A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on 2 Samuel · Chapter 9
2 Sam. CHAP. IX.
THIS Chapter holds forth the Royal Gratitude of King David towards his dear Jonathan's Poſterity, wherein two General Parts offer themſelves obvious to our eyes.
Firſt, The Perſons to whom his Royal Bounty was extended, and Secondly, The matter and manner of his benevolence to them.
Remarks upon the Firſt are,
Firſt, No ſooner had David ended his War (as above) and ſet himſelf to Adminiſter Juſtice to all his People, Chap. 8.15. and amongſt others he at long laſt bethinks himſelf of his due debt to Jonathan and his Family.
N. B. Some reckon this neglect of David (ſo long 'till the twentieth year of his Reign) among the Chief Errours of his Life: That it was ſo long he forgot his Faithful Friend appeareth thus; Mephiboſheth was but five years old when his Father died, 2 Sam. 4.4. and now he had a Son, when David began to own him; ſo that 'tis well ſuppoſed he was twenty five years old now in the twentieth year of David's Reign; 'twas indeed very much, that a Man ſo thankful to God (as his Pſalms do teſtifie) ſhould ſo long be unmindful of his dear Jonathan, and of the Covenant of God between them.
N. B. Note well. But ſomething may be ſaid to qualifie David's ſeeming fault, as,
Firſt, He might probably be ignorant of any Son that Jonathan had left, becauſe he ſaith here [is there yet any of the Houſe of Saul, and not of the Houſe of Jonathan] v. 1. for 'tis like, Mephiboſheth was conceal'd by his Friends, leſt David ſhould cut him off from jealouſie of State, eſpecially after the Rebellion of his Uncle Iſhboſheth, Chap. 2.
Secondly, Some old jealouſies ſeem to remain in David of Saul's Houſe, that they ſtill Plotted to revive their Right to the Crown by lineal deſcent, when he over-eaſily hearkened to the ſuggeſtions of that falſe and faithleſs Sycophant Ziba againſt Mephiboſheth, Chap. 16.3, 4.
Thirdly, While David had his head and hands ſo full in warring againſt ſo many Potent Enemies, he had little leiſure to make this enquiry which he maketh here, but now being firmly ſettled in his Kingdom, and ſo freed from his former fears and jealouſies, he enquireth, &c.
The Second Remark is, The Anſwer to his Enquiry, v. 2. by Ziba who had been Saul's Steward, v. 10. who tells David of Jonathan's Son, v. 3. hid from David's ſight in Lodebar beyond Jordan, Chap. 17.27. there laid this poor man lurking, little dreaming of any Court preferment,
N. B. But the perſonal goodneſs of his Father Jonathan lies with warmth and weight upon good David's heart ſtill, that he is now ſtirred up to ſhew the kindneſs of God to his Poſterity, and therefore he ſends for him v. 5. to ſhew him his God-like kindneſs: as God is kind to the unthankful and to the evil, Luke 6.35. accordingly David will be kind to Mephiboſheth, tho' Lame, &c.
N. B. This ſhall not break the ſquare, ſo long as he ſaw the features of his Friend Jonathan in him, nor does God think worſe of his weak Servants, if he ſee the Image of his Son Jeſus in them.
N. B. David herein is a Type of Chriſt, who cryeth as he did [Is there yet any of the Houſe of Mankind, that I may ſhew the kindneſs of God to them.] His Divine Bowels have been yerning towards faln Man, and have been emptying themſelves ever ſince Adam's fall, in raiſing up ſuch as he found faln under the forbidden Apple-Tree, Cant. 8.5. and ſuch as were lamed by that fall in the infancy of the World as Mephiboſheth was, Chap. 4.4. Adam's free will proving no better a Keeper of him, than that Nurſe was, who let Mephiboſheth fall when but a Child; yet Chriſt cries ſtill, is there yet any, &c. to bring home to my Court from obſcurity; his bowels are not ſtill emptied.
N. B. Or by the kindneſs of God, David might mean, that kindneſs which Jonathan bound me by Covenant in the preſence of God to ſhew unto his Poſterity, 1 Sam. 20. 14, 15, 16. & 23.18. tho' that Oath bound him only to Jonathan's Poſterity, and not to others of Saul's Houſe.
