1 Samuel 25 44

1 Samuel 25:44 kjv

But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

1 Samuel 25:44 nkjv

But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

1 Samuel 25:44 niv

But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

1 Samuel 25:44 esv

Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

1 Samuel 25:44 nlt

Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish.

1 Samuel 25 verses

1 Samuel 25 44 Meaning

1 Samuel 25:44 states that King Saul unilaterally dissolved the legitimate marriage between his daughter Michal and David, giving her instead to a man named Palti, son of Laish, from Gallim. This act was a deliberate and hostile political maneuver by Saul, aimed at further distancing David from the royal house, undermining his legitimacy, and humiliating him, rather than being a biblically sanctioned divorce. It reflects Saul's deep-seated enmity and fear of David, attempting to strip David of any claim to royal lineage through Michal and her children.

1 Samuel 25 44 Context

This verse is situated in 1 Samuel chapter 25, a crucial point in the narrative where David is still a fugitive fleeing King Saul's relentless pursuit. Chapter 25 notably features the story of David, Abigail, and Nabal. Immediately prior to verse 44, David marries Abigail and Ahinoam, adding to his growing list of wives. However, David's original royal marriage to Michal, Saul's daughter, still existed legally from David's perspective, though physically separated due to Saul's hostility. Saul's action described in 1 Samuel 25:44 takes place amidst this backdrop of intense rivalry and Saul's deteriorating mental state and spiritual decline. The historical and cultural context underscores the importance of marriage alliances, especially between royalty, for legitimizing claims to power. Saul's "giving" Michal to Palti was a calculated act to disavow David's connection to the royal lineage, despite the covenant nature of marriage and the implications for legitimate succession.

1 Samuel 25 44 Word analysis

• But: Signals a contrast or transition from the preceding events, particularly David taking new wives (1 Sam 25:42-43). It highlights Saul's distinct and opposing action.

• Saul: The reigning King of Israel, who at this point is acting from a position of profound envy and paranoia towards David. His authority here is misused to defy God's ultimate plan for succession.

• had given (Hebrew: natan): The verb implies a transfer of possession, a unilateral action. It signifies a forceful, arbitrary disposition of Michal as if she were property, not a person in a sacred covenant. This action explicitly attempts to nullify the previous marriage arrangement which was intended to trap David (1 Sam 18:20-27).

• Michal: Daughter of King Saul and David's first wife. Her name (Hebrew: Mikal) means "Who is like God?". Her identity is complex – royalty by birth, David's legitimate wife, and later a political pawn. Her fate reflects her lack of agency in the patriarchal society and political schemes.

• his daughter: Reinforces Saul's paternal authority, which he exploits. This makes his act doubly transgressive – abusing both royal power and paternal rights.

• David's wife: This phrase is key. It unequivocally states her ongoing, legitimate marital status to David, making Saul's act a profound violation of their established covenant. Saul's action did not nullify the marriage in God's eyes or David's.

• to Palti: The recipient of Saul's forceful transfer. His name (Hebrew: Palti) means "my deliverance" or "my escape." This might ironically reflect Saul's misguided hope that this act would "deliver" him from the threat of David.

• the son of Laish: A genealogical marker for Palti. Laish (Hebrew: Layish) means "lion." It’s an identifier for Palti, possibly without specific symbolic significance beyond identification.

• who was from Gallim: Locates Palti's origin. Gallim was likely a small village north of Jerusalem, possibly indicating Palti's relative obscurity and making him a convenient, easily controlled pawn for Saul. This adds to the specific historical detail of the narrative.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "But Saul had given Michal...David's wife": This phrase encapsulates Saul's active defiance against David. It highlights his deliberate rupture of a family tie that bound David to the royal house, symbolizing Saul's continued attempts to disinherit and disgrace David.
  • "Michal his daughter, David's wife": The dual descriptor emphasizes the inherent conflict in her status. She is bound to two powerful men through different relationships, one familial (father), one marital (husband), creating a painful and exploited position for her. Saul's choice violates both kinship and marital bonds.
  • "to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim": This details the destination of Michal's forced transfer, emphasizing the specific and calculated nature of Saul's move. Palti is presented as a minor figure, implying Michal was merely "handed over" to whoever Saul deemed fit, further trivializing her sacred marital bond.

1 Samuel 25 44 Bonus section

The subsequent return of Michal to David in 2 Samuel 3:13-16 highlights David's perception of the validity of their original marriage despite Saul's interference. David's demand for her return before he would treat with Abner (Saul's general) underscores the political and dynastic significance of their union. He did not seek her out of pure romantic love (as he had other wives by then), but because it was a matter of legitimate claim to Saul's house and ultimately, the throne. Michal's return to David and later barrenness (2 Sam 6:23) adds a poignant and tragic dimension to her story, often seen by commentators as a reflection of her internal alienation or God's judgment, potentially for her critical attitude towards David's uninhibited worship, or as a consequence of the fragmented existence she was forced to lead, symbolizing the fractured relationship between the house of Saul and David. This verse encapsulates the disregard for personal vows and the tragic cost of political manipulation on individuals within the narrative of Israel's royal transition.

1 Samuel 25 44 Commentary

1 Samuel 25:44 succinctly reveals Saul's entrenched bitterness and his desperate attempts to cling to power by any means necessary, even violating established marriage covenants. By giving Michal, David's legitimate wife, to Palti, Saul publicly disavowed David's status as a son-in-law and symbolically stripped him of any claim to the throne through Saul's lineage. This act was not a lawful divorce, but an exercise of tyrannical power, highlighting Saul's increasing alienation from God's ways and his descent into spiritual darkness. It foreshadows the later, forced reunification of David and Michal in 2 Samuel 3:13-16, a crucial act that re-established David's ties to the house of Saul and solidified his claim to the throne in the eyes of many. The verse demonstrates how human schemes to thwart God's plans are ultimately futile.