For all [of] my, father's house were but dead men before my lord the king,.... Or "men of death" ; worthy of death, not on account of Saul's persecution, for which his family did not deserve to suffer; rather for the attempt of Ishbosheth to get the kingdom from him, which might be deemed treason, and so the family was tainted for it; though the sense may be only this, that their lives lay at his mercy, and that if he had dealt with rigour and severity towards them, as was usual for princes to do towards the family of their predecessors, who had any claim to the kingdom, put them to death, this would have been their case:yet didst thou set thy servant among them that eat at thine own table; which was showing him great kindness, and doing him great honour:what right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
to ask any favour of him, or make any complaint to him.