(1 Samuel 14:49). 10th century b.c.e. Michal was the youngest of the two daughters of King Saul and his wife Ahinoam. Her older sister was called Merab.
Saul, jealous of David’s victories and popularity, devised a plan to get rid of his widely admired army officer. He offered him Merab in marriage, if David would fight against the Philistines, secretly hoping that he would be killed in battle.
David fought successfully against the Philistines, but Saul didn’t honor his promise. Instead of giving Merab to David, he married her to Adriel, the son of Barzilai the Meholathite.
Saul was very pleased, when he found that Michal, his youngest daughter, loved David, because he saw a way to use her as a snare. The king sent a message to David, offering him his daughter in marriage, and asked for no dowry, except for the foreskins of a hundred Philistines, still hoping that David would be killed by them.
David went, fought against the Philistines, and slew two hundred of them, twice as many as Saul had demanded for his daughter’s hand. He brought their foreskins to the king, who had no choice but to allow him to marry Michal.
Saul grew more and more distrustful and afraid of David, and he asked his son Jonathan to kill David. Jonathan went to David and advised him to hide, while he would try to convince his father not to kill him.
Saul listened to Jonathan’s good words about David and agreed not to kill him. However, a short time later, while David was playing music for him, Saul attempted to kill David with his spear. It struck the wall, and David fled to his house.
That same night, helped by his wife Michal, David went out of his house, through a window, and escaped. Michal placed a man-sized idol on David’s bed, covered it with a cloth, and put a pillow, made of goat’s hair, at its head.
When Saul’s guards came to arrest David, she told them that her husband was sick in bed. Saul sent his guards again with order to carry David, in his bed if this was needed, to the palace. The guards entered the bedroom and, finding that the figure in the bed under the covers was an idol, took Michal with them back to the palace, to Saul’s presence.
Saul asked her, “Why did you deceive me, and let my enemy escape?”
Michal answered, “I had no choice. David threatened to kill me if I wouldn’t help him”.
Saul didn’t punish his daughter, but gave her to Paltiel, son of Laish, to be his wife.
Many years went by, David, from first being an outlaw, and then a mercenary at the service of the Philistines, was now the king of the tribe of Judah, with his capital in Hebron.
Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, was now the figurehead king of Israel, with the real power held by Abner, the general of his army.
One day, Ish-Bosheth committed the fatal mistake of accusing Abner of having made illicit love to Rizpah, one of King Saul’s concubines. Abner became very angry and decided to transfer his loyalties to David.
David set as a condition for receiving Abner that he should bring him back Michal, Saul’s daughter, now happily married to Paltiel. David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth, requesting that Michal should be delivered to him. Ish-Bosheth took her from her husband, and Abner brought her to David. Paltiel followed them, crying, until Abner abruptly ordered him to turn back.
After David had conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital, he decided to have the Ark brought to the city. This was done with a great celebration, with shouts of joy and sounds of trumpets. David danced with all his might in front of the procession.
Michal looked out of the window and saw David dancing and jumping, and she was disgusted by his behavior.
When the king returned to greet his household, Michal came out to him and said with scorn, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, showing off himself in the sight of the slave girls of his servants, as one of the rabble might do!”
David replied, “I danced before the Lord who chose me, instead of your father and all his family, and appointed me ruler over his people Israel! I will again dance before God, and disgrace myself even more, and be low in my own sight, but among the slave girls that you mention I will be honored!”
He never again came near Michal, and she, the only woman reported by the Bible as being in love with a man, died unloved, childless, and full of hate and contempt toward David, the love of her youth. Back to "Who is Who in the Bible" Page
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