David and Michal
By James Donahue
When we think of King David we remember his torrid romance with Bathsheba. But few remember that David had at least eight wives and possibly more. The eight are mentioned, but only three wives played a prominent role in the Old Testament Bible story. They were his first wife, Michal, daughter of King Saul; Abigail the daughter of Nabal; and of course, Bathsheba, the wife of one of the soldiers in David’s army.
David’s romance with Michal is described in 1 Samuel. It seems that both Michal and her sister, Merab had their eyes on David as a potential husband but David chose Michal. King Saul agreed to reward David with Michal’s hand if he could produce a dowry of 100 foreskins of Philistine soldiers. David enthusiastically did one better:
“David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.” 1 Samuel 18:27.
The plot thickens after this, however. Saul was a jealous man who eventually worried about David’s growing popularity among the people in his kingdom. So he plotted David’s murder. Michal discovered the plot, warned David and helped him escape. In his anger Saul gave Michal away to another man. This, of course, led to an overthrow of Saul’s kingdom. Thus David became King of the Israeli nation. He claimed Michal once more as his wife.
Such was the strange relationship that existed between kings and their servants, and the men and their wives in that time period. The wives were treated as property and could be traded for good deeds done.
By James Donahue
When we think of King David we remember his torrid romance with Bathsheba. But few remember that David had at least eight wives and possibly more. The eight are mentioned, but only three wives played a prominent role in the Old Testament Bible story. They were his first wife, Michal, daughter of King Saul; Abigail the daughter of Nabal; and of course, Bathsheba, the wife of one of the soldiers in David’s army.
David’s romance with Michal is described in 1 Samuel. It seems that both Michal and her sister, Merab had their eyes on David as a potential husband but David chose Michal. King Saul agreed to reward David with Michal’s hand if he could produce a dowry of 100 foreskins of Philistine soldiers. David enthusiastically did one better:
“David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.” 1 Samuel 18:27.
The plot thickens after this, however. Saul was a jealous man who eventually worried about David’s growing popularity among the people in his kingdom. So he plotted David’s murder. Michal discovered the plot, warned David and helped him escape. In his anger Saul gave Michal away to another man. This, of course, led to an overthrow of Saul’s kingdom. Thus David became King of the Israeli nation. He claimed Michal once more as his wife.
Such was the strange relationship that existed between kings and their servants, and the men and their wives in that time period. The wives were treated as property and could be traded for good deeds done.