2 Samuel 21:7

7 The king spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was Saul’s grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the LORD .

2 Samuel 21:7 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:7

But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son
of Saul
As they did not name particular persons, only required seven sons, it was at the option of the king what sons to deliver to them, and therefore kept back Mephibosheth, who is thus described, to distinguish him from a son of Saul's of the same name, after mentioned:

because of the Lord's oath that [was] between them, between David and
Jonathan the son of Saul;
not merely or only out of affection to Mephibosheth, but because of the oath, that he might not be guilty of the same crime Saul was in slaying the Gibeonites.

2 Samuel 21:7 In-Context

5 Then they replied, “It was Saul who planned to destroy us, to keep us from having any place at all in the territory of Israel.

6 So let seven of Saul’s sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the LORD at Gibeon, on the mountain of the LORD . ” “All right,” the king said, “I will do it.”

7 The king spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was Saul’s grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the LORD .

8 But he gave them Saul’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whose mother was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. He also gave them the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, the wife of Adriel son of Barzillai from Meholah.

9 The men of Gibeon executed them on the mountain before the LORD . So all seven of them died together at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Footnotes

• [a]. Mephibosheth is another name for Merib-baal.