Bible Strands
2 Samuel 3:14
Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David sends messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, to demand the return of his wife Michal. This exchange occurs immediately after David proposes a political covenant contingent upon that single condition.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּשְׁלַח (va-yish-lach) literally means “and he sent,” marking David’s deliberate use of envoys rather than personal confrontation. The compound name אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת (Ish-bosheth) translates to “man of shame,” a textual marker reflecting the narrative’s critique of Saul’s house.
The thread — David’s claim directly recalls his original betrothal dowry of one hundred Philistine foreskins recorded in 1 Samuel 18:25–27. The succession conflict continues the divided kingdom narrative established in 2 Samuel 2:10.
Why it lands — The text states a political demand grounded in a prior marital contract, showing how dynastic rights are enforced through legal rather than immediate military means. It requires the reader to track how covenant obligations advance David’s rise while exposing the fragility of Saul’s remaining authority.
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The Hebrew words
King James Version
And David sent messengers to Ish–bosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 18:27 David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.
- 1 Samuel 18:25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
- 2 Samuel 2:10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.