Merab (Saul's daughter)
King Saul's eldest daughter
Merab was King Saul's eldest daughter, who was first promised to David as a wife after his victory over Goliath. However, Saul broke the promise and gave her instead to Adriel from Meholah. Her five sons were later executed by the Gibeonites in revenge for Saul's actions.
Familie
Schlüsselereignisse
Promised to David
After David's victory over Goliath, Saul promised him his eldest daughter Merab as a wife as a reward.
25The Israelites had been saying, "Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel."
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַרְּאִיתֶם֙ הָאִ֤ישׁ הָֽעֹלֶה֙ הַזֶּ֔ה כִּ֛י לְחָרֵ֥ף אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֹלֶ֑ה וְֽ֠הָיָה הָאִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יַכֶּ֜נּוּ יַעְשְׁרֶ֥נּוּ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ׀ עֹ֣שֶׁר גָּד֗וֹל וְאֶת־בִּתּוֹ֙ יִתֶּן־ל֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔יו יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה חָפְשִׁ֖י בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Saul breaks the promise
Saul gave Merab to Adriel of Meholah instead of giving her to David, even though he had promised her to David.
17Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife; only serve me bravely and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "I will not lay a hand on him; let the hand of the Philistines be on him."
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד הִנֵּה֩ בִתִּ֨י הַגְּדוֹלָ֤ה מֵרַב֙ אֹתָהּ֙ אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ךְ הֱיֵה־לִּ֣י לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם מִלְחֲמ֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה וְשָׁא֣וּל אָמַ֗ר אַל־תְּהִ֤י יָדִי֙ בּ֔וֹ וּתְהִי־ב֖וֹ יַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ ס
18But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family, my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־שָׁא֗וּל מִ֤י אָֽנֹכִי֙ וּמִ֣י חַיַּ֔י מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת אָבִ֖י בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־אֶהְיֶ֥ה חָתָ֖ן לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
19So when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah instead.
וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֵ֥[t]ת תֵּ֛ת אֶת־מֵרַ֥ב בַּת־שָׁא֖וּל לְדָוִ֑ד וְהִ֧יא נִתְּנָ֛ה לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל הַמְּחֹלָתִ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
Her Sons Are Handed Over
Merab's five sons with Adriel were handed over to the Gibeonites by King David to atone for Saul's bloodguilt against them.
8So the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul—Armoni and Mephibosheth—and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. [^1]
[^1]: The Hebrew text reads *Michal*; since Adriel married Saul's daughter Merab (1 Samuel 18:19) and Michal had no children (2 Samuel 6:23), some ancient manuscripts and many interpreters read *Merab* here.
וַיִּקַּ֣ח הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֶת־שְׁ֠נֵי בְּנֵ֨י רִצְפָּ֤ה בַת־אַיָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָלְדָ֣ה לְשָׁא֔וּל אֶת־אַרְמֹנִ֖י וְאֶת־מְפִבֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֶת־חֲמֵ֗שֶׁת בְּנֵי֙ מִיכַ֣ל בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֛ה לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל בֶּן־בַּרְזִלַּ֖י הַמְּחֹלָתִֽי׃
9He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם בְּיַ֣ד הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים וַיֹּקִיעֻ֤ם בָּהָר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיִּפְּל֥וּ *שבעתים **שְׁבַעְתָּ֖ם יָ֑חַד *והם **וְהֵ֨מָּה הֻמְת֜וּ בִּימֵ֤י קָצִיר֙ בָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים *תחלת **בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת קְצִ֥יר שְׂעֹרִֽים׃