Gateway To Heaven
Page 11
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Meri-baal (“beloved of Baal”), changed to “Mephibosheth”(“exterminator of the shameful one”) in textually later parts of the Bible, while textually earlier parts preserve the name Meribaal. He was the son of Jonathan, and grandson of Saul. He was five years old when his father and grandfather fell in the Battle of Mount Gilboa. Hearing of this calamity, his nurse fled with him from Gibeah, the royal residence, and in her haste stumbled, dropping him on the ground and causing his paralysis. He was carried to the land of Gilead, where he found refuge in the house of Machir.
Some years later, when King David had subdued all the adversaries of Israel, he recalled the family of Jonathan, and discovered that Mephibosheth was residing in the house of Machir. So he sent royal messengers there, and brought Mephibosheth and his infant son Micahh to Jerusalem, where they resided from that point on. (Wikipedia)