שמואל ב, פרק ט׳, פסוק י״ב

Mephibosheth's sudden elevation to the royal court dramatically transforms his daily life, creating a stark contrast between the small size of his immediate family and the massive staff required to maintain his new estate. At the time, he had only one young son. Yet, an immense workforce was placed at his disposal. The primary approach among commentators is that this workforce included absolutely everyone living in the household of Ziba—his sons, his own servants, and his extended family. All of these individuals were reassigned to serve Mephibosheth. This creates a natural question: why would a man with such a small family need a vast army of servants?

The explanation lies in his new political position. As a high-ranking official seated prominently in the kingdom, Mephibosheth naturally attracted a large crowd of friends, supporters, and acquaintances who attached themselves to his court. Even though his immediate family remained small, his daily household needs expanded rapidly. The sheer amount of work required to host, feed, and manage this constant influx of guests was overwhelming. Therefore, it became absolutely necessary to draft Ziba’s extensive family into service just to keep up with the heavy demands of Mephibosheth's bustling new household [מלבי״ם].