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7. Fear not. Anyone in Mephibosheth’s position might have had reason to fear. The life of this descendant of Saul depended upon the attitude of the king. Frequently such situations resulted in the extermination of all rivals. David knew that as long as any of the offspring of Saul continued to live, his own throne might be in jeopardy. But his generous nature, together with his promise to Jonathan, prompted him to a course of kindness and mercy.

Shew thee kindness. Life had thus far brought Mephibosheth little of kindness. Nearly as far back as he could remember he had been a cripple and a fugitive. His life had been in danger. Now his troubles were at an end.

All the land of Saul. This land had undoubtedly been confiscated by David and now belonged to him. But he would give it back, himself making a personal sacrifice in order that Mephibosheth might possess all that had once belonged to Saul. It was a magnificent gift that was prompted by a remarkable spirit of generosity toward one who did not expect it.

Eat bread at my table. The expression need not be taken literally. The basic meaning is that the one to whom such a favor was shown was henceforth to be supported from the king’s bounty—in other words, he was to receive a life pension. Thus the 400 prophets of the grove did “eat at Jezebel’s table” (1 Kings 18:19). This simply means that these prophets, who were probably scattered throughout the realm, received their support from the queen. Thus also Jehoiachin, after his release from prison, “did eat bread continually” before the king “all the days of his life” (2 Kings 25:29, 30). That is, a daily allowance was provided for him as long as he lived. In the case of Mephibosheth, however, special honor was involved, since he was placed on a par with David’s own sons (2 Sam. 9:11). He was to be treated like one of the children of David. Such treatment served further to endear David to Mephibosheth and to ensure mutual good will.