David’s Wives: Michal

Abstract

King David has eight wives and numerous concubines. Michal, Abigail, and then Bathsheba are his most prominent wives, certainly in the sense of material found in the books of Samuel and Kings. “David’s marriages offer an intriguing narrative of gender relations and power on a number of levels…” and they cast an “important light on the role of women in securing political power—and also in losing it.” (Hackett: 157). Following a brief summary of how Michal is featured in 1 and 2 Samuel this article presents her through four lenses: 1. what a number of rabbinic midrashim have to say about her; 2. how some of the Church Fathers (Patristics) viewed her; 3. how she is described by several contemporary scholars; and 4. finally, how Michal is considered by several contemporary feminist scholars. This is the first of three linked articles in Biblical Theological Bulletin to be followed by essays using the same format, to consider Abigail, and then Bathsheba (see Works Cited ).