2 Samuel 3:14 kjv
And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
2 Samuel 3:14 nkjv
So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."
2 Samuel 3:14 niv
Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins."
2 Samuel 3:14 esv
Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."
2 Samuel 3:14 nlt
David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul's son: "Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of 100 Philistines."
2 Samuel 3 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 18:20-21 | And Saul's daughter Michal loved David... Saul thought, "Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare to him... " | Saul plots against David, offers Michal as bait. |
| 1 Sam 18:25-27 | Then Saul said, "Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines...' And David went out... and brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. | David's original bride-price and marriage to Michal. |
| 1 Sam 25:44 | Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti... | Saul's act of giving Michal to another man, invalidating David's claim in some views. |
| 2 Sam 2:8-10 | But Abner... made Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son, king... he was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. | Ish-Bosheth's kingship over northern tribes. |
| 2 Sam 3:13 | And David said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I ask of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me.” | David's direct prerequisite for Abner. |
| 2 Sam 3:15-16 | So Ish-Bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping as he went. | Michal's immediate return to David and Paltiel's grief. |
| 2 Sam 6:16 | As the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord... she despised him in her heart. | Michal's later disdain for David. |
| 2 Sam 6:20-23 | Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no child to the day of her death. | Michal's barrenness as consequence of her attitude. |
| 2 Sam 5:1-3 | Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron... and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. | David's anointing as king over all Israel, post-Michal's return. |
| Deut 17:17 | Neither shall he acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away... | Law regarding kings and multiple wives. |
| Gen 29:18-28 | Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." ... Jacob served seven years for Rachel... and so he married Rachel also. | Example of bride price (service) for marriage. |
| Exod 22:16-17 | If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the dowry for her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins. | Law concerning dowry/bride price (mohar). |
| 1 Sam 17:26 | For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? | Foreskins of Philistines emphasizing them as enemies, contrasted with God's people. |
| Gen 17:10-14 | This is My covenant which you shall keep... Every male child among you shall be circumcised... | Significance of circumcision in the Abrahamic covenant. |
| 1 Chr 12:23 | These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. | Tribes aligning with David, fulfilling God's plan. |
| 1 Sam 15:28 | The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. | God's rejection of Saul and choice of David. |
| 2 Sam 16:20-22 | Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give counsel as to what we should do." ... So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. | Claiming a predecessor's women symbolized succession to throne. |
| Isa 11:1-2 | There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him... | Prophecy of the Messiah from David's lineage. |
| Jer 23:5-6 | "Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely..." | Messianic promise tied to Davidic lineage, reinforcing his importance. |
| Zech 12:7-8 | "The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not be exalted above Judah. In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem... | Reference to the enduring House of David. |
2 Samuel 3 verses
2 Samuel 3 14 Meaning
David's demand in 2 Samuel 3:14 is a calculated political and personal act, asserting his rightful claim to Michal, the daughter of King Saul. This move was crucial for his consolidation of power, as Michal was his legitimate wife by an extraordinary bride-price (one hundred Philistine foreskins, which David delivered). By bringing Michal back from Ish-Bosheth (Saul's son and current nominal king), David not only reclaimed his spouse but also solidified his genealogical link to the house of Saul, reinforcing his legitimacy as the rightful heir and future king over all Israel during the fragile period of divided rule. It was a formal diplomatic request aimed at unifying the divided kingdom.
2 Samuel 3 14 Context
2 Samuel chapter 3 marks a pivotal moment in the transition of power from the house of Saul to David's kingship over all Israel. Following Saul's death and David's anointing as king over Judah (2 Sam 2:4), Israel remains divided, with Ish-Bosheth (Saul's son) reigning as nominal king over the northern tribes, heavily reliant on his military commander, Abner. The narrative in chapter 3 highlights Abner's growing disenchantment with Ish-Bosheth and his decision to shift allegiance to David. David seizes this opportunity for a full unification, but on his own terms. His demand for Michal's return in verse 14, following his request to Abner in verse 13, is therefore not merely a personal desire, but a calculated political maneuver to legitimate his claim to the broader kingdom. By reclaiming Michal, the daughter of the previous king, David reinforced his rightful dynastic connection and presented himself as the continuous legitimate ruler, not a usurper, facilitating a smooth transition of national allegiance to himself.
2 Samuel 3 14 Word analysis
- Then David (דָּוִד - David): The one already anointed king over Judah in Hebron. His action here is as the emerging dominant political figure, acting strategically to consolidate his claim over all Israel. This emphasizes his agency and determination.
