Michal: The Assassination of a King

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I seriously don’t know how Michal found the will to live. She was a woman who took action though.  Her husband had multiple wives and children. Yet they might have made good allies. Still, at least one came from a family that was anti-Saul. There were conspiracies. There were those against her. If I had been Michal, I  would have been so terrified at the death of Abner.

Had she gotten physically sick after Abner’s death like her brother, Ishbosheth?

Ishbosheth’s “hands were feeble”  when he heard about Abner’s death.  Could a war start again? Could he be next? The text implies that Ishbosheth was physically sick from worry. He laid down in the hot afternoon when Saul’s former captains, Rechab and Baanah, stabbed and then beheaded him. They took his head and raced through the night to meet David in Hebron. The two assassins thought that David would be pleased to see the son of a man who tried to kill him. Did Michal see her brother’s decapitated head? Perhaps David was temporally in his wife’s favor when he put Rechab and Baanah to death. She was most likely in a state of shock. David was ensuring her protection and put Ishbosheth’s head in Abner’s sepulchre.

It still didn’t change the fact, though, that yet another family member was brutally murdered. Had she felt justice was served with the executions of Rechab and Baanah? Their betrayal was shameful because it broke the code of loyalty the tribe of Benjamin valued.

Really–who could Michal trust?

Sources
2 Samuel 4

Michal: Persuasion, Party, and Murder

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Abner presented David’s case to be king to the elders of Israel. He persuaded the Benjaminites and the rest of Israel to switch sides. Was Michal part of the things he spoke about in conversations? The daughter of Saul was pleased to be united with David and thought he was the true king–that could persuade people. Who knows, but she had to act a certain way for people to believe what Abner was saying.

“And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.”

She must have conducted herself well. David was pleased enough to throw Abner a feast.

Did Michal attend? Would she have been allowed? Thanks to her, Abner was honored and  more people recognized David as king. It was a sort of celebration for her arrival—even if she had come back as a prop and trophy.

The feast was a signal that David trusted Abner, and Michal and other Benjaminites had security. This proved untrue, and way too soon, she was reminded she couldn’t let her guard down.

Not long after the feast, Abner was dead.

Murdered by David’s nephews, Joab and Abishai, in revenge for their brother’s death during the war between the houses of Saul and David.

How could Michal trust David now? He made it a point for all the people to know it wasn’t his fault and Joab would be responsible. David gave an emotional performance at Abner’s burial. He “wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.”

There’s a probability that Michal was one of those people.  Was she also scared?

Abner’s death was terrifying for the house of Saul. This was a warning to watch out.

Source
2 Samuel 3

 

 

The Lord Looketh on the Heart

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“The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

This was the counsel the Lord gave Samuel when looking for a new king who ended up being David. Both David and Saul were young and good looking when called. They rose to prominence, but in the end their position and charisma proved to contribute to their downfalls.

Samuel knew even before Israel wanted kings that status didn’t matter in the end. It was hard to make others see despite him being right. I see the Lord’s counsel as comfort to Samuel and all those whose hearts were broken in the Books of Samuel. I’m talking about everyone in the record—including the thousands that are nameless. Even Israel’s enemies –who didn’t have the truth— but many were fighting to protect their families. The Lord knows their hearts and is the final judge. He’s the only one to make things fully right for a person.

When it comes to Michal, her critics will say that she just cared about being associated with the king. I’m somewhat unsure as she witnessed the downfalls of the men most important in her life. It would have been hard to set priorities when you’re in high positions and the whole world can judge your movements.

I noticed that most people in life are neither all good nor evil but somewhere in between. That’s exactly how it is in the Books of Samuel.

1 Samuel 16:7

Michal: Blessed Are the Peacemakers

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Call her a pawn but could Michal wanted to go back to David? Conflicts have arisen about this since she spent more time with Patil than with David. Or some say she really wanted to go back—others go beyond that and say she just wanted to go to be associated with the king.

It was unsafe to be rescued or escape. Not just for her ad David, but for others. Did she soften hearts, or was hers hardened with she was with those who probably despised David? Did she keep some people from chasing after him? To answer that last question, yes. Yes she did by staying.

There was too much bloodshed in her country already. After he father and three of her brothers were killed, Saul’s house and David’s house engaged in a long war—what was the expected outcome? Land? To get loyal subjects? Included in the winner’s package was Michal. Have we ever realized that part of this war was fought for her? She was used as a pawn and bait.

She was a very valuable pawn but maybe a little more powerful than we think. But how do you really stop of war?

