1)

Who is Eglah?

1.

Rashi, from Shochar Tov 59: It is Michal 1 , who was dear to him. Also in Shoftim (14:18, this refers to a wife) "Lulai Charashtem b'Eglasi."

2.

Radak #1: It is a different wife. Michal is not mentioned here, for she did not have a son. Here the Torah lists David's sons, and with them, their mothers.

3.

Radak #2: She was Sha'ul's wife. 2 David married her after Sha'ul died - "v'Es Neshei Adonecha b'Cheikecha" (12:8). Even though one may not marry a king's widow, a king may marry a king's widow (Sanhedrin 18a).


1

Radak (5:13): Sanhedrin 21a was forced to say so, for we learn that a king may marry only 18 wives from "v'Osifah Lecha ka'Henah vecha'Henah" (12:8; another six and another six.), so we must say that Michal was among the six listed.

2

Radak: Even though she was the wife of David's father-in-law (she was not his mother-in-law; Michal was from a different wife of Sha'ul), one may marry his father-in-law's wife. The Yerushalmi (Yevamos 2:4) forbids, but this is only mid'Rabanan due to Maris ha'Ayin. It says that David married Ritzpah, Sha'ul's concubine, for a wife. (According to the opinion that a concubine has Kidushin (refer to Shoftim 8:31:1:1,2 and the notes there), she is like a wife regarding Arayos. - PF)

2)

Why is only Eglah called Eshes David?

1.

Radak #1: This is Michal; she was his first wife.

2.

Radak #2: (She was not Michal.) She was not from a great family, so she is not called by her family's name, rather, Eshes David.

3.

Radak #3, according to R. Yehudah (Sanhedrin 18a): She was Sha'ul's widow. She could not be a wife to anyone else, only to David, for only a king may marry a king's widow.

4.

Malbim: This is Michal; she was proper for David, for she was a king's daughter.

QUESTIONS ON RASHI

3)

Rashi writes that "Eglah" is Michal. Below (6:23), it says that she did not have a child until the day she died!

1.

Rashi, from Sanhedrin 21a: She did not bear a child from that episode 1 and onwards. Before that, she had a child.

2.

Radak citing Sanhedrin 21a: She had a child only on the day that she died. 2


1

Radak: This was her punishment for despising David.

2

Radak (6:23 citing Bereishis Rabah 82:7): Three died amidst birth, - Rachel, Eli's daughter-in-law and Michal.

Sefer: Perek: Pasuk:

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