1 Samuel 19:13

Translation
King James Version
And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And Michal H4324 took H3947 an image H8655, and laid H7760 it in the bed H4296, and put H7760 a pillow H3523 of goats H5795' hair for his bolster H4763, and covered H3680 it with a cloth H899.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Mikhal took the household idol, laid it on the bed, put a goat's-hair quilt at its head and covered it with a cloth.
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Berean Standard Bible
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.
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American Standard Version
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.
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World English Bible Messianic
Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with the clothes.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Then Michal tooke an image, and layde it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goates heare vnder the head of it, and couered it with a cloth.
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Young's Literal Translation
and Michal taketh the teraphim, and layeth on the bed, and the mattress of goats' hair she hath put for his pillows, and covereth with a garment.
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See also
Genesis 31:19Judges 18:14Judges 18:17Hosea 3:4Judges 17:5
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In the KJVVerse 7,720 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

1 Samuel 19:13 vividly captures Michal's quick-thinking and decisive action to save her husband, David, from the murderous pursuit of her father, King Saul. In a desperate act of loyalty, she fashioned a convincing decoy in David's bed, utilizing a household idol (teraphim) and goats' hair to simulate a sick or sleeping David. This ingenious ruse bought David crucial time to escape Saul's assassins, underscoring the escalating conflict between Saul and God's anointed David, and highlighting divine protection often manifested through unexpected human ingenuity.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is deeply embedded within the dramatic and escalating conflict between King Saul and David, whom God had chosen as the next king of Israel. Immediately preceding this event, David has achieved significant military renown, provoking Saul's intense jealousy and paranoia, leading to multiple attempts on David's life (e.g., Saul's javelin throws in 1 Samuel 18:11 and 1 Samuel 19:10). The specific context of 1 Samuel 19 shows Saul's hatred reaching a new, overt intensity, as he sends messengers directly to David's house with orders to kill him. 1 Samuel 19:12 describes David's urgent escape through a window, facilitated by Michal. Verse 13 then details Michal's subsequent actions to deceive Saul's messengers, ensuring David's successful flight and preventing immediate pursuit. This episode is a critical link in the narrative chain, solidifying David's status as a fugitive and emphasizing his constant reliance on God's providence for survival amidst Saul's relentless hostility.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The period of Saul's reign marked a pivotal transition for Israel, moving from a loose tribal confederacy to a centralized monarchy. Saul's actions in this chapter reveal the dangers inherent in a ruler consumed by personal ambition and spiritual decline, contrasting sharply with God's ideal for a king who would rule justly and righteously. The presence of the "image" (Hebrew: teraphim) in David's household, or at least Michal's access to one, is culturally significant. Teraphim were household idols, possibly used for divination, protection, or as tokens of family inheritance, as seen in Genesis 31:19. Their existence in what was ostensibly a faithful Israelite home suggests either a lingering syncretistic practice among some segments of the population, or simply that Michal, as a princess, utilized a common household object for her desperate ruse without necessarily endorsing its religious significance. The cultural understanding of a sick person confined to bed, perhaps with a head covering or a pillow to simulate a person's form, would have made Michal's deception plausible to the messengers, especially in the dim lighting of a typical ancient Near Eastern home.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within 1 Samuel. Firstly, it highlights Divine Providence and Protection, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to preserving David, His chosen king, despite relentless human opposition. Michal's ingenuity, while remarkable, is ultimately a means through which God's larger plan unfolds, ensuring David's survival against overwhelming odds, a theme consistently seen in passages like Psalm 59. Secondly, the passage explores the complex theme of Loyalty and Conflicting Allegiances. Michal, as both Saul's daughter and David's wife, is forced to choose between familial duty to her father, the reigning king, and marital fidelity to her husband, God's anointed. Her choice to protect David, even through deception, speaks volumes about her immediate loyalty and the profound rift within Saul's own household. Thirdly, the narrative showcases Human Ingenuity in Crisis, as Michal's quick thinking and resourceful use of available objects (the teraphim and goats' hair) create a convincing decoy. This emphasizes the practical and often desperate measures taken by individuals facing existential threats, subtly touching on the theme of Deception as a Means of Survival, a recurring motif in biblical narratives where characters, often in dire circumstances, employ cunning to achieve a greater good or escape danger, as seen with Rahab in Joshua 2:4-6.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Image (Hebrew, tᵉrâphîym', H8655): This term refers to household idols or cultic objects. While their exact nature and function varied, they were often associated with divination, family inheritance, or even ancestral veneration in the ancient Near East. The fact that Michal possessed or had access to teraphim in David's home is a point of scholarly discussion, potentially indicating a degree of syncretism in Israelite households, or simply that Michal, as a princess, had access to various objects and used what was available for her ruse. The plural form tᵉrâphîym can sometimes refer to a single large idol, as seems to be the case here, capable of resembling a human form in a bed.
  • Bed (Hebrew, miṭṭâh', H4296): This refers to a bed (as extended) for sleeping or eating; by analogy, a sofa, litter or bier. In this context, it is the central prop for Michal's deception, the place where the decoy is laid to create the illusion of David being confined due to illness or sleep. The common understanding of a person in bed makes the ruse immediately plausible.
  • Covered (Hebrew, kâçâh', H3680): This primitive root means properly to plump, i.e., fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy); to clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), hide, overwhelm. This action is crucial for the success of Michal's deception. By covering the decoy, she obscures the details of the teraphim and goats' hair, allowing the messengers to perceive only the general outline of a person, making the illusion appear more convincing in the dim light.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And Michal took an image,": This phrase immediately highlights Michal's active and decisive initiative. She does not wait for David's instruction but takes matters into her own hands, demonstrating her quick thinking and determination to protect her husband. The "image" (teraphim) is the central, unexpected prop for her deception, showcasing her resourcefulness.
  • "and laid [it] in the bed,": This is the core action of the ruse, establishing the initial impression. By placing the image in the bed, she creates the outward appearance of a person lying there, presumably David, who is believed to be sick or asleep. This sets the stage for the full deception that follows.
  • "and put a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster,": This detail adds a crucial layer of realism to the decoy. The goats' hair, likely coarse and dark, would have been arranged to resemble a human head or perhaps a beard, resting on a pillow or headrest (bolster). This specific touch made the figure in the bed appear more lifelike, especially when partially obscured, enhancing the plausibility of the illusion.
  • "and covered [it] with a cloth.": This final action completes the illusion and is essential for its success. Covering the decoy with a cloth would obscure the specific details of the "image" and the goats' hair, allowing the messengers to perceive only the general outline of a person, likely appearing ill and confined to bed. This concealment prevents immediate discovery of the trick and buys David precious time.

