DOCSLIB.ORG

MICHAL, the BARREN WIFE Lillian R. Klein David's Procreativity Is Substantiated by the Sons He Fathers by Each of His Many Wives

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
MICHAL, the BARREN WIFE Lillian R. Klein David's Procreativity Is Substantiated by the Sons He Fathers by Each of His Many Wives MICHAL, THE BARREN WIFE Lillian R. K l e i n David's procreativity is substantiated by the sons he fathers by each of his many wives1—with the singular exception of his wife Michal, who remains childless 'to her dying day' (2 Sam. 6.23). It seems clear that the infertility in this instance lies with the woman, with Michal,2 but there still remains the significance of her infertility. In biblical texts women may be 'forgotten' by God, as Sarah is (Gen. 17.17),3 or they may fail to conceive because God favors another woman's con- ception, as Rachel is barren while her sister Leah repeatedly bears sons (Gen. 29.31). God usually remembers or rectifies his judgment, resulting in the woman's long-delayed and much-anticipated preg- nancy (e.g. Gen. 30.22). Michal, however, remains infertile to the end of her life. The singularity of Michal's marked identification as a child- less woman invites the reader to explore the sources and ramifications of her infertility.4 David is still a young man, as yet unmarried, and, as he puts it, 'a poor man of no consequence' (1 Sam. 18.23) when Saul offers his daughter Michal to him as wife. In fact, Michal is the second daughter Saul offers to David as wife. The daughter first offered, Merab, was the older, and—for no obvious reason—was instead given to another man. Michal, we recall, is 'given' to David by Saul, much as an object is given, and with the intention not of gaining a son-in-law but of dis- posing of David as a threat. In fact, Saul plots that Michal will serve as 1. Daughters, s u c h as Tamar, are mentioned o n l y as they appear in narrative texts. 2. Biblical texts do not admit to the possibility of male infertility among Israelites. 3. Sarah is 90 years old when she first conceives (Gen. 17.17). 4. Sarah (Gen. 11.30) is forgotten, and Rachel is neglected in favor of Leah Copyright © 2000. Sheffield Academic Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under Copyright © U.S. or applicable copyright law. (Gen. 29.31). Both women are later 'remembered'. Hannah (1 Sam. 2.21) gains pregnancEBSCO Publishingy by prayer : eBook. Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 12/3/2017 5:24 PM via EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIV AN: 378143 ; Brenner, Athalya.; A Feminist Companion to Samuel and Kings Account: s8356098 38 Samuel and Kings a 'snare7 to put David in a vulnerable position against the Philistines (1 Sam. 18.21). In effect, Saul gives Michal in marriage to David with the plan that David will be killed, thereby preventing the marriage. And when David and Michal do marry, Saul's intention is to widow his daughter, to kill his daughter's husband, whom she loves. Michal is thus caught in a triangle with her father and her husband, with Saul persecuting David out of jealousy. Saul's relationship to Michal is clearly less important to him than his jealousy of David. These mes- sages from father to daughter do not show love or esteem, and they surely impinge upon Michal's perception of herself. Furthermore, Michal is not described as 'beautiful' like two of David's other significant wives, Abigail and Bathsheba. Indeed, David is nowhere described as even being attracted to Michal. The text sug- gests he marries her for his advantage: 'David was pleased with becoming the king's son-in-law' (1 Sam. 18.26). On the other hand, Michal is twice reported as loving David (1 Sam. 18.20, 28).5 Michal's position is not difficult to infer. She has not received love and valida- tion from her father, and she is entering a similarly non-loving rela- tionship with David. Outwardly, Michal is in a privileged position. In a marriage in which Michal loves her husband but David presumably fulfills his conjugal duties without love, Michal may well confuse her social worth and prestige with love. It is conceivable that Michal's sense of her own worth is partially based on her position as daughter of the king; she could well have convinced himself that this handsome shep- herd/warrior is actually enamored of her. Inwardly—daughter-as-object, daughter less important to her father than revenge on a perceived enemy, daughter whose feelings are totally ignored—Michal is probably not emotionally secure. These cir- cumstances may contribute to Michal's loving David, a man socially beneath her, as she seeks love and esteem from a man. Saul the king 5. Adele Berlin attributes the 'notice that she loved David and that she made it known' to Michal's 'unfeminine traits', and suggests