3. An interval of about fourteen years now passes, and the crisis of David's life arrives. See David. Of Mephibosheth's behavior on this occasion we possess two accounts — his own (2 Sam. xix, 24-30), and that of Ziba (xvi, 1-4). They are naturally at variance with each other. (1.) Ziba meets the king on his flight at the most opportune moment, just as David has under- gone the most trying part of that trying day's journey, has taken the last look at the city so peculiarly liis own, and completed the hot and toilsome ascent of the Jlount of Olives. He is on foot, and is in want of relief and refreshment. The relief and refreshment are there. There stand a couple of strong he-asses ready saddled for the king or his household to make the descent upon ; and there are bread, grapes, melons, and a skin of wine; and there — the donor of these Avelcome gifts— is Ziba, with respect in his look and sympathy on his tongue. Of course the whole, though offered as Ziba's, is the property of Mephibosheth : the asses are his, one of them his own riding animal ("i^iri, both in xvii, 2, and xix, 2G) ; the fruits are from his gardens and orchards. But why is not their owner here in person ? Where is the "son of Saul?" He, says Ziba, is in Jerusalem, waiting to receive from the nation the throne of his grandfather, that throne from which he lias so long been unjustly excluded. Such an aspiration would be very natural, but it must have been speedily dissipated bj' the thought that he at least would be likely to gain lit- tle by Absalom's rebellion. Still it must be confessed that Ziba's tale at first sight is a most plausible one, and that the answer of David is no more than was to be ex- liected. So the presumed ingratitude of IMephibosheth j is requited with the ruin he deser\-es. while the loyalty and thoughtful courtesy of Ziba are rewarded by the ! ])ossessions of his master, thus reinstating him in the i position which he seems to have occupied on IMephibo- j sheth's arrival in Judah, (2.) jMcphibosheth's story — 1 which, however, he had not the opportunity of telling
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until several clays later, when he met David returning to his kingdom at the western bank of the Jordan — was very difterent from Ziba's. He had been desirous to fly with his patron and benefactor, and had ordered Ziba to make ready his ass that he might join the cortege. But Ziba had deceived him, had left him, and not re- turned with tlie asses. In his helpless condition he had no alternative, when once the opportunity of accom- panying David was lost, but to remain where he was. The swift pursuit which had been made after Ahimaaz and Jonathan (2 Sam. xvii) had shown what risks even a strong and able man must run who would try to follow the king. But all that he could do under the circum- stances he had done. He had gone into the deepest mourning possible (the same as in xii, 20) for his lost friend. From tlie very day that David left he had al- lowed his beard to grow ragged, bis crippled feet were unwashed (Jerome, however, jjedibus inftctis — alluding to false wooden feet which he was accustomed to wear, Quw.st. Ileb. ad loc.) and untended, his linen remained unchanged. That David did not disbelieve this story is shown by his revoking the judgment he had previ- ously given. That he did not entirely reverse his de- cision, but allowed Ziba to retain possession of half the lands of Mephibosheth, is probably due partly to weari- ness at the whole transaction, but mainly to the concili- atory frame of mind in which he was at that moment. " ShaU, then, any man be put to death this day?" is the key note of the whole proceeding. David could not but have been sensible that he had acted hastily, and was doubtless touched by the devotedness of his friend's son, as well as angry at the imposition of Ziba; but, as he was not wholly convinced of Mephibosheth's iiuiocence, and as there was at the time no opportunity to examine fully into the matter, perhaps also actuated by the pride of an already expressed judgment or bj^ reluctance to offend Ziba, who had adhered to him when so many old friends forsook him, he answered abruptly, "Why speak- est thou any more of thy matters? I have said. Thou and Ziba divide the land." The answer of Mephibo- sheth was worthy of the son of the generous Jonathan, and, couched as it is in Oriental plirase, shows that he had met a better reception than he had expected : "Yea, let him take all; forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house" (2 Sam. xix, 2i-30). B.C. cir. 1023.
4. We hear no more of Mephibosheth, except that David was careful that he should not be included in the savage vengeance which the Gibeonites were suffered to execute4upon the house of Saul for the great wrong they had sustained during his reign (2 Sam. xxi, 7). B.C. cir. 1010. Through his son Micah the family of Saul was continued to a late generation (1 Chron. ix, 40 sq.).