Literary Devices

The passage employs several effective literary devices that enrich its meaning and impact. Irony is prominently featured, as Saul's own daughter, Michal, thwarts his murderous plans, demonstrating a profound split in loyalties. Furthermore, the use of teraphim, objects potentially associated with idolatry, to save God's anointed king, David, presents a striking situational irony, highlighting God's ability to work through unexpected and even morally ambiguous means. The narrative also skillfully builds suspense, as the reader is acutely aware of Saul's deadly intent and David's precarious position, making Michal's quick and ingenious actions crucial to the unfolding drama. The detailed description of the decoy's construction serves as vivid imagery, allowing the reader to visualize Michal's clever and resourceful act. Finally, the entire episode functions as foreshadowing of David's many future escapes and God's consistent protection over him, reinforcing the overarching theme of divine sovereignty in the face of human opposition.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Michal's ingenious act, while involving deception, stands as a powerful testament to God's sovereign protection over David, His chosen king. It illustrates that God often uses human agency, even in morally ambiguous situations, to accomplish His divine purposes. The presence of teraphim in David's household is a theological point of interest, prompting reflection on the lingering influence of pagan practices even among God's people, and how God can nevertheless work through imperfect individuals and circumstances to achieve His perfect will. Ultimately, this event reinforces the overarching biblical theme that God is faithful to His promises, preserving His anointed one against all odds to ensure the continuation of the covenant line that would eventually lead to the Messiah.