that David 'expresses more feelings of love and tenderness for the passive and submissive Jonathan than for the aggressive and physical Michal'; Adele Berlin, 'Characterization in Biblical Narrative: David's Wives', in David J.A. Clines and Tamara C. Eskenazi (eds.), Telling Queen Michal's Story: An Experiment in Comparative Interpretation (JSOTSup, 119; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), pp. 91-93. In view of David's devel- oping history of relationships with women (e.g. Abigail, Bathsheba) and men (e.g. Nabor, Uriah), Berlin's focus on gender in these relationships seems unwarranted. Copyright © 2000. Sheffield Academic Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under Copyright © U.S. or applicable copyright law. David's preference is for individuals he can control: he apparently prefers docile women—anEBSCO Publishingd men—t : eBooko independenCollection (EBSCOhost)t and resourcefu- printed on l12/3/2017 ones. 5:24 PM via EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIV AN: 378143 ; Brenner, Athalya.; A Feminist Companion to Samuel and Kings Account: s8356098 KLEIN Michal, the Barren Wife 39 has not shown Michal love; perhaps she thinks David the shep- herd/warrior will show the king's daughter that love. Michal pre- sumably does not know that David's pleasure is in being the king's son-in-law (1 Sam. 18.26) and not in being Michal's wife. Instead of receiving validation from her loved one, Michal has, it seems, married a man much like her father. There is no indication that David has any regard for Michal. Significantly, in a society which regards woman's role as bearer of children, Michal has not conceived while married to David. All of these elements contribute to emotional shame. Nevertheless, Michal's conflict of inward shame and privi- leged life do not destroy her capacity to love. Her strength of char- acter is indicated in that she does not continue in the victim role established with her father. Instead, Michal acts as rescuer of David in the triangulation with Saul: when Saul plots to kill his son-in-law, Michal assumes a rescuer role to save her victim husband—even though he is a warrior. She does not consult; she directs the action; and David silently complies. Saul persecutes David, Michal rescues David, thereby persecuting Saul. These actions show ambivalence in Michal's relationships with males. When Michal protects David from her father's orders to his mes- sengers to kill him, she 'let him down from the window' (1 Sam. 19.12), an effort which took rapid planning and possibly physical strength. Michal further postpones pursuit of David by putting terra- phim, household idols, in bed in his place and even claiming that he is sick and can not appear to Saul's messengers (1 Sam. 19.14). Saul insists that David be brought before him, in his sickbed if need be; when her ruse is exposed, Michal lies to her father to justify her actions (1 Sam. 19.17). In this demonstration of her allegiance, Michal 'chooses her husband over her father; this is an ironic anticipation of David's later rebuke to her that it was "the Lord who chose me rather than your father"' (2 Sam. 6.21).6 On a practical level, Michal's lie permits her to remain safe from her father's wrath and possibly an integral part of the king's family (though as a married woman she belongs to her husband's family).7 She acts resourcefully and admir- ably on behalf of her husband, but betrays her father—who has already betrayed her in his actions. One way of interpreting this series of events is in terms of Michal's 6. Peter D. Miscall, 'Michal and her Sisters', in Clines and Eskenazi (eds.), Telling Queen Michal's Story, p. 250. Copyright © 2000. Sheffield Academic Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under Copyright © U.S. or applicable copyright law. 7. Zafrira Ben-Barak, The Legal Background to the Restoration of Michal to David'EBSCO, iPublishingn Clines :an eBookd Eskenaz Collectioni (eds.)(EBSCOhost), Telling - printed Queen on Michal's12/3/2017 5:24Story, PM viapp .EASTERN 74-90 (86). KENTUCKY UNIV AN: 378143 ; Brenner, Athalya.; A Feminist Companion to Samuel and Kings Account: s8356098 40 Samuel and Kings self-sacrifice. One could also regard Michal's sending David away as a tacit recognition that her love for David has not been reciprocated. The household idols she places in her bed to deceive the king's mes- sengers may be seen as symbolic representations of her husband's behavior in their relationship: images of wood or clay or stone or metal, unresponsive to the love Michal brought to the marriage.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Most Common Jewish First Names in Israel Edwin D