David proved to have more advantages as the war with Saul’s house continued. (2 Samuel 3:1) He was the one who declared he wanted Michal back. (2 Samuel 3:14) And she went. It wasn’t a simple walk though. She stilled had security guards—most notably her husband, Phaltiel (2 Samuel 3:16)

I assume that spending so much time with the Benjaminites made her care more for them. Whatever she felt about Patil, her strong connection with the other Benjaminites mattered. Too many kin and members of her tribe were dead. Israelites who weren’t part of either Benjamin or Judah were suffering from the two tribes’ conflicts.

When Michal was offered to go back with David, she accepted. It’s very possible she might have fought against it. Was she physically forced? I’m not saying she went back willingly, but it was a duty she completed for the sake of a nation. She was a peace offering but had little peace herself.

Swords, arrows, alliances, and good advisors helped end the bloody conflict, but who really brought the civil war to a close? With her hard work, smart moves, and sacrifice, Michal was the woman who put David on the throne.

Matthew 5: 9
2 Samuel 3

Michal: Relationship Rumors and Allegiances

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Okay, the ever popular question surrounding Jonathan and David:Was Jonathan gay?

I don’t know the answer to that. But I wonder how Michal felt about the close relationship of her husband and brother.

I see the Princess Caroline of England (1713-1757) relating somewhat to Michal in this case. Caroline was childless and unmarried which caused grief—especially when it came for her love toward a certain Lord Hervey. He was married, bisexual, had affairs with the ladies at court and possibly with Caroline’s brother.

Now I think David was a noble man who followed God’s commands—including polygamy. It’s a known fact that many people in the Bible struggled with it. Though David was lawfully married to his other wives (before the real craziness), it would be difficult to know of his other wives with children. I also don’t believe David was gay, but he recognized Jonathan’s love publicly: “thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women” (2 Samuel 1:26). That may have also had a crushing effect on her heart has well.

Princess Caroline died suddenly but her goodness and sadness was well-known.

As for Michal, she still lived long after Saul and her brothers died. It’s hard to imagine how she managed. She wasn’t returned to David after Saul’s death. Rather, war went on between the houses of Saul and David—started by her cousin Abner and David’s nephew, Joab.

Abner put her surviving brother Ishbosheth on the throne. It wasn’t until Ishbosheth accused Abner of taking Saul’s concubine, Rizpah, for himself that Abner decided to switch allegiances to David, the stronger house.

David sent messengers to Abner to bring him “Michal, Saul’s daughter,” and Ishbosheth that said, “Deliver me my wife Michal” to seal the deal with Abner.

And, oh, what went on when Michal found out she had to go also sparks debate…

Michal: The Losses at the Battle of Gilboa

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I can’t stress enough how impossible it was for Michal and David to reunite with each other. How could she find David who was on the run? Jonathan would have made a good ally as he was also helping preserve David’s life—but was also busy serving Saul and country. He didn’t seem to have the time to fully help her. How could Jonathan drag his sister through battles to reach David where she could be killed? It was so risky. We find out just how risky it was for Saul, Jonathan, and Israel’s best soldiers during the Battle of Gilboa.

The Israelites lost at the Battle of Gilboa. The Philistines’ main strategy was to go for the leaders. They “followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons.” (1 Samuel 31: 2) Saul was literally the main target. Archers shot him, and his wounds were fatal. The Israelites were losing, and to Saul, it was pointless to go on. He asked his armor bearer to kill him with his sword, but the armor bearer couldn’t bring himself to kill his king. An Amalekite fulfilled Saul’s death wish. After Saul died, the armor bearer killed himself with the sword (2 Samuel 1: 8-10)

Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua and choicest men were slain by the Philistines. This battle is full of blood and loyalty—people did care for their king and country. Even Jonathan, whom Saul had nearly killed times, fought beside his father. Jonathan, who “loved David like his own soul,” showed he would have died for David, (1 Samuel 18:3 ) but he still loved his father and fought for the same cause. As part of the army, he also had made allegiance to Saul that he would die for him. He ended up dying with him. Jonathan “So Saul died, and his three sons, and his amour bearer, and all his men, that same day together.” (1 Samuel 31:6). In David’s psalm, How Are the Mighty Fallen, “In their death, they were not separated.” (2 Samuel 1:23)

“How Are the Mighty Fallen” can be seen as a form of propaganda with an objective to get Saul supporters on David’s side. It is genuine as David showed compassion to Jonathan and Saul at past moments when it would have been easy to kill Saul.

