Michal

20Saul's other daughter, Michal, loved David. People told Saul about it, and it made him glad.

And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

21Saul thought, "I will give Michal to David. She will be a trap for him. Then the Philistines can kill him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second chance to become my son-in-law."

And 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. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

22Saul told his helpers what to do. He said, "Talk to David quietly. Tell him the king is pleased with him. Tell him all the king's helpers love him. Then tell him to marry the king's daughter."

And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law.

23Saul's helpers said those words to David. David said, "Do you think it is a small thing to marry a king's daughter? I am a poor man, and people do not think much of me."

And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

24The helpers went back to Saul. They told him exactly what David had said.

And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.

25Saul said, "Tell David this. The king does not want money for his daughter. He wants a hundred foreskins from dead Philistine men. That will pay back the king's enemies." But Saul was really hoping the Philistines would kill David.

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

NoteA man usually gave the bride's father a gift before the wedding, like money or animals. That gift was called a dowry.

26The helpers told David what the king wanted. David was glad to become the king's son-in-law. The wedding day had not come yet.

And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.

27So David went out with his men. They killed two hundred Philistines. David brought back the foreskins. He counted out every one of them for the king. That way he could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul let David marry his daughter Michal.

Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

NoteA foreskin is a small piece of skin from a man's body. Men in Israel had theirs cut off as a sign they belonged to God. Philistine men did not. So the foreskins proved the dead men were Philistines.

28Saul saw clearly that the LORD was with David. He also saw that his daughter Michal loved David.

And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.

29So Saul was even more afraid of David. From then on, Saul was David's enemy.

And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.

11Saul sent men to watch David's house. They were going to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him. She said, "If you do not run tonight, you will be dead tomorrow."

Saul also 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 shalt be slain.

NoteMichal was Saul's own daughter. So David's wife was the king's daughter.

12So Michal let David down through a window. He ran away and got safely out.

So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

NoteMany houses were built right into the town wall. A window like that opened outside the town, so David could climb down and run.

13Then Michal took a statue and laid it in the bed. She put goat hair at its head and covered it with a blanket.

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.

NoteFamilies sometimes kept a small statue in the house. Michal put one in the bed to look like a sleeping person.

14Saul sent men to grab David. Michal told them, "He is sick."

And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

15Saul sent the men back to look at David. He said, "Carry him up to me in his bed. I want to kill him."

And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.

16The men came in and looked. There was only a statue in the bed, with goat hair at its head.

And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.

17Saul asked Michal, "Why did you trick me? You let my enemy get away!" Michal answered, "He told me to help him go, or he would kill me."

And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

43David had also married Ahinoam from the town of Jezreel. So both women were his wives.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.

NoteIn those days an important man was allowed to have more than one wife.

44But Saul had given his daughter Michal to another man. Michal had been David's wife. Saul gave her to Phalti, son of Laish, from Gallim.

But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

NoteMichal was King Saul's daughter and David's first wife. Saul was angry at David, so he gave her to another man.

12Then Abner sent messengers to David with this message: "Who should own this land? Make an agreement with me. I will help you. I will bring all Israel over to your side."

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.

NoteAn agreement like this was a very serious promise. People believed God was listening when they made one.

13David answered, "Good. I will make an agreement with you. But I ask one thing first. Do not come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with you." Michal had been David's wife.

And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

NoteMichal was Saul's daughter and David's first wife. Saul later took her back and gave her to another man.

14David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son. He said, "Give me back my wife Michal. I paid for her with skin cut from a hundred dead Philistines."

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

NoteThe Philistines were enemies who fought Israel again and again. In those days a man gave a gift to the family when he married. Saul told David to bring proof that he had beaten a hundred Philistines instead. The cut skin was that proof.

15So Ishbosheth sent men and took Michal away from her husband. Her husband was Phaltiel, the son of Laish.

And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.

16Phaltiel walked behind her, crying all the way to the town of Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go back home." So he went back.

And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned.

NoteBahurim was a small town along the road. Phaltiel had to stop there and go home alone.

16The ark of the Lord came into the City of David. Michal, Saul's daughter, watched from a window. She saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord. Deep inside, she looked down on him.

And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

NoteSaul was the king before David. Michal was Saul's daughter and also David's wife. To despise someone means to think they are silly or low.

17They carried the ark of the Lord in and set it in its place. It went inside the tent David had put up for it. Then David gave the Lord burnt offerings and peace offerings. These were animals given to God as gifts.

And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

NoteA tabernacle is a large tent used like a church. A burnt offering was an animal burned up whole for God. A peace offering was shared, and the people ate part of it together.

18When David had finished giving the offerings, he blessed the people. He blessed them in the name of the Lord of armies.

And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

19Then he gave food to every man and woman in the huge crowd. Each person got a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. After that, everyone went home.

And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

NoteA flagon is a jug. Dates and raisins are dried fruits, sweet like candy. Giving everyone food made the day like a huge party.

20David went home to bless his own family. Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to meet him. She said, "What a grand king Israel had today! You uncovered yourself in front of your servants' slave girls. You acted like a rude, worthless man."

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!

NoteHandmaids were servant girls who worked in people's houses. Michal thought a king should not dance in a short plain vest. "Vain fellows" means silly men who do not care how they look.

21David said to Michal, "I was dancing for the Lord. He chose me instead of your father and his whole family. He made me ruler over his people Israel. So I will keep celebrating before the Lord."

And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.

Note"Play" here does not mean playing a game. It means to dance and sing and celebrate.

22"I will make myself even lower than this. I will be small in my own eyes. But those slave girls you spoke of will honor me."

And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

Note"Vile" and "base" are old words meaning low or small. David is saying he will not act grand or proud. "Had in honour" means people will still respect him.

23So Michal, Saul's daughter, never had a child for the rest of her life.

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

25So David went with the leaders of Israel and the army commanders. They were full of joy. They went to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom.

So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.

NoteA covenant is a promise between two sides. God made a promise to be with Israel. The ark reminded everyone of that promise. The army commanders each led about a thousand soldiers.

26God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD. So the people gave God an offering of seven bulls and seven rams.

And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

NoteAn offering was a gift given to God. An animal was killed and burned on a stone table called an altar. Giving seven bulls and seven rams was a very big gift, for a very happy day.

27David wore a robe of fine linen cloth. So did the Levites who carried the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, who led the singing. David also wore a linen ephod, a special vest worn for serving God.

And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

NoteLinen is soft cloth made from a plant. It was cool, clean and light, and people wore it for special days. An ephod was a plain vest worn over the clothes when serving God.

28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD. They shouted for joy. They blew rams' horns and trumpets. They played cymbals, harps, and lyres.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

NoteA ram is a male sheep. Its curved horn was hollowed out and blown like a trumpet.

29The ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the city of David. Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from a window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. Deep inside, she thought less of him for it.

And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal, the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

NoteMichal was David's wife. Her father Saul had been king before David. Looking down from a window means she stayed inside and did not join in.