    Names 39.2 (June 1991) Most Common Jewish First Names in Israel Edwin D. Lawson1 Abstract Samples of men's and women's names drawn from English language editions of Israeli telephone directories identify the most common names in current usage. These names, categorized into Biblical, Traditional, Modern Hebrew, and Non-Hebrew groups, indicate that for both men and women over 90 percent come from Hebrew, with the Bible accounting for over 70 percent of the male names and about 40 percent of the female. Pronunciation, meaning, and Bible citation (where appropriate) are given for each name. ***** The State of Israel represents a tremendous opportunity for names research. Immigrants from traditions and cultures as diverse as those of Yemen, India, Russia, and the United States have added their onomastic contributions to the already existing Jewish culture. The observer accustomed to familiar first names of American Jews is initially puzzled by the first names of Israelis. Some of them appear to be biblical, albeit strangely spelled; others appear very different. What are these names and what are their origins? Benzion Kaganoffhas given part of the answer (1-85). He describes the evolution of modern Jewish naming practices and has dealt specifi- cally with the change of names of Israeli immigrants. Many, perhaps most, of the Jews who went to Israel changed or modified either personal or family name or both as part of the formation of a new identity. However, not all immigrants changed their names. Names such as David, Michael, or Jacob required no change since they were already Hebrew names.
    [Show full text]
  • 'David's Women': a Critical Comparison of Michal, Bathsheba and Tamar In
    UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM ‘DAVID’S WOMEN’ A CRITICAL COMPARISON OF MICHAL, BATHSHEBA AND TAMAR IN 1 SAMUEL AND 2 SAMUEL. By Julia Michelle Hogan A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of Master of Research in Theology and Religion. School of Philosophy and Religion College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham September 2013 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract In this thesis I shall look at the narratives of three women in 1 and 2 Samuel: Michal, Bathsheba and Tamar. I will argue how these women each endure incredible experiences of suffering that are brought about primarily through the actions of both King David and the narrator. These women suffer at the hands of the narrator due to the narratives neglect in recording their experiences in any detail in the text. Instead, it will be my argument that these women are simply used as a means of continuing and explaining the events that happen in the plot of 1 and 2 Samuel and the ‘David story’. It will be my aim then to attempt to bring these women’s experiences to the forefront of the text and uncover their lost voices.
    [Show full text]
  • Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776 – 5778 2015 – 2018
    Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776 – 5778 2015 – 2018 Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776-5778 CONTENTS NOTES ....................................................................................................1 DATES OF FESTIVALS .............................................................................2 CALENDAR OF TORAH AND HAFTARAH READINGS 5776-5778 ............3 GLOSSARY ........................................................................................... 29 PERSONAL NOTES ............................................................................... 31 Published by: The Movement for Reform Judaism Sternberg Centre for Judaism 80 East End Road London N3 2SY [email protected] www.reformjudaism.org.uk Copyright © 2015 Movement for Reform Judaism (Version 2) Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776-5778 Notes: The Calendar of Torah readings follows a triennial cycle whereby in the first year of the cycle the reading is selected from the first part of the parashah, in the second year from the middle, and in the third year from the last part. Alternative selections are offered each shabbat: a shorter reading (around twenty verses) and a longer one (around thirty verses). The readings are a guide and congregations may choose to read more or less from within that part of the parashah. On certain special shabbatot, a special second (or exceptionally, third) scroll reading is read in addition to the week’s portion. Haftarah readings are chosen to parallel key elements in the section of the Torah being read and therefore vary from one year in the triennial cycle to the next. Some of the suggested haftarot are from taken from k’tuvim (Writings) rather than n’vi’ivm (Prophets). When this is the case the appropriate, adapted blessings can be found on page 245 of the MRJ siddur, Seder Ha-t’fillot. This calendar follows the Biblical definition of the length of festivals.
