New American Standard Bible 1865 painting by Virginio Grana, via Daderot/Wikimedia Commons. After David was safely away from Sauls court, Michal had to remain there under her fathers repressive rule. Eight wives of David are named in Scripture. Wife or mistress? Hope Bolingeris an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, and the author 21+ books. As the "bride-price," or dowry, for Michal, Saul demands that David bring him 100 foreskins from the penises of Philistine warriors. In the city of Jerusalem, Davids eighth wife, Bathsheba, gave him four sons after the death of her first son. He told the soldiers to collect David and bring him to the palace, even if it meant carrying him on a stretcher, or on the bed he supposedly lay on. Saul demanded that David give him one hundred foreskins as proof that he had killed so many Philistines. Did her love grow cold when she returned to him and had to encounter Davids other wives? 7 Soundtracks for Every Feeling in the Christian Life. After some time, David decided to move the Ark of the Covenant from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem, to establish his new capital as a religious center, not just a political one. English Standard Version But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. She holds a B.A. Saul wanted the death of David. Michal heard about the plot, informed David and he fled (1 Samuel 19:11-12). Michal isn't as famous as Bathsheba or Abigail, but she was another one of David's wives and played an important part in his escaping certain death. Reminding her that God chose him before He chose Saul as ruler of the nation, David said, I will celebrate before the Lord. More on him in a moment. So Michal got a rope, and perhaps a basket, and lowered him down from an upper window. All rights reserved. Perhaps. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Consequently, she was able to save her husbands life (v. 18-35). So he was not convinced. What Do We Know about King David's First Wife Michal? The Jewish Womens Archives contends that Michal never fell out of love with David and never had intercourse or children with this new husband. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. By this time, David had acquired other wivesand would acquire more during his reign. So David became very famous. . These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. Having the daughter of the former king in his harem would bolster his claim to the throne. We must remember that Davids first wife, Michal, did not give birth to any children. David took Michal back when he returned from his seven-year exile (2 Samuel 3:13-16). She was one of Saul's two daughters (1 Samuel 14:49) and the younger of the two daughters. No, David did not marry Saul's daughter. Then, out of jealousy and paranoia, Saul made every attempt to assassinate David. She told her father that David was ill and that he must not be disturbed. . The marriage of King David to his first wife Michal, though born in affection, would die in misery. 1 Samuel 25:3, 37 tell us that she was actually another mans wife before she was married to King David. And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. Her future was dictated by her status. When Michal said David embarrassed himself as king by disrobing and dancing before the Ark, he chastised her for her criticism. It certainly was no fairy tale romance. My family and my father's clan are not important either. When the ark of the LORD came to the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David leaping and dancing in the LORD's presence, so she despised him. This is a practice you can implement when trying to create a new habit, where you attach the new habit to something you already have a habit of doing. Ahinoam is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 14:50, described as the wife of King Saulor at least one of them. I will use her as a trap that will catch him. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. So Saul was David's enemy continually. Then the couple could marry. Her love for David led her to put her life in dangershe had no way of knowing how what would happen to her, but she wanted to save his life. Then she became Davids second wife. David married King Saul's daughter Michal, but the king hated him still. Michal devised a scheme to help him escape. Instead, David presented Saul with 200 Philistine foreskins and claimed Michal as his wife. All rights reserved. She wouldve seen him poor, starving, homeless. Start your free trial today! Then he heard that it brought good fortune to the people who were caring for it, so he decided it could after all be safely transported inside the city walls. 26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. Davids faith in God was also a foundation for his leadership of a thriving and growing nation; he credited God with everything he achieved and thanked Him for any success. 18 And David said to Saul, Who am I? And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. In other words, David told Michal that he'd rather have the sexual admiration of his female servants than the respect of his royal wife, whose lineage justified his kingship. One person helps him set up this scenehis cousin Jonadab, who suggests the pretend to be sick plan. Yet, sometimes, the parents did all they could. (S)And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. After Saul heard about the deception, he punished her by giving her in marriage to Palti,the son of Laish (1 Samuel 25:44). We dont hear much else about his character, but that should be enough to tell us he was bad news. Secondly, Ahinoam saw David during his most desperate moments. He led his army towards the capital, Hebron, and by allying himself with former enemies he was able to make himself king, at least over the local tribes of Judah. But if you trust God, He will bless you, protect you, and exalt you in His time. