The four fathers

 

Parshas Hashavua פנחס  ושם בת אשר שרח Who was Serach's father? 1.    אשר 2.    ישוי 3.    בן של ישוי (son of Yishvi) 4.    מלכיאל The Ramban (26:46) says the תרגום אונקלס translates ושם בת אשר שרח,- "ושום ברת אתת אשר סרח The name of the daughter of Osher’s wife was שרח.  (She wasn’t Osher’s daughter but his wife’s daughter) The Ramban explains, Serach’s mother was married and  had only one child. (Serach)   אשר married her after her husband died.* The תכלת מרדכי (Kur Zahav) says that she was  the daughter of ישוי the son of אשר. When ישוי died, אשר married his daughter in law. (איסור דאורייתא)** A second possibility is that she was the granddaughter  of ישוי and אשר married his son Yishvi’s daughter in law (איסור דרבנן) The ספר הישר says she was the daughter of   (מלכיאל בן עילם (בן שם בן נח,                 *  Shu"t Chasam Sofer E,H,76 proves from here    the Halacha in Rema Ch.M. 42:15 "adopted children    can be called children in documents etc." ** קודם מתן תורה