    [Show full text]
  • Hebrew Names and Name Authority in Library Catalogs by Daniel D
    Hebrew Names and Name Authority in Library Catalogs by Daniel D. Stuhlman BHL, BA, MS LS, MHL In support of the Doctor of Hebrew Literature degree Jewish University of America Skokie, IL 2004 Page 1 Abstract Hebrew Names and Name Authority in Library Catalogs By Daniel D. Stuhlman, BA, BHL, MS LS, MHL Because of the differences in alphabets, entering Hebrew names and words in English works has always been a challenge. The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is the source for many names both in American, Jewish and European society. This work examines given names, starting with theophoric names in the Bible, then continues with other names from the Bible and contemporary sources. The list of theophoric names is comprehensive. The other names are chosen from library catalogs and the personal records of the author. Hebrew names present challenges because of the variety of pronunciations. The same name is transliterated differently for a writer in Yiddish and Hebrew, but Yiddish names are not covered in this document. Family names are included only as they relate to the study of given names. One chapter deals with why Jacob and Joseph start with “J.” Transliteration tables from many sources are included for comparison purposes. Because parents may give any name they desire, there can be no absolute rules for using Hebrew names in English (or Latin character) library catalogs. When the cataloger can not find the Latin letter version of a name that the author prefers, the cataloger uses the rules for systematic Romanization. Through the use of rules and the understanding of the history of orthography, a library research can find the materials needed.
    [Show full text]
  • QUESTIONS for PARSHAT SHEMINI 5775 by Rabbi Edward Davis I
    BS”D QUESTIONS FOR PARSHAT SHEMINI 5775 by Rabbi Edward Davis I. From the Text 1. “It was on the 8th day…” (9:1). The 8th day of what? 2. What act indicated to all that Hashem accepted Aharon’s sacrifices? (9:24) 3. What sin did Nadav and Avihu commit for which they were divinely executed? (10:1) 4. What are the kosher signs for animals? (11:3) 5. How was the Torah’s identification of kosher birds different from its description of kosher animals and fish? II. From Rashi 6. Why did Moshe call for the nation’s elders to witness the consecration of Aharon and sons? (9:1) 7. Why was Aharon required to bring a young bull for a sin offering? (9:2) 8. What reward did Aharon receive from being silent when two of his sons died? (10:3) 9. How does Rashi define the non-kosher bird, the Shalach? (11:17) 10. Keeping the kashrut laws will bring us sanctity (11:44). What will this sanctity offer us? III. From the Rabbis 11. How do we know that the Kohanim have to raise their hands when they duchen? (Sotah 38a) 12. The Kohen is not permitted to drink any intoxicating beverage before performing a ritual service. Why would he want to? (Netziv) 13. Not all scales are the same that the Torah requires to identify a kosher fish. Which scales are required here? (Ramban) IV. From the Haftorah : Machor Chodesh Samuel I 14. At the special Rosh Chodesh banquet, who sat next to King Shaul? And whose seat was empty? V.
