King David's wives

David and Avigail

King David had many wives according to the Hebrew Bible.

David's first wife

Main article: Michal

King Saul offers David his oldest daughter Merab. He doesn’t seem interested but marries her younger sister Michal. Merab gets married to Adriel the Meholati.

Saul was jealous of David and tried to have him killed. David escaped. Then Saul sent his daughter Michal to Galim to marry Palti son of Layish. 1 Samuel 25:44 says, “Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife to Palti, the son of Layish, who was from Galim.”

Years past, David married many women and wanted Michal back. 2 Samuel 3:14-16 says, “David sent messengers to Ish-boshet; Saul’s son, saying:'Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of Pelishtim.' And Ish-boshet sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel, the son of Layish. And her husband went along with her weeping behind her to Behurim. Then Avner said to him, go, return and he returned.”

So, David married Michal when he was young. They were forced to separate. He married other women. She married Palti. And finally he took her back. When David brought the Ark to the city of David, Michal watched him from her window. She was displeased with his behavior. When he returned home, they argued and “Michal daughter of Saul did not have a child to the day of her death.” (2 Samuel 6:23)

But then in 2 Samuel 21:8 we are told that Michal daughter of Saul had 5 sons. Not only did she have 5 sons, she had them with Adriel the Meholati. (Many English Bibles changed Michal's name - in this verse to Merav / Merab.)

Hebron

Batsheva and David

David's wives in Hebron, according to 2 Samuel 3.

The mother's name	The son's name
Ahinoam the Yizre'elite	His first born was Amnon.
Abigail - the wife of Naval the Karmelite	His second was Kil'av.
Maacah - the daughter of Talmay - King of Geshur	The third - Absalom
Haggith	The fourth - Adoniyya.
Abital	The fifth - Shefatya.
Eglah	The sixth Yitre'am.

Wives and children in Jerusalem

David married more wives in Jerusalem, according to 2 Samuel 5. The number is not clear.

Bathsheba

Main article: Bathsheba

Literature

The biblical story of King David and his wives inspired many modern day writers. Some of these books are:

Queen Maker/ India Edghill

A Novel of King David’s Queen.

Michal's Window/ Rachelle Ayala

A Novel: King David's First Wife.

David’s Broken Hallelujah/ Michal Okouneff

The story is about King David and his wives. It is also about the scribes who rewrote to

the King David story. This novel is based on the latest historical research.

Bathsheba/ Jill Eileen Smith

Michal/ Jill Eileen Smith

Abigail/ Jill Eileen Smith

Jill Eileen Smith, bestselling author of "Michal", draws on Scripture, historical research, and her imagination.

David’s wives/ Haya Shraga

Hebrew: נשות דוד / חיה שרגא בן-איון

The book is written in Hebrew. It is based on the author’s doctorate in which she wrote on the biblical figures:

Michal, Avigail and Batsheva.