For Goodness' Sake?

II Samuel Chapter 9, the Strange and the Spectacular

Verses: 13

Is It Read At Synagogue?: No.

Famous Quotes/Phrases: The Hebrew Bible just doesn’t like dogs. Of course, that shouldn’t be thought of as a message to us today, but whenever the Tanakh mentions dogs, it’s in a derogatory way. Case in point: Mehiboshet, in an effort to humble himself before David, refers to himself as a “dead dog” in Verse 8.

Basic Plot: Previously, when David and Jonathan part in I Samuel 20, the two beloved friends pledge to “keep faith” to one another, even after death. Now that David is secure in on his throne, he asks Saul’s former servant Ziba whether any of Jonathan’s descendants still live. As it turns out, Jonathan’s son Mehiboshet is still living humbly, enduring in spite of disabilities in both feet.

David goes to Mehiboshet and grants him all of the land formerly belonging to Saul. He arranges for Ziba and his family to work the land, and promises that Mehiboshet and his son Mica will always have a place to eat at David’s table.

What’s Strange: What a lovely thing for David to do, right? Well … up to a point. In his book David and the Deuteronomist: A Literary Study of the Deuteronomic History, Robert Polzin notes the selective nature of David’s loyalty. “David showed hesed [loyalty/kindness] to Saul’s house only after he allowed the Gibeonites’ sword to descend upon most of its occupants,” Polzin writes, noting that it will soon be revealed that even David’s kindness to Mehiboshet is fleeting.

What’s Spectacular: So is this just another one of David’s political maneuvers, to score some points with the public for remembering one of Saul’s descendants? And is it especially cynical given that the one relative David entreats is someone who wouldn’t likely pose a physical threat to him? Perhaps. But based on this chapter alone, I lean toward giving David a pass here. I picture David feeling weary of the massive destruction that has befallen Saul’s family, knowing in his heart that while he may not have been the direct cause of it, he turned a blind eye while others did the dirty work. Maybe he wants to do just one kind thing to honor Jonathan, his friend whom he genuinely adored.

I might be proven wrong by what happens in subsequent chapters, but I stand by the idea that many of the most craven individuals are still capable of — and actually do perform — periodic acts of generosity.

Shabbat Shalom!