party at home again so that the Bible study could be resumed. Soon this young couple were attending congregational meetings and sharing in the Christian ministry. Twelve months after their first Bible study they were baptized. They have continued zealous ever since, even though a change in the husband’s employment required him to move to where there is no congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses.

● A Philippine Witness traveled a long distance to the city of Bohol, where there was a great need for preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. However, before long she became homesick. Hearing of this, her parents urged her to return—a mistaken kindness. But instead of yielding to their importunities she determined to stick to her ministerial assignment, with the result that in six months her labors resulted in seventeen new Christian witnesses, including the local chief of police together with his wife and daughter.

● In Venezuela a Witness conducted Bible studies with a young mother of three children for almost four years and then due to circumstances dropped it, especially as no progress was evident. Almost a year went by, then the Witness called because the mother’s subscription for The Watchtower had expired. She not only resubscribed but wanted more literature, and asked that her Bible study be resumed, confessing that she had let her unbelieving husband unduly influence her. Now she is making good progress, attending the congregational meetings and sharing in the Christian ministry.

Questions From Readers

● According to 2 Samuel 6:23, Michal, Saul’s daughter, died childless. Yet 2 Samuel 21:8 speaks of five sons she bore to Adriel the Meholathite. But according to 1 Samuel 18:19, Adriel had married Merab, Michal’s sister. How can these apparent discrepancies be harmonized?—L. B., United States.

David had eclipsed King Saul in battle; so much so that the women of Israel sang: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Because of this Saul became envious and sought to get David out of the way. This he thought to do by offering his daughter Michal, who was in love with David, to him in return for a dowry of one hundred foreskins of the Philistine warriors—Saul expecting David to be slain in the attempt. However, David and his men procured not only one hundred but two hundred foreskins: “And David came bringing their foreskins and giving them in full number to the king, to form a marriage alliance with the king. In turn Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.”—1 Sam. 18:7, 25-27.

Sometime later, after David had become king, he brought the ark of Jehovah’s covenant to Mount Zion, near his palace. In his great joy David danced enthusiastically, divested of his outer garments. His wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, seeing this, “began to despise him in her heart.” When David returned to his household, Michal sarcastically said: “How glorious the king of Israel made himself today when he uncovered himself today to the eyes of the slave girls of his servants, just as one of the empty-headed men uncovers himself outright!” This king’s daughter had no appreciation of the kind of zeal that David displayed for Jehovah’s worship. David not only rebuked her for this but penalized her by having no more relations with her: “So, as regards Michal, Saul’s daughter, she came to have no child down to the day of her death.”—2 Sam. 6:14-23.

This text, however, does seem to contradict what we read at 2 Samuel 21:8: “Consequently the king [David] took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.” These David gave to the Gibeonites in atonement for Saul’s having endeavored to annihilate the Gibeonites.—2 Sam. 21:1-10.

It appears that some scribes have endeavored to resolve the difficulty by substituting the name of Merab, her sister, for Michal. This is apparent from the way the Septuagint as well as two Hebrew manuscripts read. Certain modern translators have followed their example, concluding that the way the passage reads in most Hebrew manuscripts is due to a scribal error.

The Interpreter’s Bible states that this is an obvious slip, since Saul later gave Michal to Palti. (1 Sam. 25:44) But this is not a reasonable explanation, for Michal was restored to David once David had become king. This is therefore but another example of the lack of reliability of modernist scholars.—2 Sam. 3:12-16.

However, there is a traditional explanation of this passage based on the way it reads in nearly all Hebrew manuscripts and the way it appears in the New World Translation, and that is this:

Merab, the sister of Michal, was the wife of Adriel and bore him the five sons mentioned. But Merab dying early, her royal sister Michal, having been rejected by David, undertook the bringing up of the five boys. Because of this they were spoken of as the children of Michal rather than of Merab. In agreement with this the Isaac Leeser translation (7th Ed., 1922, Bloch Publishing Co.) reads at 2 Samuel 21:8: “And the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she had brought up for Adriel.” A footnote reads: “As Michal was David’s wife; but the children were those of Merab, the oldest daughter of Saul, who were probably educated by her sister.”

It might be said that in assigning these executed boys to Michal, further disgrace and reproach were brought upon Michal because of the insulting attitude she adopted toward her husband, King David, at the time that he brought the Ark of Jehovah’s covenant to Mount Zion, near his palace. And since it is quite likely that she was alive at the time these five foster children of hers were executed, her grief must have been great, not only because of the death of her nephews, but also because there were no fruits from her labors in rearing these boys. Truly, we cannot seek to serve God in our own way and expect to have prosperity and happiness.

Announcements

FIELD MINISTRY

People of all nations are today uniting under God’s kingdom. These sheeplike persons are serving in unity, publishing the good news of the kingdom of God to all who will hear. During August this will be done by offering people the book “Let Your Name Be Sanctified” on a contribution of 50c.

ANNUAL MEETING

October 1, the date of the annual meeting of the members of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, falls on Monday this year. At ten o’clock in the forenoon of Monday, October 1, 1962, this annual meeting will be held at the Society’s office located at 4100 Bigelow Boulevard, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Members will wish to ensure their receiving the regular letters of notice by being certain that the secretary’s office has their present addresses.

Proxies, which will accompany the notices of meeting to be mailed to members, should be returned by them promptly, in order to reach the office of the secretary of the Society not later than September 15. Each member should return his proxy whether he is going to be at the meeting personally or not.

DRAW WISDOM FROM YOUR BIBLE

Ever since the Bible was written it has provided the most practical and upbuilding counsel for every activity of life. But drawing from its wellsprings of wisdom unassisted does not always produce the desired results. Have you found it so? You need never have that problem. This magazine you hold is constantly helping hundreds of thousands of persons to walk in God’s standards. Read The Watchtower regularly. For a year’s subscription, send only $1.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

September 23: Children, Do You Obey Jehovah? Page 489.

September 30: The Responsibility of Inciting Others to Life. Page 495.