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him." And David said to Saul, "Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I . David fired back that God chose him to be king of Israel over her father, Saul, and that his dancing was religious ecstasy, not sexual vulgarity: "I will dance before the LORD and dishonor myself even more, and be low in my own esteem; but among the slave girls that you speak of I will be honored.". Throughout this, theres no indication that Ahinoam deserted him. 19When the time came for Merab to marry David, Saul told her to marry a different man. But Saul, always fearful of young David's popularity with the people, planned to kill his new son . What Should Christians Know about Cloning? When Michal, Sauls youngest daughter, fell in love with David, Saul thought that she would cause him to stumble before the Philistines. Only be valiant for me (C)and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought, Let not my hand be against him, (D)but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. 18And David said to Saul, (E)Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? 19But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to (F)Adriel the (G)Meholathite for a wife. Meanwhile, Saul had arranged for Michal to marry Palti the son of Laish, who came from the town of Gallim. We are told in 1 Samuel 18:20 that Michal loved David. As a royal princess and a girl of high social status, she was expected to make a marriage that was advantageous to her family and the State. Because of this, she never has children (2 Samuel 6:23). This faith is what helped him overcome incredible odds, such as when he single-handedly defeated the giant Goliath. For Saul thought, "Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.". And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. To his credit, David put worshipping God first. He knew that his daughter Michal loved David. Of course David saw through Sauls ploy, but accepted the challenge anyway. Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. . Michals courage and sense of duty toward both her faith and family provides a valuable example of what it looks like to put our trust in God and prioritize his desires above our own. (Q)Before the time had expired, 27David arose and went, (R)along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. He married at least seven other womenAhinoam, Abigail, Maachah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, and Bathsheba. 1 Samuel 3:14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. Answer Michal was the younger daughter of King Saul and is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 14:49. Does 2 Samuel 12:8 mean God approved of Davids polygamy? Ahinoam may not be a name that rings any bells. Because King David did nothing about Tamars rape, Absalom decided to take matters into his own hands. They returned to Saul and told him what Michal had said. Michal knew this would happen, so she warned him to flee. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. In this way, Saul thought that he would use the Philistines to kill David. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In this article, well dive into her life, her sons, and what we can learn from her. When Michal married David, she deeply loved him, and Saul knew that he could not manipulate her to harm David. The next time we hear of Michal, the Ark of the Covenant, which had been in the hands of the Philistines, was restored to Israel. I will let you marry her. That is the reason they eventually married. The Bible doesnt let us glimpse that. Because this is the only time in the whole Bible that a woman is described as loving a man. We are told in 1 Samuel 18:20 that Michal loved David. However, a few years later, upon hearing of Davids death, she returned to Jerusalem and told King Solomon of her marriage to Palti. With that in mind, what can we learn from this woman? With much of the focus on these wives sons, these women can fade into the narratives backgrounds. Michal, King Saul's daughter. Michal was instrumental in helping David escape from King Saul. Its not completely out of the realm of possibility that he had married Sauls wife when Saul diedsomething not uncommon for kings of nations at the time. Saul gave his daughter, Michal, to Palti because of Sauls deteriorating relationship with Michals husband, David. Then Abigail returned home to a drunken husband who was holding a great feast. David Marries Michal - Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder daughter Merab. Save on BibleGateway+ with code FAITH. Astle, Cynthia. When Saul died, Michal remained loyal to her husband, and they remained together until he became King. Eventually, however, she was reunited with David after being won back in a duel with the Philistine champion. Ahinoam was murdered by his half-brother Absalom. We never get to see the character of Ahinoam. You should now marry the king's daughter., 23Saul's servants said this to David. I have seen this gathering sorrow from time long past / Loom upon Oedipus' children: generation from generation / Takes the compulsive rage of the enemy god . 