Reference: Adriel
American
A son of Barzillai, married Merab, daughter of Saul, who had been promised to David, 1Sa 18:19. Adriel had five sons by her, who were delivered up to the Gibeonites, to be put to death before the Lord, to avenge the cruelty of Saul their grandfather against the Gibeonites. In 2Sa 21:8, these are said to be the sons of Michal, whom she "brought up" for Adriel; but unless this is a copyist's error, Michal had adopted the children of her sister Merab, who was perhaps dead; or possibly both sisters may have borne the name Michal. Compare under ABIATHAR.
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Easton
flock of God, the son of Barzillai, the Meholathite, to whom Saul gave in marriage his daughter Merab (1Sa 18:19). The five sons that sprang from this union were put to death by the Gibeonites (2Sa 21:8-9. Here it is said that Michal "brought up" [R.V., "bare"] these five sons, either that she treated them as if she had been their own mother, or that for "Michal" we should read "Merab," as in 1Sa 18:19).
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Fausets
Son of Barzillai the Meholathite, to whom Saul gave Merab his daughter in marriage, previously promised to David (1Sa 18:19). Five sons from this union were of the seven slain as a blood satisfaction to the Gibeonites whose blood Saul had, in violation of Israel's covenant (Jos 9:15), shed. 2Sa 21:8; "Michal brought up for Adriel:" namely, Merab the mother died young, and her sister brought up her five nephews, as if she were their own mother. The Jewish targums favor this view. But as the Hebrew yalad means to bring forth or bear children, and Michal seems to have had no children (2Sa 6:23), perhaps Michal is a transcriber's error for Merab. Still the term "bare" (margin) may mark how completely Michal, evidently a woman of strong affections (1Sa 19:11-12; 2Sa 3:16), acted as a true mother to them.
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Hastings
Son of Barzillai, the Meholathite. He married Merab, the eldest daughter of Saul, who should have been given to David as the slayer of Goliath (1Sa 18:19; 2Sa 21:8 [in the latter 'Michal' is a mistake for 'Merab']).
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Morish
A'driel
Son of Barzillai, the Meholathite to whom Merab, Saul's daughter, was given to wife, after having been promised to David. 1Sa 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 2Sa 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 some one unadvisedly added Michal in the margin which afterwards found its way into the text.
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Smith
A'dri-el
(flock of God), son of Barzillai, to whom Saul gave his daughter Merab, although he had previously promised her to David.
(B.C. about 1062.) His five sons were amongst the seven descendants of Saul whom David surrendered to the Gibeonites.