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MEPHIBOSHETH

(Heb. mĕpîḇōšeṯ)
(also MERIBBAAL)

1. A son of Saul by his concubine Rizpah (2 Sam. 21:8). Along with his brother Armoni and five of Saul’s grandsons, Mephibosheth was handed over to the Gibeonites for impalement in order to avenge the bloodguilt incurred by Saul’s house and thus put an end to the three-year famine (2 Sam. 21:1-6).

2. Saul’s grandson and the son of Jonathan. Mephibosheth had been crippled in both legs since early childhood, having fallen (or been dropped) when he and his nurse attempted to flee Gibeah upon hearing the news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. 4:4). For a long time he resided in the house of Machir at Lo-debar (2 Sam. 9:4).

In order to fulfill the covenant that he made with Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:14-17), David showed kindness to Mephibosheth, taking him into his care, and providing for him a special place in his royal household (2 Sam. 9:9-13). David again showed Mephibosheth kindness in sparing his life by refusing to hand him over to the Gibeonites along with the sons and grandsons of Saul (2 Sam. 21:7).

The name Mephibosheth (“from the mouth of shame” or “from the mouth of the god Bashtu”) is disputed. Throughout the MT of Samuel the name Mephibosheth appears. 1 Chr. 8:34; 9:40, however, use the name Meribbaal. Scholars, for the most part, agree that the name Mephibosheth has replaced Meribbaal in order to conceal the theophoric element “baal,” a reference to the Canaanite deity Baal. The LXX, in general, appears to confirm this interpretation. The Lucianic recension, which uses Gk. Memphibaal, may preserve the original name of Jonathan’s son while Chronicles preserves the original name of Saul’s son, the two persons having been confused in the tradition and eventually both coming to bear the same name.

Bibliography. P. K. McCarter, Jr., 2 Samuel. AB 9 (Garden City, 1984); M. Tsevat, “Ishbosheth and Congeners: The Names and Their Study,” HUCA 46 (1975): 71-87.

Arnold Gottfried Betz

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MEPHIBOSHETH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)