David didn’t want Gath (home of the Philistines) to know the details of Saul’s death “lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice” (2 Samuel 1:20). He wanted Israel to know of a mighty king’s death. In contrast to the daughters of the Philistines, he said, “ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel” (2 Samuel 1:24) He’s telling Israel to look at the wonderful things Saul did for them, and if gossip comes up about him (which always does with royalty), the talk among gossips should be positive.

This psalm could also be reaching out to Michal. How fast did it reach her and how was it received? The psalm expresses a range of emotions into already mixed feelings she held towards her father. Saul did look after her while taking away who she valued most. Now that person was praising Saul which raised confusion. Yet the death of her father and three brothers would have taken a greater toll on her than the rest of the country. She was living in an area extremely loyal to Saul who would have met their king and kinsmen’s death with more distress than the other tribes of Israel.

David really wanted Israel to know—especially the Benjaminites and Michal—that he was very sad over the death of Saul. The song is beautiful, but who was nearer to comfort her? Patil and others who were loyal to Saul, and in a literal sense, closer to her than David. It was the perfect setup for Michal to be manipulated. Michal probably heard David’s song, but it didn’t totally reach out to her. The sorrow David expressed is touching, but could the song have fell flat to a wife who made sacrifices for him?

David finishes his psalm mourning the loss of Jonathan. Michal would have been sad over his death too, but as David’s wife, there was a possibility that she was offended by a particular line about David and Jonathan’s relationship: “Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.” (2 Samuel 1:26) Michal was tough, but that line could have put her over the edge. Her father had died in a shameful way, and three brothers were killed in that same battle. Could such losses ever be forgotten?

 

Michal: David’s Calf?

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Another heartbreaking moment of Michal’s story is when we read the list of David’s wives and children. Michal’s name is not mentioned anywhere. However, according to Jewish tradition, she is present in this list with a son. See if you can guess:

“Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron;
The firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
The second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:
The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur:
The fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith:
The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital
The sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife.”

Did you use the process of elimination? Well, it’s the last one mentioned.

Eglah.

At first is seems rather far-fetched, and I think it’s almost too good to be true. However, I do like the reasoning of rabbis and some other reasons from myself.

Rabbis say that Michal has to be included on this list according to laws of kingship and the cap Nathan put on the limit of David’s wives.

Besides math, there’s etymology going on.

Eglah means heifer. A calf.

Here are some insights from others and myself about Michal being Eglah:

  • Michal was David’s favorite wife. According to rabbi Louis Gibzberg, Eglah could have been David’s pet name for Michal because he valued her as a prized calf.
  • Rabbi  Mordechai Torczyner refers to midrashes that offer the Michal Eglah connection. One midrash says Michal trembled like a calf because she wanted Saul to think she was afraid of David (Midrash Shemuel 22:4) Another midrash says Michal is like a wild calf since she wouldn’t accept the yoke of her father (Midrah Tehillim 59:4).
  • If indeed Michal is also known as Eglah, there’s another comparison between her and great, great, etc. grandmother, Rachel. Eglah means “calf” and Rachel means “ewe.” Both valued animals.
  • The last backup is the very definition of “heifer.” The basic definition: “female cow who hasn’t given birth to a calf.”  There are variants which expound such as the Oxford Dictionaries’ addition of: “or has borne only one calf. ”

My verdict of the Michal is Eglah theory:
I still go back and forth if Michal is Eglah. I can only conclude that I believe Michal was David’s dearest treasure.

 

 

Sources
1 Chronicles 3:1-3

Deuteronomy 17:17

2 Samuel 12

“Michal, daughter of Saul: Midrash and Aggadah” by Tamar Kadari  http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/michal-daughter-of-saul-midrash-and-aggadah, (Visited on September 19, 2015)

The Family of David in The Legends of the Jews, Vol. 4 by Louis Ginzberg

On-line Tanach Class:
Michal by Mordechai Torczyner, http://ohave.tripod.com/chumash/michal.htm  (Visited on September 19, 2015)

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/heifer (Visited on September 19, 2015)

American Girl Rooting for the Queen…Even Now

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Written in 2015…I’m not trying to be cliché, but in my opinion she’s among the best of queens. Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth has always been there. Growing up, it was as simple as the sky is blue. My mom explained how she was a figurehead when I asked the power of the Queen. I’d see the Queen on TV from time to time. It was the 90s—not the happiest decade for royals. Every morning in sixth grade, my class would watch some of the daily news. “Have you noticed Queen Elizabeth never smiles?” asked my teacher.

