Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)/Merab

by Matthew George Easton

Merab: increase, the eldest of Saul's two daughters (1 Samuel 14:49). She was betrothed to David after his victory over Goliath, but does not seem to have entered heartily into this arrangement (1 Samuel 18:2,17,19). She was at length, however, married to Adriel of Abel-Meholah, a town in the Jordan valley, about 10 miles south of Bethshean, with whom the house of Saul maintained alliance. She had five sons, who were all put to death by the Gibeonites on the hill of Gibeah (2 Samuel 21:8).