Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Samuel 19:11-17
Saul Seeks To Have David Arrested With A View To Execution (1 Samuel 19:11).
This incident may well have occurred some time after the previous one. Saul has now determined that David must be got rid of. But the only problem that Saul had was that it had to be done legally. Thus his intention was presumably to bring him before a special court selected from David's ill-wishers in order to pass sentence on him for treason in that by encouraging the people to exalt him above Saul he was fermenting revolt.
‘ And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning, and Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” '
Still gripped by his mania Saul continued to want David's blood, and he sent messenger's down to David's house to keep watch for him and to slay him when he arose and came out next day. In view of David's popularity he was hardly acting rationally. But that no longer concerned him. And meanwhile Michal, who was very familiar with her father's behaviour patterns, and no doubt noticed the watchers, warned David that he should escape while he could, or else he would find himself a dead man.
No doubt as a Commander of Israel David's house was well guarded, which probably explains Saul's circumspection, but of course the guards would not be able to refuse entry to Saul's messengers during the day time. Or alternatively the plan may have been to catch a hopefully unsuspecting David alone when he left his house in the morning.
‘ So Michal let David down through the window, and he went, and fled, and escaped.'
The watchers would not be expecting an attempt to escape by the back windows, (they would not think that David suspected anything), and thus Michal was able to let David down from a window so that he could flee and escape.
‘ And 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.'
Then Michal took a teraphim, and laid it in the bed. A teraphim was a religious household image favoured by women and possibly associated with fertility or good luck. Note how Rachel took her father's teraphim when she was pregnant (Genesis 31:19). This one was presumably Michal's and kept in her own private apartment. Compare Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14 ff which demonstrate their use in Israel, probably by associating them with Yahwism. David may well not have known that she had it. It may not have been life size but needed to be sufficiently large to make an obvious lump under the bed covers. Additionally she used a pillow of goat's hair to give the impression of a head. (Alternately the teraphim could have been propped against the bed as a kind of ‘protection' against illness, while the pillow caused the lump in the bed)
‘ And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” '
Thus when Saul's messengers came to the house the next morning to arrest David she was able to say that David was ill and even possibly let them see the figure lying in the bed under the bed clothes. Her aim was to give David as much time as possible to make his escape.
‘ And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.” '
When the messengers reported back to Saul he immediately demanded that they go back and arrest David, and bring him as he was in his bed, so that he could be tried for treason and be put to death. Even Saul could not simply have David assassinated by his courtiers. His aim was presumably to allow David a summary trial and then have him executed for treason (otherwise why not have him killed in his bed).
‘ And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.'
So the messengers arrived back at David's house and demanded access to his bedroom. And once there they discovered the subterfuge perpetrated by Michal, and reported it back to Saul.
‘ And Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me in this way, and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill you?” '
Saul then summoned his daughter and asked her why she had deceived him with the effigy in the bed and had let his enemy escape. He no doubt felt that she owed first loyalty to him as her father and king. Michal simply replied that she had had to do what she did otherwise David might have killed her. This would actually tie in with Saul's own obsessive view of David and he appears to have accepted that it was true.
That Michal lied at least twice is clear, and although the Scripture does not actually specifically approve of it, it does raise the question as to when, if ever, such a lie is justified. Similar examples can be found with Rahab at Jericho (Joshua 2:4 ff), Jael with Sisera (Judges 4:18) and the woman at Bahurim (2 Samuel 17:20). It is too large a question to be dealt with fully here. However, while Scripture undoubtedly does require us to be truthful (Leviticus 19:11; Matthew 5:37) there must certainly be cases where to tell the truth would be an even greater sin than the alternative, for example in such cases as these where lives were at stake. I must confess that if I was hiding someone I loved from a criminal gang, and could save his life by denying his presence, I would not hesitate. Nor would I feel guilty afterwards. (I would feel far more guilty if he died because I had given him away). T1sa about the whereabouts of others can only be expected when the questioner does not have murderous intentions. However, the question is so complicated that we must leave a full discussion of it to elsewhere.