שמואל ב, פרק ט׳, פסוק ט׳

King David takes decisive action to secure the economic and social standing of Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth. To achieve this, the king transfers the entirety of Saul's former estate to Mephibosheth and appoints Ziba to manage the property. Ziba is assigned to serve his master's son, Mephibosheth [ביאור שטיינזלץ], a position of servitude that mirrors the natural dynamic of a youth attending to an elder [מצודת ציון].

A question arises regarding how a king can legally transfer land ownership. The monarch possesses the authority to reassign estates, a right rooted in royal law that permits him to confiscate fields and distribute them to his subjects [רש״י].

Under this arrangement, Ziba, his sons, and his servants are tasked with the physical labor of working the land and consuming its harvest. Because Mephibosheth is provided for directly at the royal table, he does not rely on the estate's crops for his personal survival. Rather, the purpose of granting him this property is to provide him with dignity, joy, and prestige. Owning the estate allows Mephibosheth to hold private wealth and independently support his own servants, thereby firmly establishing his honorable status in society [אברבנאל].