefivoshet: Do not fear (verse 7; see also 19:29).

וּלְבֵית שָׁאוּל עֶבֶד וּשְׁמוֹ צִיבָא וַיִּקְרְאוּ לוֹ אֶל דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו הַאַתָּה צִיבָא וַיֹּאמֶר עַבְדֶּךָ

The house of Saul had a servant, who apparently was not Jewish, and who had overseen the family’s finances for many years, and his name was Tziva; they summoned him to come to David. The king said to him: Are you Tziva? He said: Your servant. I am he.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַאֶפֶס עוֹד אִישׁ לְבֵית שָׁאוּל וְאֶעֱשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶסֶד אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹד בֵּן לִיהוֹנָתָן נְכֵה רַגְלָיִם

The king said: Is there no one else of the house of Saul, that I may act the kindness of God, genuine, enduring kindness, or a kindness that is motivated by David’s duty to God alone, with him? Tziva said to the king: There is another son of Yehonatan, who is crippled in his legs, and is therefore not well known.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵיפֹה הוּא וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה הוּא בֵּית מָכִיר בֶּן עַמִּיאֵל בְּלוֹ דְבָר

The king said to him: Where is he? Tziva said to the king: Behold, he is in the house of Makhir son of Amiel in Lo Devar.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ מִבֵּית מָכִיר בֶּן עַמִּיאֵל מִלּוֹ דְבָר

King David sent, and he took him from the house of Makhir son of Amiel from Lo Devar.

וַיָּבֹא מְפִיבֹשֶׁת בֶּן יְהוֹנָתָן בֶּן שָׁאוּל אֶל דָּוִד וַיִּפֹּל עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד מְפִיבֹשֶׁת וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה עַבְדֶּךָ

Mefivoshet, son of Yehonatan, son of Saul, came to David, fell on his face, and prostrated himself. David said: Mefivoshet. He said: Behold, your servant. This was apparently a standard response to an address from a dignitary or king.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ דָוִד אַל תִּירָא כִּי עָשֹׂה אֶעֱשֶׂה עִמְּךָ חֶסֶד בַּעֲבוּר יְהוֹנָתָן אָבִיךָ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי לְךָ אֶת כָּל שְׂדֵה שָׁאוּל אָבִיךָ וְאַתָּה תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם עַל שֻׁלְחָנִי תָּמִיד

David said to him: Do not be afraid, as I will perform a double kindness with you for the sake of Yehonatan your father. I will return to you the entire field of Saul your father. This was the first act of kindness. The status of Saul’s inheritance at that point was unclear. Apparently, it had been taken by David as the next king, and the surviving members of Saul’s family preferred to remain anonymous and did not attempt to claim it. In his second act of kindness, David offered Mefivoshet personal honor: And you will eat bread at my table always.

וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי פָנִיתָ אֶל הַכֶּלֶב הַמֵּת אֲשֶׁר כָּמוֹנִי

He, Mefivoshet, prostrated himself and said: What is your servant that you have turned to a dead dog like me? Who am I to deserve this great honor? The same phrase, “dead dog,” was employed by David himself many years earlier, to Mefivoshet’s grandfather, Saul himself.

וַיִּקְרָא הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל צִיבָא נַעַר שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו כֹּל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְשָׁאוּל וּלְכָל בֵּיתוֹ נָתַתִּי לְבֶן אֲדֹנֶיךָ

The king summoned Tziva, Saul’s lad, and said to him: I have given everything, all the property that belonged to Saul, and to all his house, to your master’s son, Mefivoshet.

וְעָבַדְתָּ לּוֹ אֶת הָאֲדָמָה אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וַעֲבָדֶיךָ וְהֵבֵאתָ וְהָיָה לְבֶן אֲדֹנֶיךָ לֶּחֶם וַאֲכָלוֹ וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת בֶּן אֲדֹנֶיךָ יֹאכַל תָּמִיד לֶחֶם עַל שֻׁלְחָנִי וּלְצִיבָא חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בָּנִים וְעֶשְׂרִים עֲבָדִים

You shall continue serving in your role: Work the land for him, you, and your sons, and your servants, and you shall bring it in, the produce, and it will be for your master’s son for food, and he will consume it. Saul’s grandson will receive the profits from this field as an inheritance, with which he can support his household after all expenses have been deducted, but as for Mefivoshet himself, your master’s son will eat food at my table always. You need not be concerned with his own sustenance, as he will eat at my table, while he will retain the profits from the field. Tziva had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת עַבְדּוֹ כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה עַבְדֶּךָ וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת אֹכֵל עַל שֻׁלְחָנִי כְּאַחַד מִבְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ

Tziva said to the king: In accordance with everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do. Mefivoshet has been eating at my table like one of the king’s sons. I have always treated him with respect, and I never ridiculed him. I admit that I was afraid to claim his rights on his behalf, but now I am happy to return all of his property.

וְלִמְפִיבֹשֶׁת בֵּן קָטָן וּשְׁמוֹ מִיכָא וְכֹל מוֹשַׁב בֵּית צִיבָא עֲבָדִים לִמְפִיבֹשֶׁת

Mefivoshet had a young son, and his name was Mikha. All the residents of Tziva’s household were now servants to Mefivoshet.

וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת יֹשֵׁב בִּירוּשָׁלִַם כִּי עַל שֻׁלְחַן הַמֶּלֶךְ תָּמִיד הוּא אֹכֵל וְהוּא פִסֵּחַ שְׁתֵּי רַגְלָיו

Mefivoshet settled in Jerusalem, as he was eating at the king’s table always. Not only did the quality of his meals improve, but his status changed as well, as Mefivoshet was now a member of the royal household. And he was crippled in both his legs. This disability has already been mentioned (4:4, 9:3); it is reiterated in explanation of why Mefivoshet was not especially active. The observation is also important for the continuation of the story of Mefivoshet below (see 16:1–4, 19:25–31).