Michal

Michal

Two window scenes

1 Samuel 18
2 Samuel 6
The narrative of Michal in Samuel includes two window scenes.[1] In 1 Samuel 18, Michal helps David escape from Saul by letting him down through a window (top), while in 2 Samuel 6, Michal watches David dance before the ark (bottom).

Michal (Hebrew: מיכל‎) was a daughter of Saul, king of Israel, who loved and became the wife of David, (1 Samuel 18:20-27) who later became king of Judah, and later still of the united Kingdom of Israel.

Their story is recorded in the Book of Samuel. It is recorded that she chose the welfare of David over the wishes of her father. When Saul's messengers were searching for David in order to kill him, Michal secretly sent him away while pretending he was ill and laid up in bed. She let David down through a window and hid teraphim in his bed as a ruse. (1 Samuel 19:11-17)

Whilst David was hiding for his life, Saul gave Michal as a wife to Palti, son of Laish, and David took several other wives, including Abigail. (1 Samuel 25) Later when David became king of Judah and Ish-bosheth Michal's brother (and Saul's son) was king of Israel, David demanded her return to him, in return for peace between them. This Ish-bosheth did, despite the public protests of Palti.[2]

These events have raised moral issues within Judaism, especially in the context of the prohibition in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. On the one hand, some argue that it is prohibited to re-establish a marriage with a previous spouse who has subsequently remarried. On the other hand, other commentators explain that David had not divorced Michal at this point in time, but rather Saul acted to break their marriage by marrying her off to another without David's consent.[3] On that view, they were not technically divorced as David had not issued a writ of divorcement according to biblical law.

After Michal was back with David, she criticized David because he danced, partially unclothed out of spite of her and her new covering, as he brought the Ark of the Covenant to the newly-captured Jerusalem in a religious procession. (2 Samuel 6:14-22) Michal died barren and childless, as stated in 2 Samuel 6:23. Steven McKenzie, author of King David: A Biography, suggests that David prevented Michal and her other surviving relatives, such as Meribaal, from having children in order to extinguish the line of Saul and deny potential rivals to the throne.[4]

The appearance of contradiction concerning Michal dying childless appears in 2 Samuel 21:8 where there is mention of "the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul". However, the full phrase in 2 Samuel 21:8 is "the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite". Now, Merab, Michal's older sister, was the wife of Adriel (1 Samuel 18:19). These five sons were not birthed by Michal but were brought up or educated by Michal after Merab perhaps had died. Merab brought them forth, and Michal brought them up. [5]

Unlike Abigail and Bathsheba, Michal is not described as being beautiful, although according to Louis Ginzberg, the Rabbinic tradition is that she was of "entrancing beauty."[6]

Michal in poetry

  • The Israeli poet Ra'hel Bluwstein sees a parallel between herself and Michal:

"Like you I am sad, O Michal ... and like you doomed to love a man whom I despise." (Poem "Michal" in her book Flowers of Perhaps.)

"Michal"
“And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David
And she despised him in her heart”
Michal, distant sister, time’s thread has not been severed,
time’s thorns in your sad vineyard have not prevailed.
Still in my ear I hear the tinkling of your gold anklet,
the stripes in your silk garment have not paled.
Often I have seen you standing by your small window
pride and tenderness mingling in your eyes.
Like you I am sad, O Michal, distant sister, and like you doomed to
love a man whom I despise.
Or alternatively translated:
"Michal"
Though years divide, we’re sisters yet;
Your vineyard stands though weeds invade;
Still tinkle anklet, amulet;
Your red silk garment does not fade.
By a small window still you stand,
Proud but a death within your eyes.
My sister, I can understand –
Who also love whom I despise.
1927, Israel
Translated by Robert Friend

Use as a name

"Michal" was one of the Biblical names embraced by Zionism, very rarely found in pre-Zionist communities. It is a very common female first name in contemporary Israel. Michal is not a form of Michael, but possibly means "brook," or "stream."[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Ellen White, "Michal the Misinterpreted," JSOT 31.4 [2007] 451 – 464.
  2. ^ 2 Samuel 3:13-16
  3. ^ Though the Book of Deuteronomy attributes itself to the period of the Hebrews' Exodus from Egypt, many historians regard it as having been actually written during the late monarchy. David's appearing to be oblivious to the prohibition laid down in it seems additional evidence in support of such theories.
  4. ^ Steven McKenzie, Associate Professor, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee
  5. ^ See John Gill commentary on 2 Samuel 21
  6. ^ Louis Ginzberg, The Family of David in The Legends of the Jews, Vol. 4.
  7. ^ http://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?nmd=n&terms=michal&submit=Go

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Michał — Michal ist eine Variante des männlichen Vornamens Michael, kommt aber auch als weiblicher Vorname vor. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Herkunft und Bedeutung 2 Bekannte Namensträger 2.1 Michal 2.2 Michał 3 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • MICHAL — (Heb. מִיכַל), the youngest daughter of King saul (Sam. 14:49), who loved david and was given to him in marriage after he had killed 200 Philistines (in the Septuagint – 100). Michal s father had insisted on this as the condition for the marriage …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Michal — ist eine im Tanach, der hebräischen Bibel, erwähnte Frau. Sie war die jüngste Tochter des israelitischen Königs Saul. Sie verliebte sich bald, nachdem David Goliath getötet hatte, in den Schafhirten. Saul willigte nur mit Widerwillen ein, da er… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Michal — est un prénom féminin. Pour son équivalent masculin, reportez vous à Michael. Michal aide le jeune David à s échapper dans I Samuel 19 12 (gravure de Gustave Doré, 1865) Michal, parfois orthographié Michol, Mical ou Mikal, (en hébreu: מיכל) était …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Michał — may refer to: Michał Życzkowski (1930 2006), Polish technician Michał Drzymała (1857 1937), Polish rebel Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł (1778 1850), Polish noble See also Michel (disambiguation) Michael This page or section lists pe …   Wikipedia

  • Michal Áč — Personal information Full name Michal Áč Date of birth 17 May 1985 (1985 05 17 …   Wikipedia

  • Michal — f Biblical name (meaning ‘brook’ in Hebrew) borne by a daughter of Saul who married King David. It is probably through confusion with this name that MICHAEL (SEE Michael) has occasionally been used as a female given name in the English speaking… …   First names dictionary

  • Michal — noun A daughter of Saul and wife of David. And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Sauls daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart …   Wiktionary

  • Michal —    Rivulet, or who as God?, the younger of Saul s two daughters by his wife Ahinoam (1 Sam. 14:49, 50). Attracted by the graces of his person and the gallantry of his conduct, she fell in love with David and became his wife (18:20 28). She showed …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Michal — This is a European medieval surname of Crusader, but ultimately biblical origins. Deriving from the ancient Hebrew name Micha el meaning He who is like god , it was introduced from the Holy Land by returning warriors from the various Crusades… …   Surnames reference

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”