Adriel

Adriel (Hebrew: עדריאל) (Aramaic: ܥܕܪܝܐܝܠ) (literally עדר (flock) י (of) אל (El)) was a person mentioned in the Bible. Adriel was a nobleman in the ancient kingdom of Israel.

The name Adriel is translated from the Hebrew word עַדְרִיאֵל (ad-ree-ale'), which means "flock of God". עַדְרִיאֵל comes from two Hebrew words: עֵ֫דֶר (ay'-der) and אֵל (ale). עֵ֫דֶר (ay'-der) means "flock" and comes from another Hebrew word - עָדַר (aw-dar') - that means "to dig" or "to arrange". אֵל (ale) means "God".^[1][2] Adriel was the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. According to 1 Samuel 18:19, Saul married his daughter Merab to Adriel.

However, 2 Samuel 21:8, in the Masoretic Text, records that Michal, another daughter of Saul "brought up" [R.V. "bare"] five sons with Adriel. This is in apparent conflict with 2 Samuel 6:23, which records that Michal was barren, and 2 Samuel 3, which indicates that Michal was married to David, not Adriel. This could also simply be a case of multiple people having the same name.

The claim that Michal "brought up" these five sons has been taken to mean either that she treated them as if she had been their own mother, or that for "Michal" we should read "Merab" in 2 Samuel 21:8, as in 1 Sam. 18:19.^[3]

Due to that later discrepancy that states Michal as the wife of Adriel, instead of Merab as first said in 1st Samuel, many scholars believe this to be an ancient copyist's error that should have read Merab in 2 Samuel 21:8.^[4]

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Adriel". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.