But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
But the king protected Mephibosheth, who was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson, because of the promise made before the LORD between David and Jonathan, Saul's son.
The writer is showing how King David honored his sacred promise to his friend Jonathan by protecting Jonathan's son, even when it would have been politically convenient to eliminate him.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Israel was suffering from a famine caused by Saul's earlier violation of a covenant with the Gibeonites, leading David to seek atonement by addressing this injustice. As part of the resolution, David agreed to hand over some of Saul's descendants to the Gibeonites for justice, but he chose to spare Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul and son of David's close friend Jonathan. This decision was rooted in the sacred oath of loyalty that David and Jonathan had made before the Lord, highlighting the importance of honoring such commitments in ancient Israelite culture.
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