*See Gray, Heb. Proper Names, p. 200, n.8, and Kittel (in SBOT) on 1 Ch 8%, who both hold that 5y3 "5 (‘man or hero of Baal’) is the original form, Kittel offering as an alternative rendering ‘ my lord is Baal’ (cf. C7Si. 111). On the other hand, Nestle (Eigennamen, p. 1901.) adopts the form >y> 3D. The change of "1D into ‘PD (besides that of Sy into ny2) was probably intended still further to disguise the original form of the name, ny3"5D being probably taken to mean ‘one who ecatters or disperses shame’ (Driver, Heb. Text of Sam. p. 195).
MERAB
such injuries through a fall, that he became per manently lame. Since his uncle Ishbosheth’s death, he had been living in concealment at Lo-debar to the E. of the Jordan. It was probably not without trepidation that he obeyed the sum- mons to court, and, in answer to David’s promises of protection and favour, he could only reply with true Oriental self-depreciation, ‘ What is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as Iam?’ (2S 98). Asa pledge of the sincerity of his promises, the king restored to Jonathan’s son all the personal estates of Saul, Ziba being appointed to adiniaiater these for the benefit of M., who was himself maintained as a Acorns guest at the king’s table (2S 9%). 1is latter arrangement commended itself from the point of view both of friendship and of policy.
The next mention of M. is during the troublous pericd when, in consequence of Absalom’s rebellion,
avid had to abandon Jerusalem. At the Mount of Olives the king was met by Ziba, who brought a couple of asses laden with bread, bunches of raisins, cakes of dried fruit, and wine, which he offered for the use of the royal household. In answer to the question, ‘Where is thy master?’ Ziba declared that M. had preferred to remain in Jerus. in the hope that the kingdom of Saul would be restored to him. It was an unlikely story, for M. had surely less to expect from Absalom than from David; yet it served its purpose, and the crafty Ziba had the satisfaction of hearing David say, ‘Behold, thine is all that pertaineth to M.’ (2S 164). When David returned to Jerus. after the defeat and death of Absalom, M. came to con- gratulate him ; and being met with the stern ques- tion, ‘ Wherefore wentest thou not with me, M. ?’ proceeded to exculpate himself and to accuse Ziba of fraud. David’s flight, he alleged, had occasioned him the acutest grief, and in token of mourning he had not trimmed his beard nor washed his feet or his clothes from the time the king left his capital till he returned to it. Nay, he had intended to accompany ls benefactor, but Ziba had taken advantage of his helplessness, and, instead of saddling an ass for him to ride after David, had pone and basely calumniated him to the king.
avid’s answer seems a strange one, ‘Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, thou and Ziba divide the land.’ It would seem as if he only half believed M., or at least despaired of reaching the truth. Ziba might have been faithful to David, simply because he felt sure of being on the winning side; but at all events he had been faithful, and the king felt in no mood to reproach him. The easiest way was to compromise the matter, leaving the steward and the master each in possession of half the profits of Saul’s estates. A ssenge way of doing justice from a European but not from an Oriental point of view! M., who always makes a ἘΙΤ τ τὸ ΠΟ impression upon us, and who seems to have inherited the warm heart and generous disposition of his father Jonathan, replied, ‘Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house’ (2S 19”).
According to 2S 913 Mephibosheth had a son named Mica (Ν᾽), from whom seems to have sprung a family afterwards well known in Israel (1 Ch 59 95 [πρῷ, Micah)).
2. One of the sons of Rizpah handed over by David to the Gibeonites for execution (25 21°).
J. A. SELBIE.
MERAB (3329; 1S 149 B Mepés, A omits; 15S 18'7- 9 B omits, A Mepés).—The elder daughter of Saul. According to the later of the two docu- ments in 1S, Saul promised his daughter to the slayer of Goliath (1 S 17”). This promise, how- ever, was afterwards ignored, and Saul is repre
344 MERATAH
MERCURY
sented as trying to bring about David’s destruction by offering him Merab’s hand as a reward for his military services against the Philistines (1 S 18%”).
But, though David successfully carried out the task which the king had set him, Saul failed to keep his promise, and Merab became the wife of Adriel the Meholathite. In the earlier document nothing is known of this incident in connexion with Merab, but only of the affection of Michal, Saul’s second daughter, for David. In 28 215 Michal is clearly a mistake for Merah, whose five sons were delivered by David into the hands of the Gibeonites, by whom they were slain and ‘hanged before the Lord.’ See, further, art. MICHAL. J. Ε΄ STENNING.
MERAIAH (:9>; B Maped, A Mapid).—The re- ἘΓΟΒΟ ieee of the priestly house of Seraiah in the ays of Joiakim, Neh 12".