Lives of Scripture

This Mephibosheth was one of two sons born to Saul and his concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah (2 Samuel 21:8) -- to be distinguished from the far better-known Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, whom David showed kindness for his father's sake (2 Samuel 9). The context of his death is grim: a three-year famine struck Israel during David's reign, and when David inquired of the LORD, he learned it was because of Saul, 'because he put the Gibeonites to death' (21:1) -- violating an ancient oath Israel's leaders had sworn to spare the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:15). Seeking to make atonement and end the famine, David asked the Gibeonites what would satisfy them; they requested seven male descendants of Saul to be handed over and executed before the LORD at Gibeah, Saul's hometown (21:6). David spared Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, for the sake of his oath to Jonathan, but handed over the two sons of Rizpah -- Armoni and this Mephibosheth -- along with five sons of Saul's daughter Merab (21:8-9). The seven were killed and their bodies left exposed; Rizpah's subsequent vigil guarding their remains from birds and animals moved David to finally give Saul's house a proper burial (21:10-14). The episode is one of Scripture's starker illustrations that unrepented sin, even by a king long dead, could bring consequence upon a nation and a family.