A household idol: The Hebrew word teraphim refers to household idols (small images used in homes, often for worship or protection). These idols appear in several Old Testament passages, such as Genesis 31:30; Judges 17:5; and 2 Kings 23:24. Having an idol in David and Michal's home might show how common pagan idol worship was among the Israelites. The idol might have belonged to Michal. David did not seem to object to Michal having it. (Compare to Rachel stealing her father’s household idols in Genesis 31:19.)
Siblings Jonathan (1 Samuel 19:1–7) and Michal (19:11–18) saved David from their father and disrupted their father’s plans to harm him. Members of Saul’s royal family were important in David’s rise, though David did not take Saul’s throne by force.