    [Show full text]
  • THE LEGAL BACKGROUND to the RESTORATION of MICHAL to DAVID by ZAFRIRA BEN-BARAK Haifa
    THE LEGAL BACKGROUND TO THE RESTORATION OF MICHAL TO DAVID by ZAFRIRA BEN-BARAK Haifa At the height of a long and bitter war between the House of Saul and the House of David (2 Sam. ii 12 - iii 1) a singular episode claims the attention of the biblical narrative: Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed at the price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines". And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return"; and he returned (2 Sam. ill 14-16). By way of a royal command Eshbaal 1) takes Michal, Saul's daughter, from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish and gives her to David, in accordance with the latter's demand. This narrative passage gives rise to three fundamental questions: A. W.qy does Eshbaal agree to hand over Michal, who is under his authority, to his most dangerous adversary, David? The first question has a clearly political character. After the defeat at Gilboa, with the death of Saul and his sons, Israel was divided into two units. The first, "Israel", included most of the tribes of Israel and was under the rule of Eshbaal, the only remaining son of Saul (2 Sam. ii 8-10). The second unit, "Judah", consisting of the tribe of Judah and tribal elements in the South, was under the leader­ ship of David, who was crowned at Hebron (2 Sam.
    [Show full text]
  • The Story of David
    Supplement to the program THE STORY OF DAVID Prepared by Eric Lund For a free catalog of our videos contact: Vision Video P. O. Box 540 Worcester, PA 19490 610-584-3500 1-800-523-0226 Fax: 610-584-6643 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.visionvideo.com 2 From Dr. Ken Curtis President Gateway Films/Vision Video I love to read the Bible stories about David and have drawn instruction and inspiration from his life for years. Thus, it is with special pleasure we offer you Columbia Pictures television series The Story of David. We have prepared this supplement to help you get the most out of this production. David is one of the central characters in all of scripture. What greater could be said than “He was a man after God’s own heart” (I Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22)? The Bible gives us more details and stories about David’s life than anyone else in all of scripture except Jesus. Consider that the very first thing we are told in the New Testament about Jesus is that he is the “Son of David.” (Matthew 1:1, see also 1:17, 9:27, 15:21). David’s life is a wonderful source for study, discussion and reflection. We believe this film can help bring David’s story alive to enrich your individual or group study. Unfortunately, a film can only cover so much and must be selective in what is included and omitted. For example, I deeply regret that my favorite incident in David’s life is left out entirely.
    [Show full text]
  • 'May the Lord Make the Woman Like Rachel'
    ‘MAY THE LORD MAKE THE WOMAN LIKE RACHEL’ COMPARING MICHAL AND RACHEL1 John Dekker Summary The portrayal of Michal in the book of Samuel is similar to that of Rachel in the book of Genesis. Both have an older sister who is their rival for the affections of their husband. Both have an erratic father who pursues their husband. Both possess household idols called teraphim, which features in the story of their deceiving their father. Both have at least a period of barrenness. Yet there are also differences between the two women, which can be explained in terms of the portrayal of Michal as an even more tragic figure than Rachel. Careful consideration of the points of similarity and difference yields the conclusion that the allusions to the Rachel story in the book of Samuel are intentional. 1. Introduction Many of the women in the book of Samuel have similarities to women in Genesis. This article will examine the parallels between Michal and Rachel. According to the book of Genesis, Rachel was the youngest daughter of Laban, and had an older sister, Leah. Jacob loved Rachel, and asked to marry her. Laban agreed on the condition that Jacob work for him for seven years. However, Laban gave Leah to Jacob instead, 1 The title of this paper comes from Ruth 4:11, where the elders of Bethlehem say to Boaz, ‘May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.’ Like Boaz, Michal was a direct descendant of Rachel, though of the tribe of Benjamin.
