Michal (1 Samuel 14:49; 1 Samuel 18:17–29; 1 Samuel 19:11–17; 1 Samuel 25:44; 2 Samuel 3:12–16; 2 Samuel 6:12–16; 2 Samuel 6:20–23; 1 Chronicles 15:25–29)

Daughter of Saul, Wife of David

The younger daughter of Saul, who loved David and was given to him as wife, let him down through a window to escape her father's messengers, was given by Saul to Palti, was brought back to David, and despised him in her heart as he danced before the ark.

Michal is first named in the list of Saul's children: “the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal” (1 Samuel 14:49). When Merab was given to another man instead of David, the text says, “Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him” (1 Samuel 18:20). Saul meant her to be a snare to David, but after David brought the foreskins of two hundred Philistines, “Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife” (1 Samuel 18:27).

When Saul sent messengers to David's house to slay him in the morning, “Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be slain. So Michal let David down through the window” (1 Samuel 19:11-12). The text later notes that Saul had “given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish” (1 Samuel 25:44), and when Abner sought a league with David, David required that she be brought to him first; her husband “went with her, weeping as he went” (2 Samuel 3:16).

When the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, “Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16). She came out to meet David and spoke of how he had uncovered himself in the eyes of the handmaids, and David answered her; then the narrator states, “Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death” (2 Samuel 6:23). The books of Samuel and Chronicles name her; the New Testament does not.

Strengths

• Loved David
• Saved David from her father's messengers

Weaknesses

• Despised David in her heart

Themes

• Daughter of a king
• Love for David
• David saved from Saul
• Given and taken back
• The ark comes to the city of David
• Despised in her heart

The younger daughter of Saul (1 Samuel 14:49)

Michal is named among the children of Saul as the younger of his two daughters, after the first-born Merab.

Loves David and is given to him as wife (1 Samuel 18:17–29)

Michal loves David and the thing pleases Saul, who means her to be a snare to David; after David brings the foreskins, Saul gives her to him as wife.

Loves David and is given to him as wife

Merab, Saul's elder daughter, “was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife” (1 Samuel 18:19). “And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him” (1 Samuel 18:20).

Saul said, “I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him” (1 Samuel 18:21). He had his servants tell David that the king desired “a hundred foreskins of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 18:25) as dowry, and the narrator adds, “Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 18:25).

“And David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men” (1 Samuel 18:27), and “Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife” (1 Samuel 18:27). “And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David; and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him” (1 Samuel 18:28).

Saves David from Saul's messengers (1 Samuel 19:11–17)

Saul sends messengers to slay David in the morning; Michal warns him, lets him down through the window, lays the teraphim in his bed, and tells the messengers he is sick.

Saves David from Saul's messengers

“And Saul sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be slain. So Michal let David down through the window: and he went, and fled, and escaped” (1 Samuel 19:11-12).

“And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick” (1 Samuel 19:13-14). When the messengers came in, “behold, the teraphim was in the bed” (1 Samuel 19:16).

“And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me thus, and let mine enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?” (1 Samuel 19:17).

Given by Saul to Palti (1 Samuel 25:44)

The narrator notes that Saul had given Michal, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

Brought back to David (2 Samuel 3:12–16)

Abner seeks a league with David, who requires that Michal be brought to him first; Ish-bosheth takes her from her husband Paltiel, who follows her weeping to Bahurim.

Despises David as the ark comes in (2 Samuel 6:12–16; 1 Chronicles 15:25–29)

As David brings the ark of the LORD into the city of David, Michal looks out at the window, sees him leaping and dancing, and despises him in her heart.

Despises David as the ark comes in

“And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy” (2 Samuel 6:12). “And David danced before Jehovah with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod” (2 Samuel 6:14).

“And it was so, as the ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16).

Chronicles tells the same scene: “Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart” (1 Chronicles 15:29).

Her words to David, and no child (2 Samuel 6:20–23)

Michal comes out to meet David and speaks of his uncovering before the handmaids; David answers her, and the narrator says she had no child to the day of her death.

Her words to David, and no child

“Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!” (2 Samuel 6:20).

“And David said unto Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Jehovah, over Israel: therefore will I play before Jehovah. And I will be yet more vile than this, and will be base in mine own sight: but of the handmaids of whom thou hast spoken, of them shall I be had in honor” (2 Samuel 6:21-22).

“And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death” (2 Samuel 6:23).

Saul (1 Samuel 18:20–27; 1 Samuel 19:17; 1 Samuel 25:44)

Her father, who was pleased that she loved David, gave her to David, and later gave her to Palti.

David (1 Samuel 18:27–28; 1 Samuel 19:11–12; 2 Samuel 6:16–23)

She loved him and became his wife; she let him down through the window and later despised him in her heart.

Merab (1 Samuel 14:49; 1 Samuel 18:17–19)

Her elder sister, the first-born, who was given to Adriel the Meholathite instead of David.

Palti the son of Laish (1 Samuel 25:44; 2 Samuel 3:15–16)

Saul gave her to him; when Ish-bosheth took her from him, Paltiel her husband went with her, weeping as he went, to Bahurim.

Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua (1 Samuel 14:49)

Named with Michal and Merab as the sons and daughters of Saul.

Major sections

• 1 Samuel 18:17–29
• 1 Samuel 19:11–17
• 2 Samuel 3:12–16
• 2 Samuel 6:12–23

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