  • Genesis 31:34-35 - Rachel's theft and concealment of Laban's teraphim, showing their significance as household gods or property, and an earlier biblical instance of deception for survival.
  • Joshua 2:4-6 - Rahab's deception to protect the Israelite spies, an act of faith that God used for His purposes in the conquest of Jericho.
  • Psalm 59:1-2 - A psalm of David, often attributed to this very period of Saul's attempts to kill him, expressing his reliance on God for deliverance and protection from his adversaries.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

The account of Michal's resourcefulness in 1 Samuel 19:13 offers profound insights into faith, loyalty, and divine providence. While her method involved deception, the narrative's primary focus is on the outcome: David's preservation, which aligns with God's larger redemptive plan. This prompts us to consider how God, in His sovereignty, can work through unconventional means and imperfect people to achieve His perfect will. It challenges us to trust in God's protective hand even when circumstances seem dire, and to be resourceful in navigating life's challenges, always seeking to align our ingenuity with God's ultimate purposes. Michal's loyalty to David, her husband, over her father, the king, also presents a complex ethical dilemma, inviting us to examine our own loyalties and the potential costs of standing for what is right, even when it conflicts with powerful authorities or deeply ingrained familial expectations. Ultimately, this passage reminds us that God is actively involved in the intricate details of our lives, orchestrating events to fulfill His plans, and that even in moments of great danger, His care and faithfulness are unwavering.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does Michal's loyalty to David, even through deception, challenge or affirm our understanding of familial loyalties and ethical choices in desperate situations?
  • What does this passage teach us about God's providence, especially in situations where human actions are morally ambiguous or involve cunning, yet serve a greater divine purpose?
  • In what ways can we, like Michal, use our ingenuity and available resources to navigate difficult situations, while still seeking God's guidance and trusting in His ultimate protection?

FAQ

What were "teraphim" and why were they in David's house?

Answer: Teraphim (Hebrew: tᵉrâphîym) were household idols or cultic objects, often associated with divination, family inheritance, or even ancestral veneration in the ancient Near East. Their presence in David's house, or at least Michal's access to one, is a subject of scholarly debate. It might suggest a lingering syncretistic practice among some Israelites, where elements of pagan worship coexisted with the worship of Yahweh, or simply that Michal, as a princess, had access to various household items, and used whatever was at hand to create a convincing decoy. The text does not explicitly condemn their presence here but focuses on their practical use in Michal's deception. Other biblical references to teraphim include Genesis 31:19 and Judges 17:5.

Was Michal's deception morally justifiable?

Answer: The Bible often presents narratives without explicit moral commentary on every action, allowing the reader to discern principles. Michal's deception, while involving a lie, was undertaken to save her husband's life from an unjust and murderous king. From a human perspective, it was an act of profound loyalty and quick thinking in a desperate situation. The narrative implicitly affirms the outcome: David's life was preserved, which aligns with God's overarching plan for David to become king. While the Bible consistently condemns lying (e.g., Exodus 20:16), it also sometimes portrays instances where deception is used by righteous individuals in dire circumstances, and God works through these actions to achieve His purposes (e.g., the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1:19-20 or Rahab in Joshua 2:4-6). This passage highlights the tension between absolute moral commands and the complexities of real-life situations, ultimately pointing to God's sovereign hand in protecting His chosen servant.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

The dramatic account of Michal's deception to save David in 1 Samuel 19:13 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the preservation of the Messianic line and the ultimate triumph of God's Anointed King. David, though a flawed human, is a profound type of Christ, God's chosen king through whom the eternal kingdom would be established. Just as David's life was miraculously preserved from Saul's relentless pursuit, ensuring the continuation of the lineage from which the Messiah would come, so too was Christ's life preserved from all attempts to thwart God's redemptive plan. From the infant Jesus escaping Herod's murderous decree (Matthew 2:13-15) to His triumph over death through resurrection, the theme of divine protection for God's Anointed One is paramount. Michal's ingenuity, though a human act, points to the greater divine ingenuity and power that ensured the coming of the true King, Jesus. He would ultimately conquer sin and death, not through deception, but through truth and sacrificial love on the cross, establishing an everlasting kingdom where no enemy can prevail (John 12:31; Colossians 2:15). His deliverance is not merely physical escape but spiritual liberation, offering eternal life to all who believe (John 3:16).

