John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 9

And David said
To some of his courtiers:

is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul ?
which question was put by him, not in order to destroy them, lest they should disturb his government, as was usual with other princes, and especially such who got their crowns by usurpation; but to prevent any suspicion of that kind in the persons he inquired of, he adds,

that I may show him kindness, for Jonathan's sake ?
not for Saul's sake, who had been his implacable enemy, though he had sworn to him that he would not cut off his seed; but for Jonathan's sake, his dear friend, whose memory was precious to him.

Some of the Jewish writers have thought, because this follows upon the account given of the officers of David, both in his camp and court, that this question was occasioned by a thought that came into his mind, while he was appointing officers, that if there were any of Saul's family, and especially any descendant of Jonathan, that was fit for any post or office, he would put him into one;

but this seems to be a long time after David had settled men in his chief offices; for Mephibosheth, after an inquiry found out, was but five years of age when his father was slain, and so but twelve when David was made king over all Israel, and yet now he was married, and had a young son, (2 Samuel 9:12); so that it was a long time after David was established in the kingdom that he thought of this; which is to be imputed to his being engaged so much in war, and having such a multiplicity of business on his hands.

And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was
Ziba
Or there was a servant that belonged to Saul's family; not that any of Saul's family was a servant; and this servant the Jews commonly say was a Canaanitish servant, and who upon the death of his master was not made free, but became the inheritance and possession of his children after him, (Leviticus 25:46) ; though Josephus ^F14 says he was made free by Saul:

and when they had called him to David ;
who it seems was now at court, or in Jerusalem, on some account or another; or was in David's service, in some inferior post or another; however, having been a quondam servant of Saul, it was thought he could give the best intelligence of his family, and whether any were living, and therefore was sent for; and when he was come into the king's presence,

the king said to him, are you Ziba ?
for he had been told before by some of his courtiers what his name was:

and he said, your servant is he ;
or my name is Ziba, and I am at your command.

FOOTNOTES:

• F14: Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 5.

And the king said, [is] there not yet any of the house of Saul ;
that is, remaining or living:

that I may show the kindness of God unto him ?
great kindness, some large favour or benefit; for the word God added to things, as to trees, mountains serves to set forth the excellency of them; and this kindness is in imitation of God, or such as he had sworn in the presence of God to show; and that is expressed in the same language, (1 Samuel 20:14) ;

and Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan has yet a son ;
a son still living;

[which is] lame on [his] feet ;
on both his feet, as the Targum; of which occasion, (See Gill on 2 Samuel 4:4).

And the king said unto him, where is he ?
&c.] In what part of the land, city, or town, does he dwell?

and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he [is] in the house of Machir ,
the son of Ammiel ;
a descendant of Machir, the son of Manasseh, to whom the land of Gilead was given, which lay on the other side Jordan:

in Lodebar ;
a place in that country, perhaps the same with Debir in (Joshua 13:26) . Here it may be his mother's relations lived, and here he might dwell in obscurity, and lie hid from the knowledge of David; who, it might be feared by his friends, would have dispatched him, had he known where he was. Some take it to be an appellative, and render it, as Abarbinel observes, "without anything"; as if he was so poor that he had not anything to support himself with. No mention as yet is made of his name, perhaps because the historian had given it before, (2 Samuel 4:4) .

Then King David sent Messengers; it may be Ziba, none being more proper than he that knew him, and where he was. And fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. They demanded him in the king's name, and being delivered to them, they brought him from thence to Jerusalem.