"CONNECTIONS"
Answers to questions:
Is there a contradiction in 2 Samuel 21:7-9?
Here are the scriptures in question:
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the Lord's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 2 Samuel 21:7 (KJV)
But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest. 2 Samuel 21:8-9 (KJV)
Well, the short answer is that there must have been, at least, two Mephibosheths. Subsequently, David went on to bless the last of Saul’s relatives; namely, one named Mephibosheth. Therefore, looking at the scripture, I would say that this Mephibosheth (Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson), had an uncle by the name of Mephibosheth; the son of Rizpah (a concubine/wife of Saul) who was slain along with another one of Saul’s sons and five grandsons.
With that said, I can only be dogmatic about the fact that one lame Mephibosheth lived, and was blessed by David. The study of biblical genealogies can be interesting because there are instances where the patriarch of the family is listed as the father bypassing several generations.
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