And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, 'Give me back my wife Michal, whom I married after paying the bride price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.'
David is demanding the return of his first wife Michal, whom he had rightfully married years earlier but was later separated from during his conflict with King Saul.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place during the civil war period after Saul's death, when David ruled Judah from Hebron while Ishbosheth (Saul's son) ruled the northern tribes. Michal was David's first wife, given to him by Saul as a reward for killing 100 Philistines, but Saul later gave her to another man when David fled. David's demand for her return was both personal and political, as reclaiming Saul's daughter would strengthen his claim to unite all Israel under his rule.
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