Lo Debar is mentioned several times in the Old Testament of the Bible, primarily in relation to King Saul’s son Mephibosheth. The name Lo Debar means “no pasture” or “no grazing place” in Hebrew, indicating it was located in a barren or unfruitful area. Though its exact location is unknown, Lo Debar was likely east of the Jordan River in the region of Gilead.
The first biblical mention of Lo Debar is in 2 Samuel 9. After Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle, David seeks out any remaining descendants of Saul to show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake. He learns of Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth, who had been living in Lo Debar under the care of a man named Machir. David summons Mephibosheth to Jerusalem and restores Saul’s lands to him, providing abundantly for him from then on.
Later, during Absalom’s rebellion against David, Lo Debar is referenced again. Absalom has set up his headquarters in Mahanaim, also located in Gilead east of the Jordan. Meanwhile, David and his supporters have fled Jerusalem. Two men from Lo Debar named Shobi son of Nahash from the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel, bring food, bedding, bowls, pottery vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched seeds, honey, curds, sheep, and cheese to David and his people in Mahanaim to provide for them (2 Samuel 17:27-29).
After Absalom’s death and David’s return to Jerusalem, the author of 2 Samuel mentions in passing “Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim brought provisions for the king in Lo Debar, for he was a very wealthy man” (2 Samuel 19:31-32). This indicates Lo Debar was on or near the route between Mahanaim and the Jordan River crossing back into the land west of the Jordan.
The only other biblical mention of Lo Debar is in Amos 6:13, where the prophet pronouncing God’s judgment says the people of Israel “rejoice in Lo-debar” and say “Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?” This suggests Lo Debar must have been an important city for Israel at some point, though the details are unclear.
In summary, these are a few key things the Bible reveals about the significance of Lo Debar:
- It was located in the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River.
- It was an area lacking in natural resources and grazing land.
- It was the home of Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth before David brought him to Jerusalem.
- Men from the city helped provide for David and his army during Absalom’s rebellion.
- At some point it apparently grew into an important city Israel captured by its own strength.
Though details on Lo Debar are limited, its inclusion in key stories in 1-2 Samuel and Amos provides glimpses into Saul’s family, David’s exile during Absalom’s rebellion, the Ammonite support for David, and the cities valued by Israel during the reigns of its early kings. The background it provides around pivotal events and figures in Israel’s history make this relatively obscure location noteworthy in the biblical narrative.
Beyond the history it represents, Lo Debar also provides some symbolic value based on its name meaning “no pasture.” In a barren place lacking natural provision, David and his men found loyal supporters who brought food and supplies from Lo Debar and surrounding regions. This illustrates how God can provide unexpected resources through other people, even in the midst of our difficult circumstances.
Additionally, David’s act of showing kindness to Mephibosheth by bringing him from the unfruitful Lo Debar to the abundance of Jerusalem foreshadows the gracious act of Christ bringing sinners from spiritual barrenness into the rich blessings of life in His kingdom. As 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
So while just a minor locale mentioned a handful of times, Lo Debar is a meaningful part of the biblical narrative, providing historical context around Saul’s family and David’s exile, highlighting God’s faithful provision, and pointing symbolically to the redemptive work of Christ.
1. Lo Debar’s location and meaning
Lo Debar was a city located in the region of Gilead, which lies east of the Jordan River. Though its precise coordinates are unknown, several clues indicate it was situated in the northern part of Gilead, likely between the Jabbok River and Sea of Galilee. The name Lo Debar comes from two Hebrew words “lo” meaning “no” and “debar” meaning “pasture” or “grass.” Thus the name signified a barren or unfruitful place lacking fields and grazing land for livestock.
The name Lo Debar appears appropriate given Gilead was often described as fertile grazing country (Numbers 32:1). By contrast, Lo Debar seems to have been situated in a less resource-rich area, prompting its ominous name. Though originally lacking, we see God later used Lo Debar as a place of provision when its citizens brought supplies to sustain David and his men during a difficult period (2 Samuel 17:27-29).
2. Home of Mephibosheth before David’s kindness
Lo Debar is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 9 as the home of Saul’s grandson Mephibosheth before David showed him kindness for Jonathan’s sake. After the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David promised to show loving loyalty to any remaining descendants of Saul’s household. He summoned Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants, and asked if there were any survivors he could bless.
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. (2 Samuel 9:3-5)
This reveals that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was lame, had been living at Lo Debar under the care of a man named Machir. Upon finding him there, David arranged for Mephibosheth to be brought to Jerusalem where he could eat regularly at the king’s table and receive back all the land that had belonged to his grandfather Saul.
3. Location on the route when Absalom drove David away
Lo Debar is next mentioned during Absalom’s rebellion against David recorded in 2 Samuel 17. After Absalom has taken over Jerusalem and forced David to flee east across the Jordan River, both armies are stationed on the eastern side of the Jordan Valley. Absalom and the men of Israel are camped in Gilead at Mahanaim, while David and his supporters settle in at Mahanaim as well (2 Samuel 17:24,29).
While encamped there in Mahanaim, three men brought supplies to David and his people from Lo Debar and surrounding regions to provide for them in their exile:
When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.” (2 Samuel 17:27-29)
This demonstrates Lo Debar was located near Mahanaim and was on or near the route between Mahanaim and the Jordan River. After Absalom’s death, David and his men would cross back over the Jordan westward on their return to Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 19:31 mentions this location again in recounting how Barzillai the Gileadite brought provisions for David at the Jordan crossing “from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan.”
4. A city Israel apparently captured by its own strength
The only other mention of Lo Debar is in Amos 6:13 as the prophet pronouncing God’s judgment declares:
You rejoice in Lo-debar and say, “Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?”