    [Show full text]
  • 26Shemini Download.Indd
    ArtScroll® Series פרשת שמיני / Parashas Shemini Rabbi Nosson Scherman/Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz General Editors Reproduced from the ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash with permission of the copyright holder ArtScroll / Mesorah Publications Ltd 588 / ספר ויקרא ט / א־ט פרשת שמיני אונקלוס א ו ֲהוה ְבּ יוֹמא ְת ִמ ינ אה ְקרא מֹ ֶשׁה ט א ו ְי ִהי֙ בּ֣יּוֹם ה ְשּׁ ִמ ִ֔יני ק> רא מֹ ֶ֔שׁה ְלא 9ֲה֖רֹן ְוּל ב7 ניו ְוּל ִז ְקנ6י ְל א ֲהרֹן ְו ִל ְב ִנוֹהי ְוּל ס ֵבי ִי ְשׂר ֵאל: ב ו ֲא מר ב ִי ְשׂרF אל: ו֣יֹּ ֶאמר ֶאל־א 9ֲה ֗רֹן ק ְ֠ח־ל ֠ך ע Cֶגל ֶבּ ן־בּA קר ְל ח@ טּאת ְל א ֲהרֹן סב ל ְך ֵע גל בּר ֵתּוֹרי ְל ח טּ אתא ְוּד כר ל ֲע ל תא שׁ ְל ִמין ְו קֵרב ֳק דם ְי י: ג ְוא Kִיל ְל ֹעJלה ְתּ ִמ I ימם ְו ה ְק6 רב ִל ְפG ני ֽיהוה: ְו ֶא ְל־בּG ני ִי ְשׂרא6ל ג ְו ִעם ְבּ ֵני ִי ְשׂר ֵאל ְתּ מ ֵלּל ְל ֵמ ימר ִסיבוּ ְתּ דבּCר ֵל ֑אמֹר ְק ֤חוּ ְשׂN ע ִיר־ע ִזּים֙ ְל ח ֔טּאת ְו ֵ֨ע ֶגל וכ Lֶבשׂ ְצ ִפיר בּר ִע ִזּין ְל ח טּ אתא ְו ֵע גל ְו ִא מּר ְבּ ֵני ְשׁ נא שׁ ְל ִמין ל ֲע ל תא: ד ְותוֹר ְוּד כר ד ְבּF נ י־שׁ@ נה ְתּ ִמ S ימם ְל ֹעR לה: ְו ֨שׁוֹר ו ֜א ִיל ִל ְשׁ ל ִ ֗מים ִל ְז ֨בֹּ ח֙ ִל ְפנCי ְל ִנ ְכ סת ְקוּד שׁיּא ְל ד בּ חא ֳק דם ְי י ֔יהוה ִוּמ ְנJ חה ְבּ >לוּלה בשּׁ 7ֶמן V כּי ה ֔יּוֹם ֖יהוה ִנְרU אה ֲא ֵל T יכם: ִוּמ ְנ ח תא ְדּ ִפ ילא ִב ְמ שׁח ֲאֵרי יוֹמא ֵדין ה וִיּ ְק ֗חוּ ֚ ֵאת ֲאX שׁר ִצוּ>ה מֹ ֶ֔שׁה ֶא ְל־פּנ6י ֣ ֹא ֶהל W מוֹעד וִיּ ְקְרבוּ֙ ְי קרא ד יי ִמ ְת ְגּ ִלי ְלכוֹן: ה ְוּנ ִסיבוּ ית ִדּי פ ִקּיד מֹ ֶשׁה ל ֳק דם מ ְשׁ כּן ִז ְמ נא ְוּקִריבוּ ו כּל־ה ֵ>ע ֔דה ויּ 9ע ְמ ֖דוּ ִל ְפG ני ֽיהוה: ו֣יֹּ ֶאמר מֹ ֶ֔שׁה זLה ה דּב@ר כּל ְכּ ִנ ְשׁ
    [Show full text]
  • Michal Living with an Emotionally Unstable Parent Who Is the King of Israel Means Life Will Be Unpredictable and Chaotic, to Say the Least
    SEQUIM COMMUNITY CHURCH WOMEN OF THE BIBLE Michal Living with an emotionally unstable parent who is the King of Israel means life will be unpredictable and chaotic, to say the least. In spite of her upbringing Michal emerged as a notable player in Israel’s early monarchy. Saul, the before-mentioned father, allowed David and Michal to marry, but only because he wanted to keep David close enough so he could kill him. Shortly after the wedding, Saul sent a group of messengers to dispatch his new son-in-law. Fortunately Michal anticipated her father’s move and helped David escape by lowering him from a window. Then, using the old fake-body-in-the-bed trick, she convinced the would-be assassins that her husband was sick. While David was in hiding, Saul married Michal off to Palti, the son of Laish. Michal lived with Palti for years, until David was named king of Judah following Saul’s death. Small Group Opener: Where have you felt like a pawn in the “chessboard of life”? ������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� MAIN BIBLE STUDY: Read I Samuel 19:11-17 and answer the following questions. 1. In I Samuel 19:11-16 you’ll find Michal proving her love for David by helping him avoid � her father’s henchman. Jot down a word or two from each verse describing the action she took and the attitude that might have motivated her behavior (example below). Action Positive Attitude I Samuel 19:11 warned David genuine concern I Samuel 19:12 �������������������������������������������������������������������� I Samuel 19:13 �������������������������������������������������������������������� • This is the heroic side of Michal’s character.
