שמואל א, פרק י״ח, פסוק י״ט

At the very moment a royal promise is meant to be fulfilled, a surprising twist unfolds. Instead of a celebrated wedding, the intended bride is suddenly given to another man, shattering the agreement at the last possible second. Just as the prearranged date for the marriage arrived and preparations were underway for Merab to marry David, the plans unraveled and she married Adriel [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Commentators offer different explanations for how this sudden change occurred. One approach suggests that King Saul simply went back on his word and gave his daughter to someone else [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The indirect manner in which the transfer took place hints that Saul's heart was never truly invested in the match. His original offer was merely a pretext to send David into battle, hoping he would be killed fighting God's wars against the Philistines [אלשיך]. In contrast, other scholars propose that Merab acted independently. Being a mature woman, she accepted a betrothal from Adriel without her father's knowledge [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

Regarding David's legal connection to Merab at that time, the primary approach among commentators is that he had not yet formally betrothed her [רד״ק, רלב״ג]. However, a deeper debate exists regarding this status. Some argue that David did betroth her, but it was an invalid transaction based on a misunderstanding about the wealth Saul had promised him for defeating Goliath. Others maintain that the betrothal was entirely valid because David had forgiven the financial debt. According to this view, Merab's marriage to Adriel was a severe transgression, and David only married her younger sister, Michal, after Merab passed away [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

This abrupt cancellation had significant consequences for David's relationship with the royal family. David viewed the broken engagement as a cruel mockery. Feeling humiliated and impoverished, he withdrew entirely from the prospect of a royal marriage. Consequently, Saul later had to send his servants secretly to persuade David that the king still desired him as a son-in-law [רלב״ג, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם]. Yet, this painful rejection also paved the way for a new bond. Until that moment, Michal had held back her feelings for David, assuming he was destined for her older sister. Once Merab was given to Adriel, that barrier was lifted, allowing Michal to love David openly [אלשיך].