2 Samuel 19:28 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Before my lord the king, i.e. before thy tribunal: we were all at thy mercy; not my estate only, (which thou hast now granted to Ziba,) but my life also was in thy power, if thou hadst dealt with rigour, and as earthly kings use to do with their predecessors and enemies children. For otherwise by the law of God Saul himself had not deserved to die by David's hands, as David himself confessed; much less his children, who were not to die for their father's sins, Deuteronomy 24:16. But Mephibosheth speaks like a courtier, and like an orator, aggravating matters against himself, that he might seem to justify the king's sentence, and to submit to it; and so insinuate himself unto the king's favour. To cry any more unto the king, to wit, for the vindication of mine honour, and the restitution of my estate.