Here Lo Debar is referenced alongside Karnaim as cities in which Israel wrongly took pride, believing they had secured and occupied these places by their own power rather than recognizing them as God’s gifts. This suggests that during some period Lo Debar had grown into a city of importance that the people of Israel took credit for conquering and acquiring on their own.
The backdrop for this prophetic warning from Amos was likely during the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II who expanded Israel’s borders. Though the details are not fully known, at some point it seems Lo Debar had developed from a barren area into a valued city Israel boasted of capturing by its military strength and shrewdness, rather than God’s enablement.
5. Foreshadowing redemptive work of Jesus
In addition to its historical mentions, Lo Debar also provides some interesting symbolic parallels that foreshadow the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The name Lo Debar literally meant “no pasture” – a barren place devoid of natural provision for sustaining life and work. Yet during his exile there, David received ample help brought from Lo Debar itself to supply the needs of him and his men.
In a similar way, Jesus left the riches of heaven to come into the barrenness of this fallen world in order to meet our greatest needs – not with physical bread alone but with the provision of eternal life (John 6:35). As Philippians 2:6-7 expresses it, Christ “…did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” For our sake he became poor in order to make us rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Additionally, David showed kindness to Mephibosheth by bringing him up from marginal Lo Debar to dwell in the abundance and privilege of Jerusalem. In Christ, God demonstrates even greater kindness, grace and hospitality toward us. As Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.”
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus brings us from the wasteland of sin into the eternal dwelling of New Jerusalem as adopted members of God’s household. The story of Mephibosheth’s redemption mirrors and foreshadows the greater spiritual redemption for all believers.
6. Providing historical context around David’s exile
While Lo Debar’s exact location and details are limited, its inclusion in the biblical narrative provides helpful historical context surrounding two pivotal events:
1) Saul’s family – By mentioning Lo Debar as the residence of Saul’s grandson Mephibosheth, these brief references help corroborate the family line of Israel’s first king and provide setting details around when David showed kindness to this last surviving heir of Saul. Along with Ziba’s comment about Machir son of Ammiel caring for Mephibosheth at Lo Debar, these clues help reconstruct a geographical and family picture of Saul’s descendants after his death.
2) David’s exile – The notes about men coming from Lo Debar to provide for David temporarily exiled at Mahanaim similarly help reconstruct the locations involved in Absalom’s rebellion. Absalom drives David away across the Jordan River, until David eventually returns victoriously, crossing back from Mahanaim with the help of those living around Lo Debar. This helps readers understand the directions of retreat and return during these tumultuous events.
Thus, while seemingly an insignificant place name to modern readers, Lo Debar marks meaningful locations in the larger unfolding of Israel’s kingdom history under Saul and David. Its obscurity highlights how even small details in Scripture contribute to the greater biblical narrative.
7. An unimportant place the Lord used provisionally
Considering its sparse mentions, Lo Debar clearly was not a prominent city like Jerusalem, Babylon or Nineveh that featured prominently in biblical events. Instead it was a relatively minor, obscure location marked by its lack of natural resources.
Yet our sovereign God demonstrates that He can use even unlikely, unimpressive places and people to accomplish His purposes. From this forgotten corner called “No Pasture,” He brought provision for David in his time of need. And from this out-of-the-way town, He highlighted His grace by bringing Mephibosheth into the center of kingdom life.
Similarly, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 tells us: “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
Lo Debar provides a small but vivid example of this truth. God enjoys using the obscure, the weak, and the barren places of life to display His faithful provision and show that the fullness of His grace and power is not limited by human means.
Through an empty place like Lo Debar, God provided sustenance for David in the midst of his trial. And through the despised crucifixion of His Son on a cross, God opened the way of salvation so that no human could ever boast in His glorious presence.
8. Lessons for readers’ lives today
While Lo Debar was significant in its ancient biblical context, what lessons might its mention hold for modern readers? Here are some key reflections:
- God cares about the forgotten corners. To Him, no place or person is too isolated or insignificant that it is beyond His reach or concern.
- God enjoys working through empty places. He makes streams in the desert and produces fruit in the wilderness. Where we see barrenness, He provides.
- God works unexpected wonders through unlikely sources. His provision and blessings are not limited by human means or probability.
- All glory belongs to God. Even our greatest personal achievements are only by His grace. We cannot boast in our own strength.
- God remembers the weak and marginalized. David remembered lame Mephibosheth; Jesus ministered among outcasts. We should do likewise.
- God cares about small details. Even obscure places in Scripture contribute to the full revelation of God’s nature and actions.
As Acts 17:26 reminds us, God determines both the exact periods and precise places where we live. Even the seeming random details of life are ordained by Him to fulfill His purposes. The next time you are tempted to overlook some minor biblical name or location, remember the small but significant example of Lo Debar.
9. Conclusion
In summary, though just a minor locale mentioned only a few times in the Old Testament, Lo Debar marks meaningful moments in Israel’s early kingdom history. It provides historical context around Saul’s descendants after his death, David’s exile during Absalom’s rebellion, and locations valued by Israel during the reigns of its early kings. Its name, meaning “No Pasture,” evokes symbolic images of God’s ability to provide and redeem despite human barrenness. And Lo Debar offers the lesson that God can use any place or person – no matter how ignored or marginalized – to accomplish His sovereign purposes.
Though it bore the gloomy name Lo Debar, “No Grazing,” the Lord transformed this obscure place into a source of help and hope both for ancient David and present readers today. However empty we may feel at times, God remains able to fill and mobilize our lives to bless others. As David’s time in Mahanaim showed, the Lord can use even a forgettable place called “No Pasture” to provide nourishment in difficult times.