Mephibosheth

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Mephibosheth, the son of Saul

Hanged for Saul's houses's bloodguilt and protected by his mother

During a 3-year famine, King David sought the LORD and learned of the bloodguilt of Saul's house against the Gibeonites. They asked for 7 of Saul's sons to hang in Gibeah of Saul, so David gave them Armoni and Mephibosheth of Saul and Rizpah the daughter of Aiah and the 5 sons of Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite and Merab.

Rizpah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock then from the beginning of the harvest until rain fell, she kept bird and animals away from her sons' bodies. When David heard of her, he gathered Saul, Jonathan, and the hanged sons' bones and had them interred in Kish's tomb in the land of Benjamin in Zela.

(2 Samuel 21:1-14)

Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul

The crippled remnant of Saul and Jonathan's house to whom David shows kindness then is tricked into revoking it, only to partially restore it.

He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. (2 Samuel 4:4)

David shows the kindness of God to Mephibosheth on behalf of Jonathan

David asked if there was anyone left of the house of Saul, that he may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake. Ziba, a servant of Saul's house, told him of a son of Jonathan, crippled in his feet, who is staying in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. King David sent for him, and Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan fell on his face and paid homage. David told him not to fear, that he will show kindness for sake of his father, and he will restore all the land of Saul and allow him to always eat at his table. Mephibosheth paid homage and asked, "What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?"

David told Ziba that all that belonged to Saul and his house, he has given to his master's grandson. Ziba and his fifteen sons and twenty servants were to till the land and bring in produce so his master's grandson may eat. But Mephibosheth shall always eat at his table. Ziba agreed.

Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table like one of the king's sons.

(2 Samuel 9)

His servant, Ziba, met David as he was fleeing Absalom's conspiracy with donkeys and food. When asked where his master was, he claimed, "Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’" David gave all that belonged to Mephibosheth to Ziba on this word.

(2 Samuel 16:1-4)

Ziba's story doesn't seem to reflect Mephibosheth's (lack of) ambition, and all of this only benefits Ziba at his master's detriment.

(Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete) - 2 Samuel 16 @ https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/mh/2-samuel/16)

In the meantime, Mephibosheth does not care for his feet, trim his beard, nor wash his clothes since the king departed. (2 Samuel 19:24)

Mephibosheth meets David as he is returning as king to Jerusalem after battle with Absalom and Israel

Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet David. When he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked why he did not go with him. He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?”

The king told him he already decided to split the land between him and Ziba, and Mephibosheth replied, "Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”

(2 Samuel 20)

Mephibosheth is spared from the bloodguilt of Saul by the oath Jonathan made with David

During a 3-year famine, King David sought the LORD and learned of the bloodguilt of Saul's house against the Gibeonites. They asked for 7 of Saul's sons to hang in Gibeah of Saul, but David spared Mephibosheth because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

(2 Samuel 21:1-7)

Questions

Who is lying? Ziba? Mephibosheth? Both? None of them?

“Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” - 2 Samuel 16:3

He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. - 2 Samuel 19:27

Ziba claimed Mephibosheth planned to leverage Absalom's conspiracy to take back the kingdom of his father. Mephibosheth claimed Ziba saddled the donkey for himself to go with the king then slandered him to David.

Ziba came bearing gifts and flattery for David, and his story earned him all that belonged to Mephibosheth. Meanwhile, Mephibosheth came unkempt (hardly the look for a conspirator) with meek words of praise and lost half his holdings and offered to give back even that.

I would be surprised if Mephibosheth held any serious ambition. He seems either very meek or self-pitying, calling himself a "dead dog." David loved his father Jonathan and elevated Mephibosheth higher than he ever expected and never asked for more.