The tense meeting between the newly established king and the last surviving member of the previous royal dynasty takes an unexpected turn. In the ancient world, it was customary to eliminate the remnants of a rival family. Instead, David seeks to calm the terrified survivor and grants him a profound double kindness consisting of restored wealth and immense personal honor.
Arriving before the king, Mephibosheth submits himself as a slave, overcome with a deep fear of execution. Recognizing this dread, David immediately reassures him. He makes it clear that the summons was not a trap to cause harm, but rather a sincere opportunity to bestow kindness [אלשיך, מצודת דוד].
The first act of generosity is the restoration of Saul's lands, encompassing the entirety of the former royal estate [רד״ק]. This raises a natural question: why is returning this land considered an act of special kindness rather than a simple legal inheritance? One approach explains that since Saul and his son were considered rebels against David's rule, all their assets had been legally confiscated by the crown. Returning seized property is therefore an act of immense grace, not a legal duty [רד״ק]. Another perspective distinguishes between Saul's private wealth and the assets he acquired as king. Upon David's rise to power, the royal properties naturally transferred to him, making their return a uniquely generous gesture [מלבי״ם]. Other explanations suggest that David had maintained control of the estate either because he believed his own wife was the closest living heir [מצודת דוד], or because the surviving members of Saul's family had remained hidden in obscurity, leaving the ownership of the unclaimed lands completely unresolved [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Beyond the restoration of wealth, David grants a second, deeply personal honor by providing him a permanent seat at the royal table [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. There is a meaningful distinction between these two gifts. While the return of the family lands is an act of loyalty done for the sake of Jonathan, the invitation to dine constantly with the king is different. Such a privilege was strictly reserved for men of great wisdom, and it was awarded to Mephibosheth entirely on the basis of his own personal merit [מלבי״ם].