2 Samuel 16:1

ABSALOM TOOK OVER JERUSALEM

The rebellion at first looked like a great success. With King David out of the city and fleeing toward the Jordan River, Absalom found it easy to occupy Jerusalem, seize the palace, have sex relations with the ten concubines of the king which David had left in charge of the palace, and to set up his government without any opposition whatever. At that point, it certainly looked like the rebellion had turned into a revolution.

MEPHIBOSHETH'S SERVANT ZIBA DECEIVED DAVID

"When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. And the king said to Ziba, `Why have you brought these?' Ziba answered, `The asses are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.' And the king said, `And where is your master's son?' Ziba said to the king, `Behold, he remains in Jerusalem; for he said, "Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father."' Then the king said to Ziba, `Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.' And Ziba said, `I do obeisance; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.'"

"One inevitable result of troubled times is that unscrupulous men use them for selfish purposes, aided by the fact that those in danger have no time for careful examination and are unable to make calm and impartial judgment, but act on first impressions."[1] This timely gift from Ziba completely deceived David, and he promptly gave Ziba all of Mephibosheth's property, which must have pleased Ziba immensely. He had achieved his purpose completely. Later, when David heard Mephibosheth's account of what happened, he was ashamed of his decision. "He did not know whom to believe and offered half the possessions to each man."[2] Understandable as David's decision is, "He had pronounced a rash and unrighteous judgment, inflicting a great injury upon the character and interests of a devoted friend."[3]

"Two asses saddled" (2 Samuel 16:1). These had most likely been saddled for Ziba and for Mephibosheth; but the crafty Ziba left his crippled master behind and took them to David.

"A skin of wine" (2 Samuel 16:1). "This was a large goat-skin vessel."[4]

"Today, ... Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father" (2 Samuel 16:3). That Mephibosheth actually said anything like this is extremely unlikely. "Ziba, for the purpose of advancing himself, made unfounded and false accusations against his master."[5] This is the opinion, not only of current scholars, but also of those in other generations. "The explanation later given by Mephibosheth sufficiently accounts for his remaining in Jerusalem, and we must suppose that Ziba's accusations were slanderous."[6]