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Commentary on 1 Samuel 19 verses 11–17

Here is, I. Saul's further design of mischief to David. When David had escaped the javelin, supposing he went straight to his own house, as indeed he did, Saul sent some of his guards after him to lay wait at the door of his house, and to assassinate him in the morning as soon as he stirred out, Sa1 19:11. Josephus says the design was to seize him and to hurry him before a court of justice that was ordered to condemn him and put him to death as a traitor; but we are here told it was a shorter way they were to take with him: they were ordered to slay him. Well might David complain that his enemies were bloody men, as he did in the psalm which he penned at this time, and upon this occasion (Ps. 59), when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. See Sa1 19:2, Sa1 19:3, and Sa1 19:7. He complains that swords were in their lips.

II. David's wonderful deliverance out of this danger. Michal was the instrument of it, whom Saul gave him to be a snare to him, but she proved to be his protector and helper. Often is the devil out-shot with his own bow. How Michal came to know the danger her husband was in does not appear; perhaps she had notice sent her from court, or rather was herself aware of the soldiers about the house, when they were going to bed, though they kept so still and silent that they said, Who dost hear? which David takes notice of, Psa 59:7. She, knowing her father's great indignation at David, soon suspected the design, and bestirred herself for her husband's safety. 1. She got David out of the danger. She told him how imminent the peril was (Sa1 19:11): Tomorrow thou wilt be slain. As Josephus paraphrases it, she told him that if the sun saw him there next morning it would never see him more; and then put him in a way of escape. David himself was better versed in the art of fighting than of flying, and had it been lawful it would have been easy for him to have cleared his house, by dint of sword, from those that haunted it; but Michal let him down through a window (Sa1 19:12), all the doors being guarded; and so he fled and escaped. And now it was that, either in his own closet before he went or in the hiding-place to which he fled, he penned that fifty-ninth Psalm, which shows that, in his fright and hurry, his mind was composed, and, in this great danger, his faith was strong and fixed on God; and, whereas the plot was to slay him in the morning, he speaks there with the greatest assurance (Sa1 19:16), I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning. 2. She practised a deception upon Saul and those whom he employed to be the instruments of his cruelty. When the doors of the house were opened in the morning, and David did not appear, the messengers would search the house for him, and did so. But Michal told them he was sick in bed (Sa1 19:14), and, if they would not believe her, they might see, for (Sa1 19:13) she had put a wooden image in the bed, and wrapped it up close and warm as if it had been David asleep, not in a condition to be spoken to; the goats' hair about the image was to resemble David's hair, the better to impose upon them. Michal can by no means be justified in telling a lie, and covering it thus with a cheat. God's truth needed not her lie. But she intended hereby to keep Saul in suspense for a while, that David might have some time to secure himself, not doubting but those messengers would pursue him if they found he had gone. The messengers had so much humanity as not to offer him any disturbance when they heard he was sick; for to those that are in this misery pity should be shown; but Saul, when he heard it, gave positive orders that he should be brought to him sick or well: Bring him to me in the bed, that I may slay him, Sa1 19:15. It was base and barbarous thus to triumph over a sick man; and to vow the death of one who for aught that he knew was dying by the hand of nature. So earnestly did he thirst after his blood, and so greedy was his revenge, that he could not be pleased to see him dead, unless he himself was the death of him; though awhile ago he had said, Let not my hand be upon him. Thus when men lay the reins on the neck of their passions they grow more and more outrageous. When the messengers were sent again, the cheat was discovered, Sa1 19:16. But by this time it was to be hoped that David was safe, and therefore Michal was not then much concerned at the discovery. Saul chid her for helping David to escape (Sa1 19:17): Why hast thou deceived me so? What a base spirit was Saul of, to expect that, because Michal was his daughter, she must therefore betray her own husband to him unjustly. Ought she not