Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me. ‘” So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!” (2 Samuel 16:3-4 NASB)
Ziba is described as the servant of Saul’s household in 2 Samuel 9:2. The details about Ziba given in the chapter bring a few things to light, and help understand what he does right here. First, he is the servant to Saul’s household but only Mephibosheth, a cripple living across the Jordan with another family, is left or is he? At first it looks like Ziba’s essentially been living off Saul’s household. On the other hand, in chapter 21 they find seven other sons. So David’s choice of Mephibosheth had more to do with Jonathan than Saul.
Knothole Theology 