1 Samuel 18:27 (NASB). Can we learn anything from her difficult story? God removed His blessing from Saul and chose a young David to be the next king of Israel (though it would be many years before he would make it to the throne). David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse, Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural, Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular, Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct, To give, away in marriage, to contract affinity by marriage, Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites, Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular. The battle is the stuff of legends. Her older sister was Mereb. He later leads a coup against King David and ends up killed himself. She told the envoy that David was sick and couldn't go to her father. Because of this, she reproached him, and David responded that it was due to his faith in the Lord and thus succeeded in angering her. David Marries Saul's Daughter. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Michal not only outwitted and delayed the messengers, but afterward also soothed her fathers jealous wrath. How smart of Michal not to add to King Sauls anger by implying that she was a traitor to her father. Her future was dictated by her status. Every time that they fought, David won more fights than any of Saul's other officers. In fact, it was quite the opposite. So Saul agreed to let David marry his daughter Michal. Saul was chosen because at the time, the Israelites were not satisfied with anything less than a warrior king leader like other countries. David repented and Psalm 51 records his repentance. In the procession accompanying the Ark, David cavorted and leapt in a most unkingly way, dressed only in a lightweight linen loincloth. But she also was a woman with great resentment that she was not in control of her circumstances. We first encounter Ahinoam in Scripture in 1 Samuel 25:43 immediately after David marries Abigail. This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. The most important message of David is the power of faith and the importance of cultivating a deep relationship with God. Saul was really thinking, "Now I won't have to kill David. He can pay for her with the foreskins of 100 dead Philistines. Michal, Sauls daughter and Davids wife, helped with Davids escape by creating a plan. The rest of the chapter describes an avalanche of sins that follow in an attempt to cover up Davids adultery. Saul gave Michal to David, and she saved his life. Is polygamy supported by 1 Corinthians 7:2. Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. Michal was deeply in love with David and was deeply dismayed by this. Michal was calm. Furious, Michal later rebuked David for his behavior, accusing him of showing off his sexuality just so women would look at him. 2 Samuel 6:16 (NASB). Rabbis in the Midrash and Aggadah discuss two different versions of events: one in which Merab marries David, and one where she marries Adriel. But he forgot that our God sees everything that is done in secret (Matthew 6:4, 6) . David was the youngest son of Jesse from the tribe of Judah. Who helped David to escape from King Saul . Initially, she aided him in his escape from her father Saul who, due to Sauls jealous pursuit of David, was attempting to take Davids life. Michals story can be found in the biblical book of 1 Samuel. But David did not feel worthy to be Sauls son-in-law, so Saul gave Merab away to someone else. Then, answer the questions that follow. Thus she put the onus for David's escape back on her father. Dont get me wrong, Amnon was a horrible person who committed horrible acts. Sauls hopes of David falling by the hand of the Philistines is once again thwarted because David killed 200 Philistines and gave double the agreed-upon dowry. But Michal was jubilant. But Scripture tells us that he had other wives plus a number of unknown concubines. Rather than be taken alive to be tortured and made brutal sport of by the Philistines, Saul fell on his own sword. Why Is it Important to Remember That Jesus Was Jewish? The Bible is full of women who have lost their children. Because Saul couldnt just be happy for his youngest daughters affection for David, he promised her in marriage to David, thinking, I will give her to himso that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him (1 Samuel 18:21). What does the Bible say? But there is one son that stands out in the biblical narrative: Amnon. Finally, the collection of so many foreskins would demonstrate Israel's military strength to its neighbors. The months passed, and then possiblyyears, and there was no word from him. It would be hard to believe that Sauls wife would leave him to marry a renegade. As a royal princess and a girl of high social status, she was expected to make a marriage that was advantageous to her family and the State. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord's battles." For Saul thought, "I'll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself." So much bloodshed happens, and they likely were victims rather than perpetrators. Michal was the wife who found herself in the kind of family feud that many women face, except that Michal's family feud was on a scale that determined the future of Israel. She married him during his seven-year exile. David's first wife was Michal, the daughter of King Saul. David, who was working as a musician for King Saul, asked to go out and fight the giant Philistine warrior who dared to come against the army of the living God. Michal Helped David Survive to Become King. Then 1 Chronicles 3:9 adds this, All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister. And sometimes, bad parenting plays a role. Wall engraving of a Philistine warrior, from Medinet Habu. However, Saul eventually gave Merab to Adriel, the son of Barzillai the Meholathite as a wife. This text tells that David led a procession to bring the Ark of the Covenant, containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, to Jerusalem. Pretty upstanding guy, huh? 26Saul's servants told David what Saul wanted. That is sometimes true in the eyes of the world, but in the eyes of God, those who love Him and do what is right receive Gods favor. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another. (Psalm 75:67, KJV) Be faithful to God in whatever He has given you to dowhether it is tending sheep, caring for children, repairing cars, cleaning houses, leading a Bible study, fighting battles, or anything else. And Michal . King Davids eighth wife is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, and the widow of Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11:3). Perhaps it cut him to the heart that she, his first wife and love, who had saved his life, couldnt see how important it was to celebrate unashamedly before the Arks return. The Philistines will do that." 18 But David answered Saul, saying, "Who am I? The child eventually died (2 Samuel 12:15-23). Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by Davids wife Eglah. Wives of King David How many wives did David have? Now then become the king's son-in-law. 23And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. But one of King Davids young men told Abigail what David had planned to do to her husband (v. 14-17). When somebody told Saul about this, he was very happy. The Lord was with David throughout his life, giving him an incredible opportunity to show the power of a man after Gods own heart.. Saul wants David to punish his enemies.. Michals story provides an example of the importance of remaining faithful to Gods plan and adhering to his commands, even if this requires us to make difficult choices. Amnon had to have been in his twenties when Absalom killed him. Michals story in the bible conveys a message of faithfulness and bravery in the face of hardships, and reminds us that God is with us in difficult times. Meanwhile, Michal would cover for David and she sent servants out to inform David when Saul had left the palace. 30The Philistine army continued to march out and attack the Israelites. Assuming tradition is correct, she was loyal to him after he left, not sleeping with the man her father forced her to marry. De Agostini / Biblioteca Ambrosiana / Getty Images. 19 So when the time came for David to marry Saul's daughter, Saul let her marry Adriel from Meholah. Saul was sure that David would be killed attempting such a monumental task, thus removing a strong rival to Saul's kingship. Bible Study Resource for Women in the Bible: Michal, David, and Saul, a terrifying Philistine soldier called Goliath. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart (2 Samuel 6:16). We should mention that biblical scholars differ in whether David married Sauls Ahinoam or a completely different Ahinoam. Davids story is an example of what it looks like to live a life of faith and dependence on God, no matter what is happening in the external world. Michal saved Davids life by helping him escape the court of her father, King Saul, who had become increasingly hostile and violent towards David. When the soldiers hammered on the door, demanding that she produce David, she confronted them and said that David was ill, upstairs in her bed. Then she fooled her father's envoy by putting a statue of a household idol called a "teraphim" under a blanket on a bed, topping it with a net of goat's hair. Aghast, Michal watched this spectacle from her window. Only then did he relinquish her. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Access 50+ premium resources. Michal was the younger daughter of King Saul. The order of the names may imply that Ahinoam was a preferred wife over Abigail since every time the wives are mentioned in Scripture Ahinoam is listed first (1 Samuel 30:5; 2 Samuel 2:2; 1 Chronicles 3:1). Michal, standing at the window of the palace, saw him behaving in a way that might titillate a serving women, but was certainly not the regal behaviour of a king. 30(V)Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out (W)David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. Yet nothing is recorded of Michal's feelings in the matter, an omission that footnotes in The Jewish Study Bible say indicates her marriage to David had been solely a political alliance. Updated on March 25, 2018 David's first marriage to Michal (pronounced "Michael"), the younger daughter of his rival, King Saul, was a political alliance that scholars still debate. When Nabal heard the news, it affected his heart. David may have taken her back for political reasons (regaining Sauls daughter as his wife cementing his position as Sauls successor) or because he wanted her back. But King David was not her first husband either. Some biblical experts claim that Michal was David's favorite wife, while others insist that her loyalty to her father blighted the marriage of Michal and David. He can pay for her with the foreskins of 100 dead Philistines. Michals second husband was named Palti ben Laish. While Saul was king and decided to kill David, Michal helped David escape Saul (1 Samuel 19:11-13). King David's first wife was Michal. King Solomon then sent for Palti and reunited him with Michal. Does God approve of polygamy? Saul knew that Michal loved David, and that she would take his side against her own father. By implication she was without love or sexual happiness until her death.
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did david marry saul's daughter