to forsake and forget her father and her father's house, to cleave to her husband? Those that themselves will be held by no bonds of reason or religion are ready to think that others should as easily break those bonds. In answer to Saul's chiding, Michal is not so careful of her husband's reputation as she had been of his person, when she makes this her excuse: He said, Let me go, why should I kill thee? As her insinuating that she would have hindered his flight was false (it was she that put him upon it and furthered it), so it was an unjust unworthy reflection upon him to suggest that he threatened to kill her if she would not let him go, and might confirm Saul in his rage against him. David was far from being so barbarous a man and so imperious a husband, so brutish in his resolves and so haughty in his menaces, as she here represented him. But David suffered both from friends and foes, and so did the son of David.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 11–17. Public domain.
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Gregory of NyssaAD 395
ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS 2.16.272-73
Now Michal’s name means “reign,” because sin reigned over our nature up to that time. And at the very time he himself was born, he [the Lord in the figure of David] went out through a window. And the window indicates the return to the light again of the one who made himself known to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.And his image is seen on the bed. For the angel says to those seeking the Lord in the tomb, “Why do you seek the living with the dead? He is not here; he is risen.” “Behold the place” in which he lay. Those seeking the Lord saw the tomb in which he was buried empty of the body of the one they were seeking. Only the burial sheets were in it. We think, therefore, that the image of David on the bed signifies the resurrection of the Lord in the tomb, through which the true averting of our death through expiatory sacrifice occurs.
John ChrysostomAD 407
ON THE PRIESTHOOD 1.8
And not in war only, but also in peace the need of deceit may be found, not merely in reference to the affairs of the state but also in private life, in the dealings of husband with wife and wife with husband, son with father, friend with friend, and also children with a parent. For the daughter of Saul would not have been able to rescue her husband out of Saul’s hands except by deceiving her father. And her brother, wishing to save him whom she had rescued when he was again in danger, made use of the same weapon as the wife.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Samuel
But Michal took an image and laid it on the bed, etc. The history of the hairy skin, of the skins of goats, is evident; for there was a cushion sewn of goat's skin, which, with its unshorn hairs, feigned the head of a man lying in bed. The statue, however, is an imitation of the true and living; the dead skin of goats is the remains of a dead animal. Therefore, Michal took an image and placed it on David's bed, as he was let down through the window and secretly saved. The Church learned to regard the Jews' Lord, who was laid in the sepulcher, not as Christ, life and truth, but as a likeness of truth and life, declaring himself to be Christ the king. The Church is said to do this in the true manner of speaking, for it bears witness to the deeds done or to be done by the ungodly, as it is written in Leviticus, "Behold, the priest shall declare him unclean" (Lev. 13): not because he could bring leprosy to the clean, but to show what was already present in the unclean. Also, Michal placed the hairy skin of goats at the head of the statue. The Church, at its beginning, discovered the perfidy even of those who not only deny the Lord Savior as Christ but also claim he was burdened with sins, not resurrected from the dead. For it is certain that the goat often holds the type of a sinner, just as a sheep does that of the just. The hairs, brittle and externally superfluous to the body, signify dead works, becoming manifest due to their density and frequency. They place the hairy skin of goats at the head of the statue set up in the bed for David, asserting the flesh of the Savior to be rough and impure due to mortal sins, saying that until now it still holds the bed of the sepulcher, into which he descended dead. However, Michal covers the statue with garments, which the Church, after recognizing such perfidy, rejects; after showing it to the faithful, it immediately demonstrates it condemned and vanquished through outstanding works that no one else could accomplish.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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