1
2Sa 9:1-12.
英文原文
2Sa 9:1-12.
DAVID SENDS FOR MEPHIBOSHETH.
1-7. David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul--On inquiry, Saul's land steward was found, who gave information that there still survived Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan who was five years old at his father's death, and whom David, then wandering in exile, had never seen. His lameness
(2Sa 4:4)
had prevented him from taking any part in the public contests of the time. Besides, according to Oriental notions, the younger son of a crowned monarch has a preferable claim to the succession over the son of a mere heir-apparent; and hence his name was never heard of as the rival of his uncle Ish-bosheth. His insignificance had led to his being lost sight of, and it was only through Ziba that David learned of his existence, and the retired life he passed with one of the great families in trans-jordanic Canaan who remained attached to the fallen dynasty. Mephibosheth was invited to court, and a place at the royal table on public days was assigned him, as is still the custom with Eastern monarchs. Saul's family estate, which had fallen to David in right of his wife
(Nu 27:8),
or been forfeited to the crown by Ish-bosheth's rebellion
(2Sa 12:8),
was provided
(2Sa 9:11;
also
2Sa 19:28),
for enabling Mephibosheth to maintain an establishment suitable to his rank, and Ziba appointed steward to manage it, on the condition of receiving one-half of the produce in remuneration for his labor and expense, while the other moiety was to be paid as rent to the owner of the land
(2Sa 19:29).
10
無標題
10. 洗巴有十五個兒子和二十個僕人——提到他的兒子和家中的奴僕，是要表明米非波設將得到如同「王眾子之一」的排場與尊榮。
英文原文
10. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants--The mention of his sons and the slaves in his house was to show that Mephibosheth would be honored with an equipage "as one of the king's sons."
12
無標題
12. 米非波設有一個小兒子，名叫米迦——這兒子是在他遷居耶路撒冷之前或之後所生的，無法確定。但藉著這兒子，那卓越的約拿單的名字和記憶得以存留（見
1Ch 8:34, 35; 9:40, 41）。
英文原文
12. Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micah--Whether born before or after his residence in Jerusalem, cannot be ascertained. But through him the name and memory of the excellent Jonathan was preserved (see
1Ch 8:34, 35; 9:40, 41).
2Sa 9:1-12.
大衛召見米非波設。
1-7. 大衛說，掃羅家還有剩下的人沒有——經查訪，找到了掃羅的田產管家，他報說約拿單的兒子米非波設尚存，他父親死時他才五歲，而那時大衛正流亡在外，從未見過他。他的腿瘸
（撒下4:4）
使他無法參與當時公開的爭鬥。況且按東方的觀念，受膏君王的幼子對繼承權的優先主張，還在僅作王儲之子以上；因此他的名字從未被提作他叔父伊施波設的對手。他的無足輕重使他被人遺忘，大衛只是藉著洗巴才得知他的存在，以及他在約旦河外迦南地的一個仍忠於傾覆王室的大戶人家中所過的隱居生活。米非波設被請入宮廷，在大宴之日獲賜與王同席的席位，這也是東方君主至今沿行的習俗。掃羅的家族產業，或因大衛之妻的權利而歸大衛
（民27:8）， 或因伊施波設的叛亂而被王室沒收
（撒下12:8）， 如今都撥給
（撒下9:11；
又
撒下19:28）
米非波設，使他能維持與其身份相稱的排場，並派洗巴作管家代為料理，條件是收取出產的一半作為其辛勞費用的報酬，另一半則作為地租交納給地的主人
（撒下19:29）。