Adriel is a minor but significant figure in the historical narratives of the King James Bible, known primarily for his marriage into the royal house of King Saul and the tragic fate of his children. His name, which means “flock of God” or “my help is God,” stands in poignant contrast to the circumstances surrounding his life.
Adriel: The Son-in-Law of King Saul
Adriel is first introduced in the book of 1 Samuel as the son of Barzillai the Meholathite, indicating his origins in the town of Abel-Meholah. His connection to the royal family of Israel was established under questionable circumstances engineered by the reigning King Saul.
A Marriage Born of Political Treachery
King Saul, growing increasingly jealous of David’s military success and popularity, sought to ensnare him through his own daughters. Saul had promised his eldest daughter, Merab, to David as a reward for his valor in fighting the Lord’s battles:
“And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.” (1 Samuel 18:17, KJV)
When the time came to fulfill his promise, Saul unexpectedly reneged on the agreement. Instead of giving Merab to David, she was given to Adriel:
“But 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, KJV)
Adriel thus became the husband of Merab, King Saul’s eldest daughter, as a direct result of Saul’s failed plot to have David killed in battle by the Philistines.
The Question of Michal’s Sons
Adriel and his wife Merab had five sons. However, a significant textual complexity surrounds the identification of their mother in the later account of the execution of Saul’s descendants:
“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:” (2 Samuel 21:8, KJV)
This verse seems to contradict another passage stating that Michal, Saul’s other daughter, “had no child unto the day of her death” (2 Samuel 6:23, KJV).
The Traditional Interpretation: The King James Version’s translation of 2 Samuel 21:8, which uses the phrase “whom she brought up for Adriel,” offers a traditional resolution to the apparent contradiction. This rendering suggests that Merab, Adriel’s actual wife, may have died young, and her sister Michal adopted her five nephews and raised them as her own. Thus, they were biologically the sons of Merab but were the foster-children of Michal. Many modern translations, following different textual traditions, resolve the issue by simply changing the name from Michal to Merab in 2 Samuel 21:8.
The Return Question: The Price of Covenant-Breaking
Adriel’s greatest significance lies in the historical drama of the atonement for Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites. Years after Saul’s death, a famine fell upon Israel, which the Lord revealed was due to “Saul and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites” (2 Samuel 21:1, KJV).
To atone for the covenant-breaking and bloodshed committed by Saul’s house, King David was required to surrender seven of Saul’s male descendants to the Gibeonites for execution. Among the victims of this terrible blood-vengeance were Adriel’s five sons:
- The five sons of Michal [or Merab], whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. (2 Samuel 21:8, KJV)
The tragic fate of Adriel’s children stands as a powerful testament to the severity of covenant transgression and the long-reaching consequences of unrighteous leadership. It foreshadows the ultimate justice that must be meted out for all sin, a justice that points to the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone could bear the punishment for the broken covenant and bring true reconciliation.