Adriel

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: A By: George A. Morrish

• 1 min. read • grade level: 13

Son of Barzillai, the Meholathite to whom Merab, Saul’s daughter, was given to wife, after having been promised to David (1 Sam. 18:19¹⁹But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. (1 Samuel 18:19)). She bare Adriel five sons, and these were given up to death to avenge the Gibeonites because Saul had slain some of them. In 2 Samuel 21:8⁸But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: (2 Samuel 21:8) these are said to be the “sons of Michal [or Michal’s sister, margin] the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel.” These were doubtless the sons of Merab and not of Michal: translators are agreed that it should be translated “bare to Adriel,” as it reads in the margin, and not “brought up.” It seems therefore most probable that the name Michal is here the mistake of an early copyist, and the passage should read, “the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bare unto Adriel”; or it might originally have stood, “the five sons of the daughter of Saul whom she bare to Adriel,” and someone unadvisedly added Michal in the margin which afterward found its way into the text.