    [Show full text]
  • Zion of Their Own Hebrew Women's Nationalist Writing
    Zion of Their Own Hebrew Women’s Nationalist Writing By Orian Zakai A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Comparative Literature) in The University of Michigan 2012 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Carol B. Bardenstein, Chair Associate Professor Shahar M. Pinsker Professor Anton Shammas Associate Professor Ruth Tsoffar © Orian Zakai 2012 Acknowledgements Many people have kindly offered me their invaluable support and guidance throughout the writing of this dissertation. I am particularly grateful to my advisor Carol Bardenstein for her patient and warm mentorship and her unwavering faith in my project. Carol’s uncompromising critical insights have driven me to expand my analytical horizons, and to constantly strive for more rigorous, original and precise thinking. I thank Ruth Tsoffar for inspiring conversations, for her attentive reading and perceptive commentary on my work, and, in particular, for being a guide and a model in the process of opening up texts and investigating the possibilities that every text holds. Shachar Pinsker’s scholarship and teaching have been a source of inspiration throughout the years. Shachar’s advice and support were invaluable in initiating me as a scholar of Hebrew literature. I feel fortunate for having worked with such a kind and generous mentor. I would like to extend my deep gratitude to Anton Shammas, whose wise remarks, as of the early stages of writing, have shaped my overall approach to the politics and poetics of texts. I hope I have managed to follow Anton’s advice and read the texts of the past with acute awareness of the present.
    [Show full text]
  • Women of the Bible: Michal
    Women of the Bible: Michal First: Start with the facts from each passage: Second: What would her life have been like at this time Third: What traits do we discover about her Fourth: How did God work through this person, even after their mistake(s) Fifth: What inspiration or lessons can be learned? I Samuel 14:49, 50 I Samuel 18: 20-30 I Samuel 19:8-17 I Samuel 25:43, 44 2 Samuel 3:12-16 2 Samuel 6:16—23 (I Chronicles 15:29) Lessons for Our Lives: DID YOU NOTICE: Michal means: possibly “brook” or “stream”. Conflicting opinions on whether it is a form of Michael, or not. I Samuel 14:49, 50 She becomes second most famous of Saul’s children; though she is the youngest daughter. I Samuel 18: 20-30 Only place in the Old Testament where it is stated a woman LOVES a man. There is no place that records David “loving” her. She was being used as a lure to destroy David. I Samuel 19:8-17 Michal had to choose between loyalty to her father, the king; OR to David, her husband. She placed her life in jeopardy by helping her husband. I Samuel 25:43, 44 Saul gave Michal to be married to another man. How might this have changed her relationship with her father? While David would meet with Jonathan on two occasions after this, we never find him meeting with Michal; while Saul is alive. We do not find David afterwards, seeking to provide for Michal or bring her to him (though he does this for his parents and the other wives that he adds after this).
    [Show full text]