richmahn_en_tn/2sa/09/07.md

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for Jonathan your father's sake

"because I loved your father, Jonathan"

you will always eat at my table

Here "my table" represents being together with David or in his presence. Eating with the king at his table was a great honor. AT: "you will always eat with me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)

What is your servant, that you should look with favor on such a dead dog as I am?

This rhetorical question shows that Mephibosheth understands that he is not important enough for the king to take care of him. This can be translated as a statement. AT: "I am like a dead dog. I do not deserve for you to be kind to me." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)

such a dead dog

Here Mephibosheth represents the line of Saul, and he compares himself to a "dead dog." Dogs were feral animals, not cared for, and of little importance. A dead dog would be considered even less important. AT: "such a person like me who is worthless as a dead dog" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)

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