II Shmuel 9: The Curious Case of the Dead Dog Metaphor

David made a promise to Jonathan that he would watch over his descendants (וְלֹא־תַכְרִית אֶת־חַסְדְּךָ מֵעִם־בֵּיתִי עַד־עוֹלָם) (I Samuel 20:15). He searches the land for any remaining descendants and is told there is only a young, handicapped boy who is left. Earlier in the book, in an aside, the Navi explained that Mephiboshet’s legs were broken when his maidservant dropped him in shock after hearing about the death of Shaul and Jonathan (וַתִּשָּׂאֵהוּ אֹמַנְתּוֹ וַתָּנֹס וַיְהִי בְּחׇפְזָהּ לָנוּס וַיִּפֹּל וַיִּפָּסֵחַ) (II Samuel 4:4). Although Mephiboshet could have been in line after Ish Boshet was killed, it seems like his handicap kept him out of the spotlight.David summons Mephiboshet to elevate him to David’s table and to give him all the lands of his grandfather Shaul. During the audience, “[Mephibosheth] prostrated himself again, and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?’” (וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי פָנִיתָ אֶל־הַכֶּלֶב הַמֵּת אֲשֶׁר כָּמוֹנִי) (verse 8).Mephiboshet’s choice of words is interesting here. He uses the exact same phrase that David used back in I Samuel 24 after he cut Shaul’s cloak. “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea?” (אַחֲרֵי מִי יָצָא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי מִי אַתָּה רֹדֵף אַחֲרֵי כֶּלֶב מֵת אַחֲרֵי פַּרְעֹשׁ אֶחָד) (I Samuel 24:15).Why would Mephiboshet use this same phrase? It is possible that this was simply a turn of phrase that one used at the time to mean someone low and insignificant. Indeed, Avner uses a similar phrase for the opposite effect when Ish Boshet accuses him of sleeping with Shaul’s concubine (הֲרֹאשׁ כֶּלֶב אָנֹכִי אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה) (II Samuel 3:8). Later, the phrase will be used by Avishai to describe Shimi when Shimi curses David as he flees Jerusalem from his son (לָמָּה יְקַלֵּל הַכֶּלֶב הַמֵּת הַזֶּה אֶת־אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ) (II Samuel 16:9).But there may be another reason Mephiboshet uses this phrase. After David uses it to describe himself, Shaul suddenly snaps out of his rage and begins to cry. He recognized David and proclaimed that he knows David is more righteous than he and that David will surely be king (וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־מָלֹךְ תִּמְלוֹךְ וְקָמָה בְּיָדְךָ מַמְלֶכֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל) (I Samuel 24:21). He then charges David: “So swear to me by the LORD that you will not destroy my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house” (וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי בַּה׳ אִם־תַּכְרִית אֶת־זַרְעִי אַחֲרָי וְאִם־תַּשְׁמִיד אֶת־שְׁמִי מִבֵּית אָבִי) (I Samuel 24:22).Jonathan and David’s promise was made in secret, but Shaul’s was made out in public, in front of his ministers. It is possible that one of them relayed this story to Mephiboshet, and now Mephiboshet uses this exact phrase when speaking to David to remind him of the promise he made Shaul.