Barzillai (the Meholathite)

Biblical Record

Barzillai the Meholathite appears once, in 2 Samuel 21:8, as the father of Adriel. Scripture records nothing else about his life or deeds.

The name occurs in 2 Samuel 21:1-14, the account of the Gibeonites. During David's reign a famine lasted three years. The text attributes it to Saul's killing of the Gibeonites, who were bound to Israel by an oath. The Gibeonites demanded seven of Saul's descendants, and David handed them over. Five of these were the sons whom Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite had fathered by Saul's daughter. Barzillai was therefore the grandfather of five of the men executed at that time.

Adriel also appears in 1 Samuel 18:19, which records that Saul gave his eldest daughter Merab, originally promised to David, as wife to "Adriel the Meholathite." Barzillai's name does not appear in that verse.

Significance Within the Bible

Barzillai himself plays no role in the narrative. His name serves only as genealogical information identifying the lineage of those who were executed. The New Testament makes no mention of him.

The designation "Meholathite" is understood to indicate a place of origin. Some scholars connect it with Abel-meholah, the hometown of Elisha (1 Kings 19:16), but this identification is not certain.

Interpretive Issues

• Distinction from Barzillai the Gileadite: The wealthy eighty-year-old man who provided for David at Mahanaim during Absalom's rebellion is "Barzillai the Gileadite" (2 Samuel 17:27; 19:31-39). The "children of Barzillai" mentioned in Ezra 2:61 and Nehemiah 7:63 are also associated with Barzillai the Gileadite. This article treats Barzillai the Meholathite as a different individual who merely shares the same name. Because translations may render the name in 2 Samuel 21:8 differently, the two men are sometimes conflated in Bible search results.
• Michal or Merab?: In 2 Samuel 21:8 the Hebrew Masoretic Text names Adriel's wife as Michal. However, 1 Samuel 18:19 identifies the woman who married Adriel as Merab, and 2 Samuel 6:23 records that Michal had no children. For this reason some Hebrew manuscripts, ancient versions, and many modern translations read "Merab" in this verse. Jewish tradition (the Talmud) is reported to explain that the sons were called Michal's because Michal raised Merab's sons.

In the Korean Church

Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted solely to this figure are rare. His name is sometimes mentioned, however, in connection with the lineage of those executed when preachers address the Gibeonite incident or the story of Rizpah in 2 Samuel 21. In the Korean church, "Barzillai" usually refers to Barzillai the Gileadite, who helped David. Because that Barzillai frequently appears in sermons on humility and service in old age, readers should take care to distinguish the two men.