2 Samuel 9:5

"Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar."

It is not hard to imagine what Mephibosheth might have thought when the royal chariots with their liveried retainers of the king rolled up in front of the house of Machir. Sure, David had said, "That I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake (2 Samuel 9:1)"; but the universal custom of those times was that any king searched out and slew every relative of any previous king. And in the light of that custom David's promise of kindness might well have been discounted. To those of Saul's household, "David's promise of kindness might have sounded remarkably like Herod's remark,"[6] when he said to the wise men concerning Jesus, "When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him" (Matthew 2:8). We may be certain that the appearance of David's messengers before the place where Mephibosheth lived struck great fear and apprehension into his heart.