Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul.  And after their deaths,  in an act of kindness, King David had restored their property to the handicapped Mephibosheth.  This deal included Ziba, who had once been a servant in Saul’s household.  Within verses 1-4, Ziba cleverly manages to protect his own interests and accuse Mephibosheth of treachery and disloyalty  against King David…all the while spreading malice gossip and lies.  Sadly, King David took Ziba at his word and did not check it out first for authenticity before hastily responding.  He reacted rather than acting in a responsible way…and thus was easily swayed by deception and drama.