H4648 H4648
Mephibosheth (Merib-baal) — son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, lame in both feet, shown loyalty by David
Known in Chronicles by the older form Merib-baal ('Baal is my advocate,' 1 Chr 8:34; 9:40), this figure's name was altered in Samuel to Mephibosheth, replacing the theophoric element 'baal' with 'bosheth' (shame) — a scribal practice reflecting later theological discomfort with Baal-names. Crippled in both feet after a childhood fall (2 Sam 4:4), he became the object of David's covenant loyalty to Jonathan: restored to Saul's estate, given a place at the royal table (2 Sam 9), yet later entangled in the Absalom crisis through his servant Ziba's treachery (2 Sam 16; 19). His story is one of vulnerability, loyalty, and political complexity.
Senses
1. Mephibosheth — The proper name Mephibosheth (מְפִיבֹשֶׁת), also called Merib-baal (מְרִיב בַּעַל) in 1 Chronicles 8:34 and 9:40, identifying the son of Jonathan and grandson of King Saul. The name shift from Merib-baal to Mephibosheth reflects a deliberate scribal substitution of 'bosheth' (shame) for the Canaanite divine name 'baal.' Multilingual translations consistently render the name as Mephibosheth or Mefiboshet across English, Spanish, French, and German. His narrative arc in 2 Samuel 4, 9, 16, 19, and 21 centers on David's covenantal kindness to Jonathan's disabled heir. 15×
AR["لِمَفيبوشَتَ", "مَفيبوشَتَ", "مَفيبوشَتُ", "مَفِيبُوشَثُ", "مْفِي", "مْفِيبُوشَثَ", "مْفِيبُوشَثُ", "وَلِمَفيبوشَتَ", "وَمَفيبوشَتُ", "وَمْفِيبُوشَثُ"]·ben["-মফী-বোশেথের", "এবং-মফীবোশেথ", "এবং-মফীবোশেথের-জন্য", "এবং-মফীবোশৎ", "মফী-", "মফী-বোশেথের", "মফীবোশেথ", "মফীবোশেথের-জন্য", "মফীবোশৎ"]·DE["Mefiboshet", "Mephi-", "Mephi-Bosheth", "Mephiboscheth", "und-Mephiboscheth", "und-zu-Mephiboscheth", "zu-Mephi-Bosheth", "zu-Mephiboscheth"]·EN["Mefiboshet", "Mephi-", "Mephi-Bosheth", "Mephibosheth", "and-Mephibosheth", "and-to-Mephibosheth", "to-Mephi-Bosheth", "to-Mephibosheth"]·FR["Mefiboshet", "Mephi-", "Mephi-Bosheth", "Mephiboscheth", "et-Mephiboscheth", "et-à-Mephiboscheth", "à-Mephi-Bosheth", "à-Mephiboscheth"]·heb["ו-ל-מפיבושת", "ו-מפיבושת", "ל-מפיבושת", "מפי", "מפיבושת"]·HI["और-मपीबोशेत", "और-मपीबोशेत-के-लिए", "मपी", "मपी-बोशेत-का", "मपी-बोशेत-के-लिए", "मपीबोशेत", "मपीबोशेत-के-लिए", "मपीबोशेत-ने"]·ID["Mefi-", "Mefiboset", "bagi-Mefiboset", "dan-Mefiboset", "dan-bagi-Mefiboset", "kepunyaan-Mefiboset"]·IT["Mefiboset", "Mefiboshet", "Mephi-", "Mephi-Bosheth", "a-Mefiboset", "a-Mephi-Bosheth", "e-Mefiboset", "e-a-Mefiboset"]·jav["Lan-Mefiboset", "Lan-Méfibosét", "Lan-kanggé-Méfibosét", "Mefi-Bosyet", "Mefiboset", "Méfibosèt", "Méfibosèt-", "Méfibosét", "kagunganipun-Mefi-Bosyet", "kanggé-Méfibosét", "lan-Méfibosét"]·KO["그리고-메피보셋이", "그리고-므비보셋에게", "그리고-므비보셋은", "먴바보셔의", "메피보셋", "메피보셋에게", "메피보셋이", "메피보셋이여", "므비-", "므비보셋", "므비보셋아", "므비보셋의", "므비보셋이"]·PT["E-Mefivoshet", "E-para-Mefivoshet", "Mefi", "Mefivoshet", "e-Mefivoshet", "para-Mefivoshet"]·RU["Мефи-", "Мефивошет", "Мефивошета", "Мефивошету", "а-Мефивошет", "и-Мефивошет", "и-у-Мефивошета"]·ES["Mefi-", "Mefi-boshet", "Mefiboset", "Mefiboshet", "Y-Mefiboset", "Y-Mefiboshet", "Y-a-Mefiboset", "de-Mefiboset", "para-Mefi-boshet", "y-Mefiboset"]·SW["Mefiboshethi", "na-Mefiboshethi", "vya-Mefiboshethi", "wa-Mefiboshethi"]·TR["Mefi-", "Mefi-Boşet", "Mefi-Boşet'i", "Mefi-Boşet'in", "Mefiboset", "Mefiboşet", "Mefiboşet'e", "ve-Mefi-Boşet", "ve-Mefiboşet", "ve-Mefiboşet'e"]·urd["اور-مفیبوشت", "اور-مفیبوشت-کا", "مفی", "مفی-بوشت۔", "مفیبوشت", "مفیبوشت-نے", "مفیبوشت-کا", "مفیبوشت-کا-تھا", "مفیبوشت-کے"]
2 Sam 4:4, 2 Sam 9:6, 2 Sam 9:6, 2 Sam 9:10, 2 Sam 9:11, 2 Sam 9:12, 2 Sam 9:12, 2 Sam 9:13, 2 Sam 16:1, 2 Sam 16:4, 2 Sam 19:24, 2 Sam 19:25 (+3 more)
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְרִיב בַּ֫עַל n.pr.m. (Baal is (our, my, his) advocate (?), cf. NesEg. 120 Dr 2 S 4(×2); but GrayProp. N. 201 thinks מרי בעל orig. form = hero of Baal);— 1. son of Jonathan 1 Ch 8:34, מ׳ בָּ֑עַל v 34 9:40 = מְרִי־בַעַל (error?) v 40 = מְפִיבשֶׁת (later change, v. בּשֶׁת sub בושׁ) 2 S 4:4; 9:6(×2), 10, 11, 12(×2), 13; 16:1, 4; 19:26, 31; 21:7, מְפִבשֶׁת 16:25 (called בֶּן־שָׁאוּל); 𝔊 in 2 S…