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Michal

Michal, the younger daughter of King Saul, became David's wife and helped him escape from Saul's attempts to kill him.

The name Michal means “who is perfect?”

FemaleTribe of BenjaminUnited Monarchy eraOld Testament3 books19 verses

Summary

A woman from the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1 Samuel 14:49; only referred to as Michal (מִיכַל); daughter of Saul and Ahinoam; wife of David and Palti; a sister of Jonathan, Abinadab, Malchi-shua and Merab; half-sister of: Ish-bosheth, Armoni and Mephibosheth.

Profile

Michal was King Saul’s younger daughter (1 Samuel 14:49). She was King David’s first wife (18:17–27). She was important in the change from Saul’s rule to David’s.

In the ancient Near East, leading families often arranged marriages for political reasons. Saul tried to trap David by promising him his older daughter, Merab, if he fought the Philistines. David, a strong warrior, was becoming a leader in Saul's kingdom. The king should have been glad to have such an ally, but he soon became jealous of David's success and suspicious of his goals.

Saul hoped David would die in battle, but the plan failed. Later, Saul found out that his younger daughter, Michal, loved David (1 Samuel 18:20). This gave him another chance to lure David into fighting the Philistines. This time, David agreed. When David returned victorious, Saul had to give David his daughter in marriage. This marriage alliance helped David when he was building his reputation with the northern tribes (2 Samuel 3:13–16).

Michal loved David early in their relationship and even tricked her father to help David escape a plan to kill him (1 Samuel 19:11–17). After David left Saul’s court, Saul arranged another marriage for her (1 Samuel 25:44). But David later ended that marriage to bring her back (2 Samuel 3:13–16). Michal showed disrespect toward David when he danced happily before the ark of the covenant as it was brought into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:16–23). Because she showed disrespect toward King David, Michal was not able to have children.

Passages for Further Study

1 Samuel 14:49; 18:17–30; 19:11–17; 2 Samuel 3:13–16; 6:16–23

Glossary entries

Michal

Family members

Father

Saul

Mother

Ahinoam

Spouse

David Palti

Siblings

Abinadab Armoni Ish-bosheth Jonathan Malchi-shua Mephibosheth Merab

Alternative names

Mentions

Includes 3 verses that refer to Michal without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.

  1. 1 Samuel 14:49
    Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. His two daughters were named Merab (his firstborn) and Michal (his younger daughter).
  2. 1 Samuel 18:20
    Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.
  3. 1 Samuel 18:21Referred to, not named
    “I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”
  4. 1 Samuel 18:27
    David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.
  5. 1 Samuel 18:28
    When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
  6. 1 Samuel 19:11
    Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
  7. 1 Samuel 19:12
    So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
  8. 1 Samuel 19:13
    Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
  9. 1 Samuel 19:14Referred to, not named
    When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
  10. 1 Samuel 19:17
    And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”
  11. 1 Samuel 25:44
    But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
  12. 2 Samuel 3:13
    “Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
  13. 2 Samuel 3:14
    Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
  14. 2 Samuel 6:16
    As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.
  15. 2 Samuel 6:20
    When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”
  16. 2 Samuel 6:21
    But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the LORD,
  17. 2 Samuel 6:22Referred to, not named
    …and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.”
  18. 2 Samuel 6:23
    And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
  19. 1 Chronicles 15:29
    As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.