Lexical Summary Adriel: Adriel Original Word: עַדְרִיאֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Adriel From eder and 'el; flock of God; Adriel, an Israelite -- Adriel. see HEBREW eder see HEBREW 'el NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom adar Definition "my help is God," son-in-law of Saul NASB Translation Adriel (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs עַדְרִיאֵל proper name, masculine son-in-law of Saul (apparently Aramaic name, my help is God = Hebrew עַזְרִיאֵל q. v.; so NeAmos. Jour. Semitic Lang, xiii (1897), 173 HPS compare GrayProp. N. 309; compare Old Aramaic יעדראל ClGann:J As,1883,Fev.-Mar.,139,No.13); — 1 Samuel 18:19 (ᵐ5 A Ιηλ, ᵐ5L Εδριηλ), 2 Samuel 21:8 (ᵐ5 Σερει, A Εσδρι, ᵐ5L Εζρι). Topical Lexicon Identity and Family Lineage Adriel, designated “the Meholathite,” was the son of Barzillai and a native of the Jordan-valley town of Abel-meholah. Through marriage he became a member of Saul’s royal household and thus part of Israel’s first ruling family during a turbulent transition to the Davidic monarchy. Occurrences and Narrative Context 1 Samuel 18:19 records, “But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel the Meholathite”. The only other canonical mention is 2 Samuel 21:8, where his five sons are delivered to the Gibeonites in David’s effort to end a divinely sent famine. Marriage Alliance with Saul’s House Saul initially promised Merab to David as a reward for military valor (1 Samuel 17:25; 18:17). When Saul’s envy grew, he reneged on this pledge and joined Merab to Adriel instead. The union served Saul’s political aims—halting David’s rise and binding the influential Meholathite clan more closely to the monarchy. Adriel’s entry into the royal family illustrates how marriages in Israel often functioned as instruments of statecraft (cf. Judges 14:3; 1 Kings 3:1). The Gibeonite Reparation and the Death of Adriel’s Sons Years after Saul’s death, Israel endured a prolonged famine. The Lord revealed the cause: Saul had violated Israel’s covenant with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:15). To satisfy covenant justice, David surrendered seven male descendants of Saul—two from Rizpah and five from Adriel—“and they were put to death in the first days of harvest” (2 Samuel 21:9). The episode underscores the seriousness of covenant fidelity and the sobering reality that sin’s consequences often extend beyond the original offender to the wider family and nation (Exodus 20:5; Numbers 14:18). Theological and Ministry Significance 1. Covenant Faithfulness: Adriel’s sons perish because Saul broke Israel’s sworn oath. The narrative highlights God’s unwavering commitment to uphold covenants, even centuries later (Deuteronomy 7:9). Textual Considerations Some manuscripts of 2 Samuel 21:8 read “Michal” instead of “Merab.” The follows the more widely attested “Merab,” harmonizing with 1 Samuel 18:19. Conservative scholarship generally regards the “Michal” reading as a copyist’s lapse, possibly arising from the visual similarity of the two Hebrew names in paleo-Hebrew script. Historical and Cultural Insights Abel-meholah lay in the fertile Beth-shean valley, a region associated later with Elisha (1 Kings 19:16). The Meholathite designation links Adriel to a community noted for agricultural abundance, making the loss of his sons “at the beginning of barley harvest” (2 Samuel 21:9) especially poignant. Christological and Covenantal Reflections Adriel’s account invites meditation on God’s redemptive economy: covenant violation demands satisfaction, yet human agents prove tragically inadequate as substitutes. The passage prepares readers for the New Covenant, in which the King Himself supplies the perfect, willing, and sufficient sacrifice (Mark 10:45; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Lessons for Contemporary Believers • Honor your word, especially when made in God’s name; broken promises offend the Holy One (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). Legacy in Christian Teaching Adriel’s brief biblical footprint serves as a solemn reminder that faithfulness to God’s covenants is paramount. His family’s fate, set against the backdrop of royal intrigue and divine retribution, emphasizes both the gravity of sin and the necessity of a Redeemer who alone can shield sinners from the judgment their transgressions deserve. Forms and Transliterations לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל לעדריאל lə‘aḏrî’êl lə·‘aḏ·rî·’êl leadriElLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 18:19 HEB: וְהִ֧יא נִתְּנָ֛ה לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל הַמְּחֹלָתִ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ NAS: that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite KJV: that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite INT: she was given to Adriel the Meholathite A wife 2 Samuel 21:8 2 Occurrences |
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