In the midst of a violent rebellion and a desperate escape from Jerusalem, a moment of deep political and personal crisis exposes betrayal and intrigue within the royal court. The encounter with Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, brings sharp questions of loyalty, opportunism, and the destructive power of slander to the forefront.
The king asks about the whereabouts of Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Initially assuming that Mephibosheth had sent the provisions for the journey, David wonders about the danger of remaining in Jerusalem and risking the wrath of the rebellious Absalom. In response, Ziba clarifies that he acted entirely on his own to bring the supplies, while his master chose to stay behind in the city [מלבי״ם]. Ziba then frames Mephibosheth's decision to stay as a calculated political move, falsely claiming that his master viewed the current coup as a golden opportunity to reclaim his father's lost kingdom [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
According to Ziba's slanderous tale, Mephibosheth believed the nation would look in horror at the chaos unfolding within David's family, where a brother murders a brother and a son rebels against his father. Because such severe scandals never occurred during Saul's reign, the public would inevitably decide to restore the monarchy to the previous dynasty [מצודת דוד]. Furthermore, Ziba suggests Mephibosheth calculated that if Absalom were to kill David, the Israelites would condemn Absalom as a rebellious son and reject his rule, allowing the crown to naturally revert to Mephibosheth [מלבי״ם].
It is deeply puzzling how David could believe such a blatant lie from a servant turning against his own master. While there is some debate among the sages regarding whether David truly accepted this slander, the simple reading of the events indicates that he did. This lapse in judgment stemmed from David's panic, severe emotional turmoil, and the deep distress he experienced during his frantic escape [אברבנאל]. David sinned by believing Ziba's falsehoods, and he compounded this error later when he refused to accept Mephibosheth's sincere and honest explanation [אברבנאל, מלבי״ם]. The punishment for accepting this slander was swift. Immediately following this encounter, Shimei son of Gera, another member of Saul's family, emerged to curse David, hurling stones at the king and his servants from a nearby hilltop as direct retribution for his sin [אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].