The Third Remark is, David and Mephiboſheth's happy Meeting, ver. 6, 7, 8. wherein,
Mark Firſt, Mephiboſheth at David's call comes limping and trembling into the King's preſence, and fell on his face before him, fearing he was ſent for to be put to death, as one of Sau's Houſe, which is uſual among Princes in the like caſe of Jealouſie, occaſioned now by his Ʋncle's Rebellion. This David perceived, and ſo quickly ſpeaks comfortingly to him.
Mark Secondly, David's Generoſity to this deformed Object, not only in the deformity of his feet, but (as 'tis well ſuppoſed by Peter Martyr) of his face alſo, for his proper Name was Meriabbaal, 1 Chron. 8.34. but that Name was turned into Mephiboſheth (Hebr. a ſhameful face) becauſe his face was much maimed by his full, Chap. 4.4. yet good David thinks no worſe of him notwithſtanding this deformity both of feet and face; David aſſureth him, he ſhould not only live, but ſhall live in Splendor, enjoying all the Lands that had been Confiſcated by Iſhboſheth's Rebellion, and himſelf ſhould feed as a fellow-Commoner at the King's Table, &c.
Mark Thirdly, Mephiboſheth's Reſentment of David's unexpected and undeſerved favour, calling himſelf not only [a Dog] ſo fitter to lay under the King's Table, than to ſit as one of his Sons at it; and alſo [a dead Dog] ſo fitter to be caſt into a ditch than to live in ſo high a figure in the King's Court, becauſe God had rejected Saul's Houſe and accepted David's: Thus David had humbled himſelf before Saul, 1 Sam. 24 14. and 26.20. and now Saul's Grand-Son does ſo to David.
N. B. How much more ought we to abaſe our ſelves before the King of Kings, who ſpeaks more kindly to us, and gives greater things for our comfort, than David did here, &c.
The Second Part is the matter and manner of Mephiboſheth's mercy.
Remarks upon it are,
Firſt, David's Royal Donative to this Man ſo contemptible in his own eyes both as to Perſon and Condition; David gives him his Royal Grant, not only of all the Lands due to him by Inheritance as to his Father Jonathan, but alſo the whole Lands which belonged to the Houſe of Saul, and which the Sons of Rizpah (Saul's Concubine) had now uſurped to themſelves; nor can it be imagined that this was any ſmall gift, for Saul had Aſſes, 1 Sam. 9.20. and Fields, 1 Sam. 11.5. and Vineyards, and Oliveyards, ſo many that he had ſome to beſtow upon his Servants, ſuch as poor David could not diſtribute, 1 Sam. 22.7. Now all theſe were forfeited to the King by the Rebellion of Saul's Houſe, and frankly reſtored by a Royal deed to Mephiboſheth; whereby Ziba is conſtituted the Chief Steward of all, v. 9, 10, &c.
The Second Remark is, This Ziba had probably been Chief Steward to manage Saul's Lands before, and thereby had feathered his own Neſt (as we ſay) he had greatly enriched himſelf by having ſuch opportunities to lick his own fingers, and therefore is he deſcribed here to have fifteen Sons, and twenty Servants, ſo the fitter to manage that vaſt Eſtate ſtill for the uſe of Micah Mephiboſheth's Son, v. 12. for whom he was to Till the ground, v. 11. As for Mephiboſheth Micah's Father (ſaith David) thou Ziba need not take care of him, I will provide duly and daily for him in my own Court, and at my own Table.
The Third Remark is, Ziba undertakes all that the King commanded him, and took care (as Joſephus ſaith) that his Maſter's Son (Micha) might have food enough for his Family, and enough beſides to defray his other neceſſary Charges; moreover Ziba ſaid further [The King may do his pleaſure with Mephiboſheth, but he might have his diet with me, and ſhould by me be Royally Entertained like a King's Son] this was fairly promiſed by a ſordid Pick-thank (ſuppos'd to be a Canaanite by birth) who afterward worm'd out his Maſter, Chap. 16.4.
The Fourth Remark is, Humble Mephiboſheth was exalted from his lurking hole at Lodebar, to live in Jeruſalem, v. 13. tho' he was lame of both his feet, and ſo unfit to diet at Court; and tho' David had reſolv'd that none ſuch ſhould come thither, Chap. 5.8.
N. B. What greater ſavour doth Chriſt afford us, to feaſt us at his own Table in the Lord's Supper, no doubt but we all come limping thither; oh that we may be as humble as lame Mephiboſheth, &c.