Huh. I thought she did but since I didn’t see her too often I repeated that comment at home. My mom said, “What? I’ve seen her smile!”

Shame on me. I should have known that! Yes, I too have seen her smile—quite a bit actually. In the last five years of my life, I’ve studied intensely the lives of royals. Elizabeth wears a variety of expressions. Whatever expression on her face, she seems to be pondering something. While researching her past or current events, it’s quite difficult to paint an exact portrait of the Queen. When I see her, I think of how she’s proven so many people wrong.

The American Girl Collection books make me proud to be an American girl and draw close to history. Without American Girl, I wouldn’t be as patriotic as I am today or passed the A.P. U.S. history exam. Anyway, I also wouldn’t have loved the Queen so much. We can thank Happy Birthday, Molly, by Valerie Tripp, for that.

Molly, who grows up during World War II,  makes friends with an English girl, Emily, who’s come to America for safety. Emily, shows her pictures of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as little girls and then as young women contributing to the war effort. Like Molly, this reader is in awe. A little girl grows up to be something spectacular thanks to hard work. She’s awesome! I mean who would have predicted Elizabeth to reign for at least 63 years?

However long the Queen reigns, we won’t know fully her impact until years later. Perhaps many generations down the road.

Featured Image: Stamp of Elizabeth’s Coronation by Edmund Dulac. June 3, 1953

Source:
Happy Birthday, Molly by Valerie Tripp

Michal: Michal In the Movies

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Since we’re on the subject of Michal’s appearance and that she’s due to be in three screen  productions this year, I thought I’d briefly talk about her appearance on screen as a young woman. The three actresses differ in physical appearance (in 2015), most notably their coloring—light, olive, and dark. Lovely, diverse, and twenty-first century.

Go back to 1960’s David and Goliath. Michal is played by Guila Rubini, an Italian actress with light skin, dark hair, and resembles legendary beauty Elizabeth Taylor. Interesting that Elizabeth Taylor, appeared on screen in 1963 as Cleopatra just with more makeup and skin showing. Their style is similar.

According to the Internet Movie Database, there are more than twenty actresses who portrayed Michal. That’s not including the modern retellings and characters she’s inspired (such as Snow White/Mary Margaret in ABCs Once Upon a Time).

If producers want the Michal character want to be pretty, it depends on times and audience.

Sources:
imdb.com:
Cleopatra movie 
Michal’s character page  

Image of Hollywood from https://commons.wikimedia.org

Michal: Her Physical Appearance

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According to Jewish tradition and texts like the Talmlud, Michal was so beautiful, married men would be tempted to leave their wives for her. I can’t say what Michal looked liked for sure. No one can. So people dive into the cliche question–was she pretty or ugly? I can’t answer that  fully either.

But I have formed some theories about her looks and attractiveness by going back to the Bible.

The Unique Look of Benjaminites
During the reign of the judges, the tribe of Benjamin nearly became extinct due to the vicious fights with the other tribes of Israel.  None of the other tribes wanted their daughters to marry into the tribe, so the Benjaminites married local maidens of Shiloh. Thus, the tiniest tribe had a makeover.Their new look would have set them apart from the other Israelites.

Immediate Family
The King James Version of the Bible describes Saul as: “a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” (1 Samuel 9:2)

Other versions like the New International Version replaces some words and reads “as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.”

Though different versions and translations of the Bible use different word choice, the meaning is same.

Simply put, Saul was the tallest and best looking man in Israel.

Did Michal inherit her father’s good looks and height? We don’t get any description of her mother, but because Saul was the tallest man in Israel, she probably was on the taller side. She definitely wasn’t ugly.

 

One of a Kind
The Benjaminish woman was somewhat of a novelty item in Israel. It all started the moment Jacob saw Rachel (mother of Benjamin). Benjaminite women were rare during the reigns of the judges, Saul, and David. Many, many centuries later, the king chose Esther, a Benjaminite, as queen out of multiple maidens.

Rachel, the Shiloh women, and Esther were all specially  handpicked to be wives. I believe Michal was as well.

David would have found Michal appealing.

Imagine. A shepherd from the tribe of Judah marrying a woman from the tribe of Benjamin. A poor boy marrying a princess. Absurd!

David liked the impossible—and obtaining Michal was impossible.

Sources:
On-line Tanach Class: Michal taught by Mordechai Torczyner

(http://ohave.tripod.com/chumash/michal.htm)

King James and New International Version of the Bible: Judges 21, 2 Samuel 9: 2, Book of Esther.