- sent messengers (וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים - vayyishlach mal'akhim): Signifies a formal, diplomatic act. Messengers carried authority and often peace offerings or demands, indicating serious intent. This was not a private request but a public statement.
- to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul (אֶל-אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן-שָׁאוּל - el-Ish Boshet ben Sha'ul): Ish-Bosheth (originally Eshbaal, "man of Baal," later changed to "man of shame") was Saul's remaining son and the current titular king of the northern tribes. David is directing his demand to the reigning authority, though weak, recognizing the formal power structure still in place, while subtly undermining it. His recognition of Ish-Bosheth implies the continuation of the kingdom structure.
- saying, ‘Give me (תְּנָה לִּי - tnah li): A direct, imperative demand, indicating a firm insistence on a right, not a plea. It establishes David's authority and expectation of compliance.
- my wife Michal (אֶת-אִישְׁתִּי מִיכַל - et-ishtiy Mikhal): "My wife" asserts the continuing legality and personal claim David held, despite Saul having given her to Palti/Paltiel. Michal, daughter of King Saul, was vital to David's claim to the throne of Israel, symbolizing his direct lineage connection to the former royal house and signifying political legitimacy in addition to any personal affection.
- whom I betrothed to myself (אֲשֶׁר אֵרַשְׂתִּי לִי - asher eras'ti li): "Betrothed" (אָרַשׂ - aras) refers to the formal, legally binding act of engagement that in ancient Israel was virtually equivalent to marriage, only needing the woman to be taken into the husband's house to be complete. David emphasizes his legal right from the original agreement.
- for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines (בְּמֵאָה עָרְלוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים - be'me'ah arlot P'lishtim): This extraordinary, gruesome "bride-price" (מֹהַר - mohar) fulfilled by David (1 Sam 18:25-27) was a condition set by Saul to get David killed by the Philistines. David's success not only met but exceeded the demand, providing overwhelming proof of his prowess, divine favor, and the validity of his marriage covenant. It emphasizes the extraordinary effort David made and the risk he took, further solidifying his claim. The Philistines, uncircumcised and defiling, are degraded by the very act, reflecting Israel's victory over them.
- "David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth": This is a formal, diplomatic interaction between two claimants to the throne of Israel, not a private plea. It signifies David’s move to establish terms for unification, asserting his rightful position.
- "my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself": This phrase underlines David's absolute and continuous legal claim to Michal, challenging Saul's subsequent giving of Michal to another man. It highlights the importance of covenantal agreements in their society.
- "for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines": This specifies the unique and fulfilled bride-price. It serves as irrefutable evidence of David's immense courage, military skill, divine favor (surviving Saul's trap), and thus, the legitimate foundation of his marriage, which then undergirds his claim to the throne of all Israel.
2 Samuel 3 14 Bonus section
Michal's name, "Mikhal" (מִיכַל), potentially meaning "Who is like God?" or "rivulet," offers a subtle irony; while David's actions align with God's anointing, Michal herself later demonstrates defiance against David's fervent worship (2 Sam 6:16-23). The change in Ish-Bosheth's name from "Eshbaal" ("man of Baal") to "Ish-Bosheth" ("man of shame") in the Masoretic Text highlights a theological cleansing by the Israelite scribes, avoiding associating the Lord's anointed with a pagan deity, reflecting the strict monotheistic leanings of the later editors. This incident underscores that in ancient Near Eastern royal successions, acquiring the women of the previous ruler (whether wives, concubines, or daughters) was often a recognized way to solidify one's claim to the throne, symbolizing the inheritance of the predecessor's authority and household. This demand for Michal's return, therefore, represents a complex interplay of personal history, legal precedent, political maneuvering, and prophetic fulfillment, demonstrating David's divinely ordained ascent.
2 Samuel 3 14 Commentary
2 Samuel 3:14 is a terse yet potent statement underscoring David's political acumen and his foundational right to the kingship of all Israel. His demand for Michal, his first legitimate wife, was far more than a personal reunion; it was a crucial strategic move. By recalling Saul's daughter, David not only legally reclaimed his marital covenant established under extreme circumstances, but more importantly, he symbolically absorbed the lineage of the previous dynasty. This action publicly cemented his link to the existing royal family, making him appear as the rightful successor rather than a mere challenger, which was essential for the smooth transition and unification of a divided kingdom. The grisly bride price of a hundred Philistine foreskins served as undeniable proof of his commitment, his military prowess, and the divine favor that protected him through Saul's deadly machinations. Michal thus became a pawn in a larger game of power and legitimacy, central to David's ultimate reign over a united Israel.