Did Michal have children or not?

[Giuliano]

So what do you think? Did Michal have children or not?

2 Samuel 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

2 Samuel 21:8 But 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:

 

[Nancy]

So what do you think? Did Michal have children or not?

2 Samuel 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

2 Samuel 21:8 But 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:

Wow, good catch! Hmm...wonder if that was a typo?? But, it is pretty specifically written. I'll be checking this thread out!

 

[Nancy]

So what do you think? Did Michal have children or not?

2 Samuel 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

2 Samuel 21:8 But 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:

Maybe she only raised the 5 sons, and did not birth them?
"whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite"
I just Googled this subject and came up with this scenario.

 

[Giuliano]

Maybe she only raised the 5 sons, and did not birth them?
"whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite"
I just Googled this subject and came up with this scenario.

That is a Jewish interpretation, based on their traditional understanding of it. Rashi said that children often called the person who reared them mother or father even if they weren't biologically their parents. Merab was probably their biological mother and Michal reared them after her sister died.

I find it wonderful when people said Naomi had another child after her two sons died.

Ruth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

 

[CharismaticLady]

So what do you think? Did Michal have children or not?

2 Samuel 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

2 Samuel 21:8 But 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:

From the time of her contempt of David, she was struck barren.

I found another mind-boggler here. Look at Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan. Was he spared, or put to death???

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the Lord. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

 

[Deborah_]

So what do you think? Did Michal have children or not?

2 Samuel 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

2 Samuel 21:8 But 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:

Michal was never married to Adriel - it was her older sister Merab who married him (see I Samuel 18:19) So they were Merab's biological children, not Michal's.

I found another mind-boggler here. Look at Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan. Was he spared, or put to death???

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the Lord. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

Simple explanation - there was more than one man called Mephibosheth. The Mephibosheth who was put to death here was not Jonathan's son but Jonathan's half-brother. (Rizpah was not Saul's wife but his concubine - see II Samuel 3:7)

 

[CharismaticLady]

Michal was never married to Adriel - it was her older sister Merab who married him (see I Samuel 18:19) So they were Merab's biological children, not Michal's.



Simple explanation - there was more than one man called Mephibosheth. The Mephibosheth who was put to death here was not Jonathan's son but Jonathan's half-brother. (Rizpah was not Saul's wife but his concubine - see II Samuel 3:7)

Have you found out the name of Jonathan's wife who bore Mephibosheth? I haven't found it.

 

[Giuliano]

From the time of her contempt of David, she was struck barren.

I found another mind-boggler here. Look at Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan. Was he spared, or put to death???

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the Lord. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

There could be another explanation.

Perhaps David did not order Mephibosheth to be harmed but turned him over to people who did. Remember how David dealt with Shimei? It could be like that.

1 Kings 2:8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

 

[Giuliano]

There is another passage about a "mother" which isn't as clear as it may seem at first glance.

Genesis 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Was this fulfilled when Jacob and the rest of his family moved to Egypt where Joseph was second in power? How so when Rachel had died giving birth to Benjamin?

 

[CharismaticLady]

There could be another explanation.

Perhaps David did not order Mephibosheth to be harmed but turned him over to people who did. Remember how David dealt with Shimei? It could be like that.

1 Kings 2:8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

Interesting thought!